Celtic symbols and their meanings
Ten symbols that show up in Celtic tattoos, with their documented history kept apart from modern readings.
Celtic knot
A Celtic knot tattoo is a pattern of strands weaving over and under in an unbroken path. Most designs come from Christian-era Insular art, and eternity is a popular modern reading.
138 designs
Trinity knot
A trinity knot tattoo, or triquetra, is three interlocked loops drawn as one continuous line. Its best-known meaning is the Christian Holy Trinity; pagan readings are modern interpretations.
124 designs
Triskele
A triskele tattoo shows three spirals or curved arms turning from one center. The oldest Irish examples, at Newgrange, are Neolithic and predate the Celts by thousands of years.
90 designs
Tree of life
A Celtic tree of life tattoo shows a tree whose roots and branches mirror each other, often inside a circle. Irish sacred trees are real tradition; the knotted circle design is modern.
112 designs
Celtic cross
A Celtic cross tattoo is a Christian cross with a ring around its center, modeled on the stone high crosses of Ireland and Britain from roughly the 8th to 10th centuries.
103 designs
Claddagh
A Claddagh tattoo shows two hands holding a crowned heart: hands for friendship, heart for love, crown for loyalty. It comes from 17th-century Galway, so it is Irish rather than ancient Celtic.
70 designs
Shield knot
A shield knot tattoo is a square, four-cornered knot usually read as protection. Similar knots appear in many cultures, and the name Celtic shield knot is a modern label.
69 designs
Dara knot
A Dara knot tattoo is an interlaced design inspired by oak roots, usually read as inner strength. Its name comes from the Irish word for oak, but the knot itself is modern.
66 designs
Motherhood knot
A Celtic motherhood knot tattoo shows two interlocked hearts or figures standing for the bond between mother and child. It is a modern design without ancient roots, and still deeply meaningful.
68 designs
Celtic animals
Celtic animal tattoos draw on two real sources: the knotted, interlaced beasts of Insular manuscripts and the animals of Irish and Welsh myth, such as the salmon, stag, raven and hound.
160 designs