Celtic cross
The Celtic cross is a cross in which a ring fits. It is the symbol characteristic of the Irish Christianisme, although it can have origins pre-Christian women. The cross, like emblem, does not exist in the Celtic civilization of the Antiquité, as well in the literary sources as archaeological. The branches of the cross always exceed ring, and on the most detailed representations, the circle is in withdrawal compared to the cross. The Christian use combines a Latin Croix (cross with lower leg longer than the others) with the circle, while other uses (symbolic systems, policies, etc) are based on a regular cross (each branch of the cross has an identical length).
Symbolism
In the Celtic areas of Brittany and Ireland, much of stone cross were set up at the beginning of the 8th century. One finds some in Cornouailles, with the Wales, on the island of Iona and in the Hébrides. The oldest cross, out of those being located in Ireland, is probably that of Bewcastle (Cumberland, England). Most known are those of Kells (county of Meath) and that of Monasterboice (county of Louth). Some of these crosses carry inscriptions in Rune S. To England, the cemeteries abound in Celtic crosses, posed on tombs belonging to quite English families.
Bunches of identity and nationalist ideology use a graphics simplified near to this symbol (a barred round of a regular cross, without lengthened jamb) which represents for them the pride of their nation.
There does not exist representation of the Celtic cross, i.e. with the branches exceeding the circle, before the Christian Irish crosses. One finds symbols ancient of representation close (a circle with a cross with 4 branches registered in this circle, i.e. the branches stop with the circle); these symbols, called solar wheels, appear as of the Neolithic era (6000 av. J.C.).
In the Christian symbolic system, the ringed cross is a representation of the signaculum domini , i.e. the five wounds of Christ in cross. By extension, it is also an image of the heart which is of a symbolism stronger than that of the sun or pole because the heart is not satisfied to receive but gives the life in a constant exchange (prayers of the men and graces of God). The symbol is widespread in the Catholic church as well for the sculptures as the vestments or the private worship (cross of the cemeteries, Ex-voto). One also finds it around the Baltic and in Russia.
The symbol was taken again by political organizations following the use that in made the father Doncœur (1880-1961). War veteran, speaker of the catholic National federation of the general of Castelnau, and founder of the truck drivers, it used the Celtic cross like personal emblem. It is taken again by the movements scouts then by the national teams under the mode of the Maréchal Pétain. It is precisely this representation which is adopted by Pierre Sidos when it created the political movement Jeune Nation to be opposed to the de Gaulle general and to his Cross of Lorraine. The Guerre of Algeria sees the symbol recovered by other nationalist movements. The political use of the Celtic cross then will spread.
The significance of the Celtic cross, such as it is given by the groups neo-druidic, does not rest on any historical basis. It is, according to any obviousness, a construction of the 18th century.
A symbol graphically similar was also used in other nonChristian traditions. One finds it at the Indians of the plains of America. It was very usually used and was used to direct space before each ceremony, as explains it black Élan in secret Rites of the Indians Sioux , the email, 1992.
One finds it in the heraldic Japanese woman. On the blazon ( My ), it represents a bit of horse then.
The Celtic cross in the History (France)
Jeanne d' Arc
The Celtic cross is an element of the Christian imagery Western, it is also associated with the Cathédrale Holy-Cross of Orleans (which it culminates) and with Jeanne d' Arc come there to follow the evening mass on May 2nd, 1429 during the Siège of Orleans.
XXe century
Francoise Henry publishes in 1932 2 volumes on the Irish sculpture in the first twelve centuries of the Christian era , republished by the editions of the Zodiac in 1964 in 3 volumes under the title Irish art . It is the first study on the first representations of this symbol. The name of “Celtic cross” in descriptions of these monuments does not appear.Charbonneau-Lassay gives an interpretation of the symbolism of this cross in the review the intellectual Radiation (1934-39), republished by Gutenberg reprints in 1986. It does not use either the term of “Celtic cross”.
The Doncœur father, who is the first to make a political use of it, called it the “cross junior”. It seems that the first use of the denomination “Celtic cross” appears in the rules of procedure of the national teams published in January 1944.
The National teams are created to make take part the young volunteers in the protection and the help of the populations victims of the war. But it is probable that this term existed already in the movements scouts before the war.
Pierre Sidos takes again this denomination when it describes the symbol in 1947. Since the term imposed itself in France.
The Celtic cross in policy (France)
Years 1940-1950
The Celtic cross made its political entry in France after the Second world war under the aegis of Pierre Sidos, president of Jeune Nation then of the French Œuvre. The name of Celtic cross applied to the drawing symbolic system made up of a circle and a cross (branches of the cross exceeding the edges of the circle) is due to the fact that one usually finds monuments of the kind in old Breton cemeteries and especially in those of Ireland and everywhere in the Irish countryside. It also called eucharistic cross (the circle symbolizing the Holy Host).
Years 1960-1970
The notoriety of the filiation of the Celtic cross to the activities of opinion inspired by Pierre Sidos, without discontinuity of the Movement Young Nation to that of French Work. This badge was taken again per much movement nationalists of various tendencies (catholic like pagan).
It was especially used, with the beginning of the year 1970, by the movement new Ordre, then, after the dissolution of this one in June 1973, by the various youth movements related to the Parti the new forces like the Front of youth or the Groupe union defense.
Years 1980-2000
A third movement resulting from the Left the new forces, the nationalist Revival, also used the cross as from 1981.On the other hand, the symbol was rejected by the parliamentary movements the such National front of Jean-Marie Le Pen.
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