Representative braided patterns of Celtic motifs and their arrangements

August 16, 2024

A braided pattern that is representative of Celtic motifs and shows religious fusion

The braided cord pattern is one of the representative designs of the ancient Celtic civilization located in the north of Europe.

The complex pattern is made up of multiple layers of grid borders that connect the lines to create a continuous pattern.

When combined with spiral structures, another typical Celtic decoration, the designs become even more complex, and those used on book bindings are often colored, giving a sense of prestige due to their intricacy.

The Book of Kells, one of the three great Celtic manuscripts that are national treasures of Ireland, is said to be the most beautiful book in the world, decorated with gorgeous Celtic patterns.

The knots in the braided pattern are good luck charms

The knots in the braided cord pattern are said to be amulets for fertility and abundance, and in Buddhism, the Acalanatha Bodhisattva is said to be a talisman for fertility and abundance that wards off evil, making it a sacred entity with mysterious similarities around the world.

As Christianity spread into the Celtic cultural sphere, it blended with indigenous religions and gave rise to many Celtic crosses, which are crosses engraved with braided patterns, making this a type of decoration that truly connects cultures.

Differences from the twisted cord patterns seen in ancient Rome

The twisted cord pattern, which has been used since ancient Rome, is painted using a wide space, and even when used for flat decoration in mosaics, it creates a three-dimensional effect and gradation by using shading.

Combination of braided cord patterns and animal motifs

Celtic braided patterns are often combined with animal motifs that are a fusion of the culture of horse-riding peoples.

The three major Celtic manuscripts mentioned above also incorporate the heads of birds and monsters into the braided patterns as decoration, and later Alphonse Mucha also incorporated them into his paintings.

Kumihimo patterns that are easy to arrange

As mentioned at the beginning, the basic design of the braided cord pattern has a simple structure, so it is easy to combine with other patterns or arrange them to look like animals or plants.