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Celtic cross (Irish: cros Cheilteach,[1] Scottish Gaelic: crois Cheilteach, Manx: crosh Cheltiagh, Welsh: croes Geltaidd, Cornish: krows keltek, Breton: kroaz geltek) is a symbol that combines a cross with a ring surrounding the intersection; the cross' stem being longer than the other three intersection. It belongs to a wider group of crosses with a nimbus.[2] In the Celtic Christian world it was combined with the Christian cross and this design was often used for high crosses – a free-standing cross made of stone and often richly decorated.[3] With the Celtic Revival the shape, usually decorated with interlace and other motifs from Insular art, became popular for funerary monuments and other uses, and has remained so, spreading well beyond Ireland.
A distinctive Insular tradition of erecting monumental stone high crosses began by the 8th century, and possibly earlier. They probably followed earlier versions in wood, perhaps faced in metalwork. Some of these 'Celtic' crosses bear inscriptions in ogham. Standing crosses in Ireland and areas under Irish influence tend to be shorter and more massive than their Anglo-Saxon equivalents, which have mostly lost their headpieces, and therefore perhaps required the extra strength provided by the ring. Irish examples with a head in Celtic cross form include the Cross of Kells, Ardboe High Cross, the crosses at Monasterboice, and the Cross of the Scriptures, Clonmacnoise, as well as those in Scotland at Iona and the Kildalton Cross, which may be the earliest to survive in good condition. There are surviving free-standing crosses in Cornwall, including St Piran's cross at Perranporth, and Wales.[4] Other stone crosses are found in the former Northumbria and Scotland, and further south in England, where they merge with the similar Anglo-Saxon cross making tradition, in the Ruthwell Cross for example. Most examples in Britain were destroyed during the Protestant Reformation. By about 1200 the initial wave of cross building came in to an end in Ireland.
In Ireland, it is a popular legend that the Celtic Christian cross was introduced by Saint Patrick or possibly Saint Declan during his time converting the pagan Irish, though there are no examples from this early period. It has often been claimed that Patrick combined the symbol of Christianity with the sun cross, to give pagan followers an idea of the importance of the cross by linking it with the idea of the life-giving properties of the sun. Other interpretations claim that placing the cross on top of the circle represents Christ's supremacy over the pagan sun.
There are similar crosses in France, which some specialists think are influenced by those from Ireland. But the correct expression to define the continental crosses is "cross with nimbus" (croix nimbée in French). Their design is different, but all the French examples are quite analogous in shape to each other. They are found mainly in the western part of France, in Normandy, Brittany, and Limousin as far as Auvergne in the centre. Most of them were made around the 15th century. One can be seen on the spire of Sainte-Croix cathedral at Orléans, in the Loire valley.
In Lower Normandy, in Cotentin, many churches have kept their tombstones decorated with a Celtic cross.[5][6]
Normandy, Veules-les-Roses Cross
Normandy, Saint-Pierre-en-Port Cross
Brittany, Sant-Kadoù Island, Stêr an Intel (Étel river)
Auvergne, details of a high cross at Chambon-sur-Lac
Normandy, Tombstones in the St Germain church, Flamanville
In Galicia a distinct form of cross similar to the Insular Celtic shapes is found, often topping horreos (granaries) as a protective measure against any kind of evil.[7] They can also be found atop churches, and since the beginning of the 20th century in cemeteries, but they are unusual in cruceiros (high crosses). A very characteristic Galician style[8] combines a Celtic cross with a Celtic simple knot. It is similar to the St Maur cross at Glanfeuil Abbey[9][10] that could have been made between the 9th and the 11th century.
Modern copy of the Romanesque Agnus Dei topping the church of Saint Mary Salome, in Santiago de Compostela
Gothic cross atop the church of Saint Susanna, in Santiago de Compostela
A Latin cross and a Celtic cross atop a Galician hórreo (granary)
Celtic crosses topping the sanctuary of a Virxe da Barca ('Our Lady of the Boat'), Muxía
Cross topping the church of Saint Lazarus, Santiago de Compostela
In Estonia, further examples can be found, notably on the Islands (Saaremaa, Hiiumaa).
The Celtic Revival of the mid-19th century led to an increased use and creation of Celtic crosses in Ireland. In 1853 casts of several historical high crosses were exhibited to interested crowds at the Dublin Industrial Exhibition. In 1857, Henry O'Neill published Illustrations of the Most Interesting of the Sculptured Crosses of Ancient Ireland. These two events stimulated interest in the Celtic cross as a symbol for a renewed sense of heritage within Ireland.
New versions of the high cross were designed as fashionable cemetery monuments in Victorian Dublin in the 1860s. From Dublin the revival spread to the rest of the country and beyond. Since the Celtic Revival, the ringed cross became an emblem of Celtic identity, in addition to its more traditional religious symbolism.[11] Alexander and Euphemia Ritchie, working on the Isle of Iona in Scotland from 1899 to 1940, popularised use of the Celtic cross in jewellery.[12]
Modern Celtic cross of a war monument in Limburg-Dietkirchen, Germany
Modern Celtic cross at Cimetière du Père-Lachaise, Paris
Since its revival in the 1850s, the Celtic cross has been used extensively as grave markers. This was a departure from medieval usage, when the symbol was more typically used for a public monument. The Celtic cross now appears in jewellery, T-shirts, tattoos, coffee cups and other retail items. Both the Gaelic Athletic Association and the Northern Ireland national football team have used versions of the Celtic cross in their logos and advertising.
Former crest of the Gaelic Athletic Association
Original crest of the Irish Football Association
A square cross interlocking with or surrounded by a circle is one of the most popular symbols used by individuals and organisations to represent
In Italy there is a similar ban, deriving from Legge Mancino[20] (the "Mancino Act", from the Minister of Interior who enacted the law), although there are some examples of the use of the Celtic cross as a Roman Catholic symbol in Northern Italy.
In Germany, the Celtic cross was adopted by a prohibited political party (VSBD/PdA) leading to a ban of the symbol if used within a context of promoting racism (cf. Strafgesetzbuch section 86a). Although there were doubts on the constitutionality of the ban[18] it was upheld in a decision of the supreme court.[19]
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Cornwall, Ireland, Pictish stones, Iona, Scotland
Devon, Isles of Scilly, Cornish language, Brittany, Truro
Cornwall, Celtic languages, United Kingdom, Welsh language, Brittany
United Kingdom, Welsh language, Isle of Man, Cardiff, Swansea
Hurling, Gaelic football, Kilmacud Crokes GAA, Antrim GAA, Cork GAA
Cornwall, Cornish language, Wales, Brittany, Devon
Celts, High cross, Middle Ages, Angus, Celtic languages
Portugal, Heraldry, T, Spain, Switzerland
Celts, Italy, Animal, Human, Europe