After spending about a month's worth of days working on it, I finally finished crocheting my Celtic knot shawl. The pattern is available for free here on Ravelry, if anyone is interested in giving it a go (you may have to make a free Ravelry account to be able to view it). I would rate the design as being of intermediate difficulty, although the knot pattern itself was very easy to follow.
According to the woman who posted the pattern, this design came from a book of Celtic knotwork, and symbolizes human interconnectedness and friendship.
I've always loved these seemingly endless patterns, but realized that I actually know very little about the history of their use. As such, I've done a bit of a Google search to learn more about Celtic knotwork.
These popular patterns, generally presenting a stylized image of a knot as opposed to taking a realism-based approach, are found in the Celtic style of Insular art. Insular artwork - also known as Hiberno-Saxon art - developed in the post-Roman history of the British isles. The name "insular" itself comes from the Latin "insula", meaning island. Most insular art comes from Celtic Ireland, beginning around 600 CE.
While the classic Celtic knot came about after the fall of the Romans, the designs may have been rooted in Roman patterns. In the 300-400s CE, knotwork began to appear in Roman mosaic floor tiles. Similar motifs are found in Byzantine, Coptic, Islamic, and Russian artwork of the same time period; given the growth of trade and cross-cultural exchange in this era, it seems probable that the geometric designs of the Middle East spread along the trade routes of the time and morphed eventually into the Celtic knotwork that we recognize today.
Most of our modern understanding of these Celtic art forms comes from its preservation at Christian hands. Therefore, what we know must be taken with a grain of salt, given the contemporary monks' tendency to try to appropriate local practices and erase any Pagan overtones. That being said, it is clear that prior to the Christianization of the Celts, their artwork consisted of predominately spiral, step, and key patterns.
These designs, and variations thereof, found their way into the illuminations of Christian manuscripts, as well as onto gravestones and other cross-bearing emblems. Much of the modern understanding of the knotted designs comes from the preservation of these pieces.
Lots of websites propose potential "meanings" for different styles of knotwork; however, as with much of the rest of Celtic history, few written records survive to document the actual intended symbolism. There is no evidence that I could find to prove a religious or philosophical association with the designs. That being said, a few relatively standard interpretations stand out. The first is the idea of eternity, which should be mostly intuitive, given the fact that the knots usually are endless. Also, associations with nature, man, and the elements seems to be the widely accepted correspondence. Published books on the matter are likely more authoritative on the subject than uncited sources on the internet, so I will leave it at that.
One design in particular that I will mention is the triquetra.
You may recognize this design - most Neo-Pagans probably do. This simple piece of Celtic knotwork is often used in Pagan circles to represent, for example, the Triple Goddess. In Christian circles, it is taken to represent the Holy Trinity. Many variations on the design exist; for instance, the intertwined circle in the image above may be a more modern version.
To my understanding of it, the usage of the Celtic knot has been so widespread and predominately secular for long enough that it is not cultural appropriation to use the designs in one's work. If I am mistaken in my understanding of this, by all means drop me a message.
At any rate, I enjoyed putting together this miniature history lesson, and hope that it has been informative.
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