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Celtic Jewelry
by Brahva Cwmevos
Celtic Jewelry today is making a huge come back.
Maybe because people are awakening to a whole new outlook on life,
and society is changing as we head towards the new Aquarius age!
Celtic Jewelry was highly prized by both men and women alike. Each
piece told a story of who that person was, their status and their
tribe's wealth. Today, people are finding the same thing and are
identifying who they are through nature and symbols. Celtic jewelry
is very unique in this way. No other jewelry has such deep meaning
and beauty!
You would think that something so old would be primitively made and not much metals would be around. Nothing could be further than the truth in fact, the Celtic jewelry maker could make just as nice as jewelry and in some cases way more detail than today's jewelry. People think they only used bronze or iron....so not true. They had access to both gold and silver as well as copper.
In ancient days, we know that bronze, silver and
gold were all used by Celtic craftsmen and we've found Celtic jewelry
dating from 2000 BC to around 550 AD. Celtic symbols were definitely
the focus of the piece and most likely individualized to the person
it was being made for. Today, the makers of Celtic jewelry are
keeping to this tradition, making these pieces highly coveted once
more.
So what kind of Celtic jewelry was made in ancient
times? In fact, the Celtic jewelry found has been rings, bracelets,
pendants, hair pin decoration and brooches were found right across
the Mediterranean so we know that the business of trade was
successful for the lucky tribes who had a blacksmith.
The ancient Celts saw fire, which was used to make
Celtic Jewelry, as a means that had transformative properties which
would be the highest form of spiritual communication. On Celtic
statues and art forms all around, they incorporated the design of
three flames or sunrays on the faces of their deities, and on
pictures of their clansmen and women. Great for woad design! These
flames were drawn as three lines going up and outwards, fanning out
on the forehead with the base of the three lines meeting at the
bridge of the nose. Modern Druids are using this sign and it is
called Arwen. Arwen is a Celtic concept of balance bringing together
three things - the physical, knowledge & inspiration, and the
spiritual. This might be something you'd like for the Celtic
jewelry for your modern day clan.
The ancient Celts also honored the earth as their
mother Goddess. They believed that when a kinsman/woman passed on,
they had to be buried in a womb like cave facing west so that they
would be reborn in the Celtic otherworld or Underworld. Some British
and Welsh tribes call it the Isle of Avalon. But all Celts believed
the afterlife continued on an isle across the sea. If someone you
know has gone through a tough time, an earth symbol on their Celtic
jewelry would be a great symbol to be reborn into a new phase!
Celtic jewelry also had creatures or animals. Totem
animals were the earliest form of Gods. Gods changed into land areas
where these animals came from, like the Salmon became a river Goddess
and later, when males became more dominate, river Gods. When they
were Christianized from 400's to 1700's CE, in more remote areas,
these Gods became mythical beings like wizards, sorceresses, fairies,
leprechauns and heroes. The air Gods became Sylphs. These come in
the form of butterflies, after a loved one dies or when they wish to
communicate something other than comfort they appear as sparkly,
whirly, zoomy, flashy things written about in a few cultures legends.
They were in the skies or
air and only a few people can see them. Some say people who become
more aware of their bodies, like a pregnant women, can experience
this phenomenon. And others believe that these are actually
butterflies. A symbol of the butterfly in Celtic jewelry is for
those who are cocooning into a new phase of life, who are intuitive
or needs strength for something.
Celtic knots, swirls, are a distinct style of Celtic
artwork in Celtic jewelry, although truthfully there is no known
actual symbolism that we know of. It doesn't matter though, as a few
symbols have shed light on what they mean by studying other cultures.
We know myths changed as society changed so we can take the myths of
old and make them our own. After all, each tribe developed their own
unique stories so we can too!
You can read more about Celtic symbolism on each
piece of Celtic jewelry you look at and find the perfect piece for
your friend or loved one both male or female!
http://www.celtsandvikings.com
Copyright December 2009
