Irish Jewelry, Celtic Jewelry, Celtic Heritage & Irish Heritage
I have lots of Scots & Irish heritage in my ancestry (German & English too) – I love Celtic art and Celtic jewelry. To me, Celtic and Irish heritage mean the same thing … when I think of Celtic jewelry or Irish jewelry, I think of Ireland. I know the Celts were all over the world .. but to me, Celts is the same as Ireland .. I’ve always felt that way … perhaps it is my Irish Celtic heritage soul telling me that … I do not know … I’ve always just felt Irish and Celt were two inter-changeable words.
There are several million Irish Americans in the US … there are Irish people scattered into all corners of the US … many of whom have never been to Ireland because their ancestors came here from Ireland and none of them have been back to the Old Country yet. Including me – I have a dream of going to visit Ireland some day though! Art was really important to the Celts – many of the Celtic designs are thousands of years old and just as gorgeous and timely today as they were back in the dawn of time.
Two Quotes from Wikipedia – Celtic Art – Celtic Culture
Celtic art is ornamental, avoiding straight lines and only occasionally using symmetry, without the imitation of nature or ideal of beauty central to the classical tradition, but as far as we can understand it often involves complex symbolism. It includes a variety of styles and often incorporates subtly modified elements from other cultures, an example being the characteristic over-and-under interlacing — knotwork — which only arrived in the 6th century when it was already in extensive use by neighboring Germanic peoples.
There are three “traditions” of Celtic art, the first being the continental Iron age art mainly associated with La Tène culture which draws on native, classical and (perhaps via the Mediterranean) oriental sources. The second, Iron Age art in Britain and Ireland, draws on the continental tradition while adding distinctive regional styles. The third, the Celtic “renaissance” of the early Middle Ages in Ireland and parts of Britain, is also called Insular art. This third tradition formed the basis for art of the Celtic revival beginning in the late 19th century.
Anyone interested in Celtic art or Celtic design is probably also interested in the Early History of Ireland – anyway I know I am – I like history in regards to things that interest me. When I went to high school, teachers kept asking me why I didn’t like history and telling me how fascinating it was … I liked history itself very much – I just detested having to memorize dates that were of absolutely no use to me what-so-ever. To this day, no one except my kids has ever asked me an actual date from history … and the only reason my kids did was because they couldn’t remember a date they were supposed to have memorized for history class!
Perhaps if I were going to be a history writer or an archeologoist, then maybe dates would be much more important to me but being a Technical Writer of software manuals and working with graphics, illustrations and screen captures … history dates are not called for much in my current job … and they weren’t either when I was a secretary, a customer service rep, a bookkeeper, or any other job I’ve ever held.
The closest to history dates being of any importance in my life is art history dates and I do not pay attention the dates of those either … the art of the period is much more interesting to me than the date it was created! Celtic knotwork is gorgeous! I like the spirals very much too! The Celtic crosses are interesting (I used to try drawing Celtic crosses a lot when I was a kid – they fascinated me then in relation to how the Christian cross appeared to me to be based on it’s form) but I no longer draw them or particularly find them something I would want to wear. I love Celtic knotwork in jewelry – rings, bracelets, necklaces – I like the Claddagh designs too.
Lovely knots that are not really spirals but sort of indicating spirals without being spirals … I love contrast and the curves and shapes in Celtic knotwork are very inspiring and uplifting yet restful and relaxing to me. Spirals for me give off vibrant energy of movement and grace that feels like dancing to harp music. I like reading about the Celts almost as much as I enjoy looking at Celtic art or listening to Celtic Harp music or wearing Celtic jewelry.
I’m guessing that Robert E. Howard who wrote the Conan the Barbarian books was a Celtic scholar after reading at The Celtic World website – at the bottom of the page, Cimmerians are mentioned. I find that to be a real interesting way to work Celts and Celtic heritage into the Conan the Barbarian saga … he would fit right into the Viking or Celtic world – I read that Vikings became Celts (more or less or perhaps Celts became Vikings while remaining Celts?) in the UK islands (Ireland, Scotland, Wales).
Considering the fact that I’ve read all the Robert E. Howard Conan the Barbarian books, read a lot of the older Conan comic books and seen all the movies including of course Red Sonja, the reference to Cimmerians was very intriguing to me and I immediately thought – Conan The Barbarian! He has always appeared Viking / Celtic to me in my imagination long before the movies came out (as a child I thought them both to be quite romantic) and I love seeing Viking longboats with their glorious sails in paintings and I even went to a Viking Exhibit at the Museum here in Houston several years ago when it came to town!
