Irish Cross - Sterling Silver

 Even armed Celtic Cross in Sterling Silver.  Inscribed with the  Eternity knot. 

 Approximate frame size: 30mm Diameter x 1.5mm T.

Celtic Crosses dot hundreds of cemeteries across Ireland and Scotland, as well as Wales, England, Europe, and beyond.

While the Celtic Cross is certainly a Christian symbol, it has its roots in ancient pagan beliefs at the same time. The stone circle at Calanais, on the Isle of Lewis in Scotland, is formed in a rough circle, with an even-armed cross within it. This is believed to be a sun symbol to the creators of the stone circle, which became a sacred shape to the Celts.

St Patrick is said to have taken this ancient sun symbol and extended one of the lengths to form a melding of the Christian Cross and the sun symbol, and thus the birth of the Celtic Cross.

The even-armed cross within a circle has been ascribed many meanings by many groups and cultures. One such meaning is that of the stages of the day: morning, noon, evening, midnight. Another possibility includes the meeting places of the divine energy, of self, nature, wisdom and divinity. Of course, obvious relations such as east, north, south and west; or earth, air, water and fire can also be derived from the shape. Even the Native Americans used this as a symbol for their Medicine Wheel. The sun wheel has also been called Odin’s Cross, a symbol in Norse Mythology.

The early Gnostic Christians in Egypt also used a similar form for their Coptic Cross. It had the cruciform within a circle, a longer lower arm, and then a cross under the circle, similar to an ankh. The current form of Presbyterian cross is also a Celtic Cross, with flared ends of each of the arms.

 Source (Irish Fireside)