The Tree of Life
In honor of the upcoming ‘Love a Tree Day’ on May 16th, we decided to take a closer look at the Celtic origins of an ancient and well-known Irish symbol – the Tree of Life.
The Tree of Life is an instantly recognizable symbol, popular in Irish culture and Irish design. It is beautifully displayed in artwork, tattoos and of course, jewelry.
Origins
Originating in at least 2000 BC, this was an important Ancient Celtic Symbol. Trees were a very important part of Celtic culture. Providing food, warmth and shelter and being a meeting place for the highest-ranking members of the tribe. Providing nourishment to all animals, it was believed to take care of all life.
Believing that the symbol possessed special powers and recognizing its importance, people left a single, large tree in the center when clearing areas of land. The Celts called this a crann bethadh. In fact, some of the crann bethadh oak trees may still be standing today!
In times of war, tribes clearly demonstrated the symbol’s significance and importance by triumphing through the cutting down of the opponent’s Tree of Life.
Celts considered it one of the worst crimes if someone cut down their own tribe’s tree.
As well as having the power to take care of all life on Earth, for the Celts the trees also had connections to the supernatural world, and to spirits and their ancestors. The Celtic word for ‘oak’ is ‘daur’, the origin of the modern word ‘door’. This word signifies a doorway to the Otherworld, the realm of the dead and other powerful spirits.
Today
This symbol has survived hundreds of years and remains a popular design to this day. It has significant meanings in many different religions and cultures, such as rebirth, growth, strength, ancestry, peace and much more.
At Blarney Woollen Mills, we have a number of beautiful designs that incorporate the Tree of Life which you can shop online or in-store.
Banner Image by Michael Gaida from Pixabay
Image by Bessi from Pixabay
