Celtic Wedding
Celtic Wedding rings and tying the Knot
The origins of the Celts dates back to prehistoric times when they emerged as a group of loosely knit tribes with a common culture and language.
Celtic settlements stretched from Turkey and the Balkans right across Western Europe. But it was the rise of the Roman Empire that would expose the lack of cohesion between the various Celtic tribes and would lead to them being overrun, expelled from their territories and being pushed back to the western fringes of the continent.
Although the ancient Celts flourished across Europe, it is in Ireland where their traditions have been most preserved.
One aspect of this culture that still survives today is the artwork and this is most commonly seen in jewellery such as celtic wedding rings.
Their artwork was believed to be very symbolic often being based on nature using images of birds and animals and fish. The Celts believed firmly in the interconnectedness of all life and produced the familiar Celtic Knots, which are interlaced patterns with no beginning and no end.
Although perhaps the true significance of these patterns has been lost over the millennia, Celtic designs remain increasingly popular in our modern world.
The Claddagh is a traditional symbol of love and friendship and is thought to have originated from Claddagh in Galway as far back as the 16th century since when has been worn by many as a wedding ring and as a symbol of love.
The design of the Claddagh consists of a heart as a symbol of love, a crown as a symbol of fidelity or loyalty and the hands depicted friendship. Tradition states that if you are spoken to you should wear the Claddagh on your left hand facing inward but if you are unattached it should be worn facing outward on the right hand.
Celtic crosses, which predate Christianity, can symbolize the four quarters of the earth and or the four elements — earth wind and fire. They are equal armed crosses which are enclosed or backed by a circle. Following the introduction of Christianity, it became more common to see Celtic Crosses on top of a matching pedestal, which gave it a more elongated look. Celtic crosses are often worn as jewellery such as rings or on chains around the neck.
Geometric designs have always feature prominently in Celtic artwork with spirals, chevrons, scrolls and knot work. Many of these patterns can be seen decorating stone carvings or ancient manuscripts and religious books.
The Celtic spirals are very symbolic with the single spiral generally thought to signify growth expansion and cosmic energy.
The dual centred spiral found often on stone carvings signifies duality and nature and is associated with motifs from other cultures such as the Ying Yang symbol.Celtic knot work designs remain popular today and can vary from single elegant knot patterns to complex intricate interlaced patterns.
Although the symbolism of celtic designs may have been lost, many of the designs remain popular today and will often be seen used in the design of jewellery and in particular Celtic Wedding rings.
About the Author
Written by John Lewis of Love2Have who specialise in traditional gold celtic wedding rings handcrafted in the UK.
What songs would be appropriate for a Medieval Celtic Wedding ceremony?
I need music that can be played by minstrels before the ceremony and during the cocktail hour but more importantly. One or two songs that can be sung by a soloist or group that has a celtic/medieval/renaissance flavour.
OK sorry I should have made it clear. I have done exhaustive internet sources and haven’t found anything appropriate. So I am hoping there will be someone who can give me a direct song or piece of music that I can search for etc.
get the book Medieval Celebrations. it has a whole bunch of songs, and the sheet music for them. there are also lots of books for celtic music on sheet music sites like sheetmusicplus.com. they could sing songs like Greensleeves, Scarborough Faire, She Moved Through the Faire, Endearing Young Charms, One i Love, and some other songs. usually, if you hire a band that plays celtic or medieval music, they will give you a list of songs they know. check out the Celtic Woman cd’s. they have some really nice sounding songs. check out the performers at the ren faire near you, many of them have cd’s you can get at the renfaire gift shop. also check out the Renaissance Magazine wedding issues, they have links in the back “classified” section. and they have really helpful ideas for other parts of a medieval celtic wedding!! also, Enya has some medievally, celtic songs, especially on her older Cd’s like the Celts, or shepard moons. this band doesn’t have voclas, but i love thier music!! they have some medieval dance songs for the reception: http://www.cantigamusic.com/ i also enjoy this performer http://www.voicenet.com/~gehlingw/
update: i looked around, and by trying to find the lyrics to one of the songs Cantiga did on this cd http://cdbaby.com/cd/nwrb (with a troubadour, so there’s singing!) and i came across this site with a crapload of mushy osunding songs (at least the title sound romantic to me) some of them have the lyrics, some don’t, but if you search for the songs or composers, i’m sure you can find the lyrics to them! here’s the link!! http://www.larksongsings.com/webpages/main/repertoire.html
Good Luck!!!! and congrats!
Greensleeves- Celtic Wedding Mix
