Ancient history

The Triskele - A symbol full of meaning

There are many reasons to give someone a present:Birthday, Christmas, or just because giving gives pleasure. A beautiful gift idea for many occasions is the triskele, a symbol that comes in many different forms. The triskele is particularly popular as a Valentine's Day gift. In this article we take a close look at the delicate decorative element.

Historical origin

The triskele (from the Greek:"three-legged"), or the triskel, is very popular as a piece of jewellery, a decorative element or a tattoo. Depending on the variant, this symbol shows three spherically symmetrically arranged circular arcs, open spirals, node patterns or similar. The triskelion is often associated with Celtic culture, although its origins are much older. As early as the Neolithic Age, the triskele found its place in an astronomical calendar carved in rock dating back to 3200 BC. was dated. It is located in the Newgrande Megalithic Complex in Ireland. In addition, the triskelion can be found in many cultures around the world.

The meaning of the triskele

Nowadays, different meanings are interpreted into this symbol, such as protection against misfortune, averting evil or the way of life. There is a great deal of speculation about the significance of the triskelion in the past. The most common meanings are birth-life-death and past-present-future.

What does the triskel have to do with Valentine's Day?

Certainly the triskelion is not the prime example of a love symbol such as a Celtic knot. But if you take a closer look, you will even find a very nice interpretation, because the course of past - present - future can also be related to human interaction.

The past encloses the time spent together, the shared moments, emotions and impressions. Future decisions are influenced by past impulses.

The present, on the other hand, is just a brief moment that we can actively influence. Here we live in the moment:what used to be the future is already becoming the past. Enjoying the moment together - a valuable asset.

The future may be uncertain, but it can still be planned together.

In summary, we not only go through these three phases individually, but also in relationships, whether on a romantic, friendly or family level. Time appears as a common thread in the triskele, since it can be drawn without taking the pen off the page. Anyone who masters the past hurdles together, enjoys the time together in the here and now, also likes to share the future with each other.

The Triskeleals gift idea

The triskelion is a perfect gift for loved ones, as a symbol for the experienced, the present and the future together. In our shop you can find this symbol, for example, as a pendant, brooch, beard beads or wall decoration made of wood.

Here we present gift ideas from three areas suitable for Valentine's Day.

Pendant

We offer beautiful pendants made of silver, bronze or bone in the shape of a triskelion. There are matching necklaces made of silver or bronze or thin leather straps.

Beard beads

You can find beard beads in both silver and bronze. You can wear these pieces of jewelery wonderfully in your beard, but they also look very elegant in long hair or as a pendant.

Wall decoration

Wooden wall decorations come in the form of triskelions. In addition to the simple implementation, there is also the wall decoration “Wild Hunt”, in which the dogs form a triskelion with their legs. Our wall decorations are hand-carved and finished to a high standard.

Variations of the symbol

Triskele with legs

The Medusa was for the Sicilians the protection of their island. For this reason, they modified the triskele so that its head is in the center of the symbol and three legs are depicted around it. At the same time, this represented the coat of arms of Sicily since 1282.

three hare picture

Another modification of the triskele is the three-hare picture. "The hare and the spoon have three, and yet every hare has two", describes the symbol very well, because it shows three jumping hares, whose ears are arranged in a special way.