Origins of The Triskelion
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- Опубліковано 16 тра 2023
- The Triskele or Triskelion is a very popular symbol, especially among those who hold a deep appreciation for ancient Celtic culture, but where did it come from and what does it mean? This video attempts to answer these question based on a review of known and confidently dated depictions. The conclusions may be a surprise.
Please note that this is a purely historical examination and has nothing to do with any modern uses of the symbol.
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As a boy on the Isle of Man I was told that the three legs were the symbol of Mannanan mac Lir who was the lord of Man. He had a palace atop Snaefell mountain and, if the Island was attacked he would turn himself into a flaming wheel with three spokes and roll down the mountain onto the invaders.
Of course that would only happen if they had found their way through Mannanan's Mantle, a great cloud of mist that he would fold around the Island to hide it from danger.
Ancient symbol series would be awesome love it!
The Triquetra is another good symbol that warrants explanation, along with the double spiral and the single spiral. The harp of Ireland and the saltire of Scotland also strike me as good symbols for a video.
Also, the Celtic wheel cross is another good one.
They should start with the swastika. It is everywhere, including North America
Swastika!
Look up wisdom of odin. If you like forgotten knowledge
When the Ulster Champion Cuchulainn was traveling to the Warrior Training Camp at Scáthach - a burning spinning shape like a ‘mill-wheel’ led the way.
One of the best Celtic Triskelions appears on the Bann Disk on display in the Ulster Museum, but no-one is certain what the object is - I must film it for a UA-cam Short
Very intriguing! Thank you kindly for bringing these things up.
I’d love to see that artifact. By the way, love your work! I just convinced my university library to order your Indian Ocean book
Hamlet's Mill?
Seems weird then this symbol was drawn by neanderthal man in cyprus a few 10s of 1000s years ago
The word LÓ in Hungarian means horse.
The word JÓ in Hungarian means good.
In Hungarian tradition, the horse represents good health. The horse's head and neck form a spiral. The horse's head symbolizes the state of good spirits. If we want to express the good state flowing from the light of the god, then three horse heads emerge from the circle. If we want to express that from the light of god, the good spiritual state is influencing outwards, then six horse heads will come out of the circle.
The last version you showed on the vid is identical to the Japanese Hidari Gomon also called a Tomoe and is the symbol of Susanoo the god of storms.
I thought the triskelion was usually associated with The Morrigan because each of its 3 spirals represent the 3 forms the goddess takes on, Macha, Nemain, and Babd, as well as the 3 components (mind, body and soul) that make up the mental, spiritual, and physical aspects of life
The triskele can aptly represent any such Trinity of Deities. I personally like seeing it as a symbolic representation of the three most important Deities in Celtic tradition, Nuada Airgetlám, Lugh Lamhfada, and Dagda Donn. But the triskele/triskelion really just serves the same purpose as any other threefold symbol, be it a triangle, triple spiral, triquetra, fleur de lys, or the three leaf clover, among many others. The ancient Celtic tribes really loved trinities, so it’s little wonder why they’d use the triskele.
there are 7 morrigan not 3.
The daughter, mother, and old crone. Pre birth, life, after life. There are dozens of things that can be depicted by 3. Even in Japan there is a Mon (family crest) that is a triscel. May come down to the fact that it's image is just pleasing to the eye.
@@Drew_Thompson there are only THREE morrigan! Macha, Nemain, and Babd
The triskelion is the emblem of the Italian island of Sicily and it is though to symbolize the triangular shape of that island with a headland at each corner.
In Hungary, two or four crosses are also drawn on a red Easter egg. Here it is a reminder of Christ's self-sacrificing goodness. I have also seen such a symbol on the cross of Picts. In Aberlemno churchyard, on a cross on a stone slab. Here was a spiral in the middle, surrounded by six spirals. In the Hungarian tradition, this symbolises the effect of self-sacrificing goodness.
The huge workings of three spiral triskelion on the rocks in and around Newgrange are breath taking up close. Would love to see you dig deeper into symbols and iconography 🧿
I know right. I want to go see these one day. If you are implying that you have seen them, you are so lucky!
I've always been of the opinion that the triskellion is meant to depict movement or progress. Sometimes that progress is physical, sometimes spiritual, sometimes conceptual, but it's progress nonetheless.
Love to see the Star Trek episode “The Gamesters of Triskelion” (ST: Season 2, Episode 16) used a symbol from ancient prehistory.
This is a symbol which has meant a lot to me I've been drawing this symbol for as long as I can remember even got in trouble for drawing in the margins of my homework in school. I've always seen it as being in motion an in the movie the secret of kells it also depicted in motion. I've associated it with many of the circular swirling patterns in nature such as wind, water, and even spiral galaxies.
When I was 17 I once had a dream where my life and the universe were in jeopardy & at its climax the triskelion appeared, but it was purple and green & felt immensely powerful like its own sun. This saved the universe from peril. It felt very significant and has stuck with me ever since.
A few months later I was reading a book about sacred geometry and flipped to a random page & the symbol appeared, saying “found in a church near the isle of man” & I was flabbergasted because that’s the place of my birth.
I think it’s a very special and important symbol ingrained in our psyche!
The word HÁROM in Hungarian means three.
The word HÁROMOL in Old Hungarian meant flow. (Used until the 19th century).
A spiral in the Hungarian tradition is a symbol of self-sacrificing goodness. The letter J in the ancient Hungarian runic script and in the Latin script evokes this spiral.
The word JÓ in the Hungarian language means the word good. As you can see, it also begins with the letter J.
The three spirals represent the flow of this self-sacrificing goodness in the Hungarian (Scythian) tradition.
At 6:19 a magician's hat is visible. It is made of gold, because the magicians linked the light of heaven with the light of earth.
The word MAGOS in Hungarian means high.
The word MÁGUS in Hungarian means magician.
So gold is not to make money out of it, but to strengthen our connection with the god, with the celestial light.
We also have this symbol in New Mexico on petroglyphs
If so I can explain that reason I saw other things that appeared to be celtic in south and Central America as well actually made blogs about it. That is Celts from ancient Spain fled during wars with the Roman's and some ended up there. Where's that at ?
When you were talking about gods with three aspects, I couldn’t help thinking about the triple Goddess form of Maiden, Mother, Crone. I’m sure that is far too specific of an idea for such a symbol. But the idea of three significant phases of life in youth, adulthood, and old age always have an impact on humans.
Oh my gosh what a delight to receive your new video Kevin! I have one tattooed on my chest 😊😎🌹
In Hungarian tradition the circle represents the sun as the light of the world, the light of God. If we want to express the self-sacrificing goodness flowing from the light of God, we have to start three spirals from the circle.
The word HAT also has two meanings in Hungarian. It means the number six, and it also means that someone has an effect on something.
If we want to express that self-sacrificing goodness flows from the light of God, then six spirals must be started from the circle.
❤
I always assumed that the Triskelion has its origins in Mycenae. I remember seeing the symbol on Greek hoplite shields numerous times.
Cucuteni-Trypillia culture (also known as Cucuteni culture or Tripolye culture, Neolithic-Holololithic archaeological culture of Eastern Europe, 5500-2750 BC).
Triskelion is not a greek symbol. It was there long before the Greeks invaded Sicily.
It also cannot be associated with Christianity, as Conservative Christians in Italy want that symbol to be removed from Sicily's flag.
Trinacria I believe was the ancient name of Sicily and due to its basic geographic shape of a triangle - hence three becoming adopted into various aspects of its culture.
True, it was of its names.
Very interesting! Thanks for the education. In its wheel configuration, I'm somewhat reminded of the chariot.
What about the symbol of "The Three Hares"?
This is from Wikipedia:
"The symbol features three hares or rabbits chasing each other in a circle. Like the triskelion,[8] the triquetra, and their antecedents (e.g., the triple spiral), the symbol of the three hares has a threefold rotational symmetry. Each of the ears is shared by two hares, so that only three ears are shown."
It seems to come from Asia but perhaps the symbol was similar to something that existed among poorer people so the artistic expression of it was limited to items less likely to survive to the period of modern archaeology. Did the Manx adopt the triskele purely because of some political connection to Sicily or did the triskele fit in with some now lost local cultural representation? The Gauls appear to have adopted the imagery of Hercules from the Greeks to represent a local deity, similarly the most common Celtic coin types are based on Macedonian coins issued by Phillip II and his son Alexander the Great. These coins showed a horseman or chariot on one side and an image of Apollo on the other. This style of coin likely lasted so long in Gaul due to Apollo being equated with a local Gaulish deity.
Not even a couple minutes in the video and there are already flags on screen. Wonderful. The herald in me approves of this. Thanks for making this video.
Those shapes are quite common in Serbia from the very early, neolithic period. Even the old name for the Serbs, or one of the Serbian tribes - Tribali or Trivali is connected and originated from that symbol of three connected spyrals, trival - three waves. There was also a god Triglav, main deity in Slavic culture, who was presented with three heads, just like the figures shown here. Number three was very important in Serbian culture, even today we make a cross with three fingers and kiss each other three times for the greetings. I personally think that three waves or spirals, represent the time - past, present and future that converge into one, while swastika with its square form and four sides and the cross symbol, as well, represent space.
Thank you for making another interesting and entertaining video. Keep up the good work.
nice research,and i can say you are honest in Triskeles roots!when you name a symbol in Greek, there are polakis in Greek (Mycenaean) art, it's funny to search where you come from something so obvious!!! it's like you hear a cat meowing in a tree and you say it could be a cat besides a bird...
there is also the myth of Herakles(Ηerculew) in Galatia who meets a young woman and has two children, the Celt and the Galatian!! Galatis was the mythical progenitor of the Galatians, the son of Herakles and Galatea, daughter of the ruler of a northern country!! for us Greeks the decoding of this myth tells the relation between the two peoples from the pre-flood years (i.e. History before the discovery of writing..." mythology' oral history,and yes we Know are brother with the Hyperborean tribes
I think your conclusions are quite valid. I look forward to more videos on ancient symbols!!!
Very cool...I'm new to your channel, but I'm liking what you're putting out. Endeavor to persevere!
Thank you for the deeper look into it! It was in-reaching for me.
I believe it first symbolised the motion of wind or the deity of wind. It eventually became associatiated with fast and quick moving. In societies that adopted the horse for war whether riding or drawn with chariot the symbol became one with the society that used speed to achieve success.
Like being under a spacecraft and seeing and feeling its uplift and power
Wonderful work you do my friend.
I love this channel. I think the potential link of Mycenaean Greek cultures to proto Celtic makes sense. Particularly with motion and horses. To further the mystic link, the horse makes a lot of sense. According to tradition, Poseidon created the horse. Although great marine fish were associated with his rule of the seas, he created the horse. He was also the god of storms, including cyclonic ones. He was largely a chaos agent among the Greek pantheon, and one of the three male-aspect gods that overthrew the Titans: Zeus and Hades are the other two. Hestia, Hera and Demeter were the three females. The use of three is common, the legs of humans or horses symbolizing motion could be in common, and storms are source of awesome power and fearful reverence. This leads me to conclude that the Triskelion is derived from Mycenaean Greek and proto-Celtic contact, then evolved afterwards separately. Thank you for this video.
Such a symbol with a horse's head was also found in Mycenae. In the Scythian period, six horsehead representations were found around a circle. The beak of the mythical Scythian eagle is also strongly bent, so that if it were a real bird it could not open its mouth. In Scythian culture, the mythical eagle is the symbol of the celestial being, the celestial mediator. The flow of the celestial being is represented by the symbol at 9:43.
Such a spiral symbol can also be seen on the Scythian horn. The stag is a symbol of communication with God. According to our legends, the stars are at the end of the antlers of the stag. The mythical stag connects heaven and earth. To do this, our physicality must be shrunk and self-sacrificing goodness is required. The Scythian deer is thus depicted with spiral antlers, as in the symbol discussed here.
ive been invited to present an archaeological lecture on this symbol at the end of August. Your video was very helfpul. Thanks Kevin.
The Tinners Hare is a triskelion, but the oldest example is found in a cave shrine along the silk road.
Ok, a voice worthy of hearing. Thank you.
Great explanation of the hypothesis. Makes sense to me.
Really great video
I’d have a few questions tho
The wheels
The 6 petal flower and the trispiral, they’re all found in the Boyne valley and loughcrew
It would be hard not to think the Celts seen the trispiral here and repurposed, or appropriated it
Just as language evolves and is shared
Really great video
We all have our own conjecture, rhats what makes exploring this stuff so much fun as a personal journey
Thank you for your content
I think you’re right about it depicting motion, specifically the motion of time, and it’s usage as a protective symbol against the end of time. A recognition that the wars which they wage is not the final war i.e judgement day or whatever they called it in their culture. A recognition of their place within time in hope that they won’t be removed from it.
First. And very proud to be. LET'S GO!
The Celtic KING is bringing the wisdom!
Great Video. I saw this symbol painted onto fishing boats by swahli speakers in Kenya. Sticking to the coast we stumbled upon a stone city similar to watch was shown in the video. Nobody has any idea who the people were. Going inland the Masai have tartan cloaks and dye their hair red. I have always enjoyed wondering what peoples joined together to practice these traditions.
It’s also a major symbol in the Scythian cultures alongside Aryan traditions.
Interesting…. I’ve seen and grew up with a Medieval Reenactment version of this symbol. My dad was for a long time before he passed away a member of the Society of Creative Anachronism in the Kingdom of Trimaris in the House of Takamastu. The Symbol is used as a Japanese Symbol for the House of Takamastu which my dad named himself with Tadayoshi being his last name. He named himself Takamastu Tadayoshi.
Yes! Looks like it.
Great subject, thank you.
“Stand tall” 👏🏽🙏🏽 perfect ending to at great video.
Thank you 🙏🏽
Another amazing video
Another interesting one, man.
A wealh of knowledge generously shared.
0:55 it's an indo-european sun symbol.
Thank you so much ❤
I 1st heard of this symbol from Thomas Sheridan out of Ireland I had many made up and One of my stickers is on the back window of my Suzuki. Blessings to you and yours coming at you from the hills of Southern Oregon
There is a story in Okinawa where a thief, about to be boiled in a huge cauldron, jumps in voluntarily, dragging his two guards with him. The three swirling figures is the supposed source for their symbol of karate...
Could the Triskelion also represent Father, Mother, Child?
And the motion of life continuing, birth, life and death?
Or the three physical dimensions?
perhaps Land, sea, and air?
Or maybe the many significances the number three had would be inferred by the people depending on what objects or locations they applied the Triskelion to?
On a grave marker to symbolize life, death and rebirth or a boundary marker to symbolize this physical space belongs to us. A holy site to represent land, sea and air and revere nature and the elements for providing life.
My speculation is that maybe the triskelion's meaning changes with the context while still being an important spiritual symbol in general.
I am not saying that the symbol meant any of the things I suggested however I wanted some examples as to why the triskelion could have different meanings depending on where it was applied.
08:37 my favorite version of the triskele right there. It looks best when it is clockwise.
When I first found this I was like great...something about Star Trek..Gamesters of Triskelion.. I love finding out where they found some of the names for the series..a lot of names of stars..
Glad I found your page..
Perfect timing. I ordered a silver one and it arrives on the same day as your video.
I don't understand it but it just looks so good. It is quintessential Celtic. The neolithic spirals? I have seen them in visions after sleeping at a dolmen. I don't think we'll ever really know? Probably.
This is such a good video! Can you do the flower of life??? 6 pestled flower 🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼
You know, I love those triple spiral symbols and always wondered that very thing. Instinctively, they make one think of wind or water. Although, as a sacred symbol, they are usually associated with Ammon’s horns in the brain and earlobes and seashells. If you think about it though, seafaring people would be praying about this very thing. They would be praying about ocean currents and winds and storms. Setting these on stones would be a sympathetic magic, like assuring you get the desired winds or currents on a regular basis by setting this as a sort of talisman in a stone to last almost forever. What you said about wandering spirits carried on the wind is also absolutely fascinating. I had to stop and think for a minute. Thanks for posting.☘🐚🌪🌬🌊🧬🗝
That was an amazing presentation!! Great visuals.
I definitely think it represents motion. And it seems that there were examples of this symbol being repeated and linked together like a chain. One symbol flows into the next. This might indicate that its energy can be liked to others like it. Maybe to form a circuit to greater strengthen its power.
Flow, momentum are always shown in it. But why was it worshiped so much?
This Symbol is very similar to the triquetra .. Can you tell me if there is a link ..
And which symbol is older..
Triquetra is younger. The Germanic volknut is probably the same symbol, just an angular version of it. There is also a three ring symbol where three circles form a triangular shape but their edges only touch, no overlapping. A huge one was used as a helmet crest, found at Tintignac in France: i.redd.it/3dt25tp0qdx71.jpg
Thank you ❤
Tremendous video and resource. Can you tell me sir, what is the triple faced artifact shown at 10.35? I have been searching for a name and cannot find it.
There is a fine and often blurry line between iconography and writing. If the record keepers, druids, shamans, etc., were trained to assign specific meaning to the symbols, changing in nuance perhaps depending on the arrangements of the symbols with one another, that could qualify as writing. Granted, it would a form impossible for those not trained in its intricacies to understand.
Oh wow, so this was the inspiration for Kakashi and Obito's Mangekyou Sharingan pattern, I guess! That's pretty cool.
Very friggin cool my guy
Hi Kevin! A question: The golden piece with three triskels labelled 'La Tène' is in a museum in ChengDu, China, where it was found in a hoard probably left as tribute to the King of Wu. My question is, how did it get there?
Scythians probably took it there or produced it.
The Japanese have similar symbols called Tomoe, that's likely what the one in China is.
@@fugyomombut it's labeled Le Tene which refers to mainland continental celts in France if I remember correctly.
International trade even in these primitive conditions isn't impossible. In fact there is FAR too much evidence to the contrary.
There is a perfectly recognizable pineapple painted on the wall of a villa in Pompeii, they ONLY grew in South America.
Egyptian royalty and their cohorts used tobacco, cocaine and marijuana. While Egypt did have its own form of tobacco, they aren't the same genus. Cocoa leaf only comes from one place.. South America. MJ too but they may have had a form we don't know about in Africa.
So, the Tarim Mummies, even in their repose, would probably be the best bet to answer your question directly. The Silk Road, should have been called the Wool Road.
@@zeerohour8129 I have to correct you about the MJ, it doesn't come from South America. It's native to Afghanistan, India and China as well as the Eurasian steppe in the form of Ruderalis. Poppies and cannabis have been found all over the old world as food, medicine, and a ritual item from the stone age right through the iron age and today. It's found in burials of Indo Europeans of the East, in sacrificial altars of the levant, and so on.
i have had this triskele tattoo for 10+ years, for me it represents my past, present and future.
im Celtic. traced my family tree ( mom side) to 1530 isle of man
My personal favorite theory is the Polar Configuration one (see Thunderbolts Project)
Ball lightning and cosmic plasma discharge.
It was from the Liberty Cap magic mushrooms. Just as Aztec art came from the Cubensis.
I always thought it was a symbol for the moving wheel of life.
Not sure where I read it, I have many wiccan, pagan, occult and celtic books.
9:15 The Castro Culture was a Q-Celtic speaking civilization formed in the late bronze age and it predates the Hallstatt culture itself.
The "Celtic invasions into Iberia" were a posterior invasion of P-Celtic speaking peoples, which also introduced several elements of the Hallstatt material culture, however it should be worth noting that Q-Celtic was already spoken in Iberia before this invasion took place, just like in the British Islands where Q-Celtic languages were also already spoken well before P-Celtic languages and the La Tene material culture were introduced.
A picture tells a thousand words.
The power of 3 as all encompassing in all things as opposed to the later power of 2 that ignores the indeterminate.
"Furthermore, on certain flat painted pebbles that have been found in what were apparently religious sanctuaries of hunter (circa 4,500-3,500 B.C.E.), geometrical devices appear: the cross, the circle with a dot in the center, a line with a dot on either side, stripes, meanders, and something resembling the letter E."
[The Masks of God: Primitive Mythology, Joseph Campbell, 1991, Part 2: Ch. 3- "The Culture Province of the High Civilizations"]
Perhaps the Neolithic pattern is actually the stacking of three logs with the spirals being tree rings? This could explain the non uniformity of the sizes between the three parts.
This is a good explanation as any other. Besides any idea considering the origin could lead to the actual truth. I think the proper triskelion being legs explanation makes sense to me.
I was told by a scholar of B.C. and prehistoric civilizations many years ago when I was a child that it stood for four things about the circumstances of life one free will two determinism three inherited traits four the Center of the symbol you’re destiny
I wonder if future civilizations will scratch their heads pondering the significance of that 'S' symbol we all drew on our notebooks in the 90s
What is the flute music around 2:00 ?
Three times thumbs-up. 👍👍👍🍀
I like this video, and found it interesting and informative, however, there were a number of instances where whoever edited this video decided to cause the image to flicker very quickly (perhaps in an effort to emulate film) and I found it extremely distracting almost to an uncomfortable degree. (I'm writing this as of 6:45 minutes into the video)
Tibetans used similar symbols. As did their nomadic ancestors in the New World. Especially the Maya.
Interesting
Great video. Thank you. I see the triskilene as symbolic. Life, death. Rebirth. The Clava Cairns in Inverness have three ancient buildings which appear to represent a 3d depiction of this idea. I may be wrong. We all may be wrong.
3 is representative more of the powers of creation (similar to the monad concept), whereas 4 is representative of the 4 corners of the world (directions)
A long overdue subject…
Good historical characterisation of the pathway this symbol has taken.
I think the first notion, of spirals to confuse spirits, does help indicate a very useful interpretation for belief in its ability to ward off evil.
The double spiral certainly does feature heavily in La Tène Celtic art, in particular I think of sword scabbards (perhaps the destructive powers inherent to the sword are spiritually kept in check by the symbols?).
The multiple-headed serpent is of note here, especially in its likelihood for explaining the symbolic meaning of the torc, as the Greek apotropaic representation of amphisbeasna.
The notion of the Celts being fond of the theme of motion is appropriate, especially when considering the etymology of the root exonym *gal/*cel : “those who have the power/ability”.
Triskolion = symbol of dynamic movement and energy = abstract representation of the Greek leg-form.
I think it's more than motion. In cartoons, fast running is often depicted as legs turning circularly in a blur. Not just motion but frantic speed.
fun fact I first learnt of the Triskelion from an Ultimate Spiderman comic
The 3 legs symbolize the yet undiscovered transitional form of early humans evolving from quadrupedal to bipedal locomotion. The missing tripedal link.
So, Newgranges' 3 spiral is over 5000 years old. Older than the Greek or mycenaen examples.
the spinning ,the sisters of fate, Norns, Wyrd, 1 gathers, 1 weaves, 1 cuts
Great video. I noted many ancient Greek shield patterns, the 3 legs always, to me, seemed out of place. Most pattens are of objects , while the 3 legs seems abstract, a concept or mythical belief ?
@Cliff Richey Thankfully they survived somewhere, we lost so much from out prehistorical past.
1. our past / 2. present time / 3. our future
( at the pivot point the one watching us in all 3 stages )
Wow, I drew a small symbol and had tattooed on my wrist in white. It is one of these!!! 💥🌟💥
Does anyone know where I can see examples of the triskelion in Celtic art, from the Celtic period of history? For example on Celtic monuments, jewelry etc of that time period. Ive found it hard to find examples of it online. All I keep getting is modern images of it.
Is this the symbol Thundercats used? If not it’s close lol. Beautiful
Motion, yes! Movement in chaos. Breath of Life. Word & Spirit.
Sweet, I so appreciate you dear one! Your loyal fan, Geraldine G
This video made me think of a very similar four armed Basque spiral I see a lot in Idaho. I just posited on Twitter a research thing I am exploring that maybe the builders of Stonehenge could be Basque and I would love to hear if you have any thoughts
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lauburu?wprov=sfti1
Among 10th-century Hungarian finds, such a symbol can be found on the ornament of a bow in Karos, and on hair plait discs in Biharkeresztes and Törökkanizsa. It was also drawn on a cross on a red Easter egg. Here it reminds us of the self-sacrificing goodness of Christ.
By three they come, by three thy way opens. By the blood of the willing, we call thee home.
Interestingly Pomponius describes British chariots having "scythes around the nave of the wheel" not attached to the axle as is commonly depicted. Could it be that these "scythes" were actually ornamental metal decorations (which made a great noise - also Pomponius) attached to the spokes. This is mere speculation of course
Cucuteni-Trypillia culture (also known as Cucuteni culture or Tripolye culture, Neolithic-Holololithic archaeological culture of Eastern Europe, 5500-2750 BC).