The Celts and The Cross
“Having disarmed the powers and principalities, He made a public spectacle of them, having triumphed over them by the cross.” Colossians 2:15
“And the Lord set His cross in the midst of hell, which is the sign of victory; and there it shall remain forever.” The Acts of Pilate[1]
Outside of the Iona Abbey stands St. John’s cross. Towering over the entrance to the Abbey, at seventeen feet high, it is a majestic and magnificent piece of artwork built in the 1970’s, and based on the original from the 8th century, the pieces of which can be found in the small museum behind the Abbey. Encircled Cross arms in the Celtic fashion, this silent sentinel serves as a reminder of how significant the “High Crosses” as they were called, were and are in the faith of the Celts.
The cross served many purposes. First was to mark a gathering place for worship. It is easy to forget that the Celtic Christians didn’t originally worship inside of majestic cathedrals but outside, amid nature, which they loved so. The unique circle found on the Celtic Cross is a reminder of nature, symbolizing the sun and the moon, which give shape to the very nature of Celtic belief. St. Patrick placed great emphasis on the Sun as a symbol of resurrection and the light of Christ’s salvation. “I saw the sun rise in the sky while I called out ‘Helia, Helia’ (Sunlight in Latin) with all my strength, behold the sun’s splendor fell on me . . . and Christ my Lord assisted me.”[2] Anyone who has spent time in Ireland or Scotland knows what a welcome sight it is to see the sun and experience the warmth of the rays as they break through the cold, misty, overcast days.
The high crosses marked the places in the midst of nature that the people would gather around to worship. Wouldn’t it be wonderful to be able to do that today? To gather outside, around a cross, to soak in the presence of the God of nature where the noise and distractions of life are limited and the divine is frequently most easily found?
The Celtic cross also symbolized the victory of Christ over death. That was the key theme for ancient Christians. The later Catholic/Protestant emphasis on atonement for sins, where Christ takes our place and pays the price for the punishment we deserve, was simply not prominent in the ancient Celtic Christian belief. Central was “Christus Victor”, where Jesus defeats the devil and all his demons. The book quoted above makes this quite clear, recounting how Christ triumphed over death in His resurrected life, and by so doing gave life to all who participated in His life. In a world defined by high infant mortality, wars, famine, plagues, and such, life was short and not so sweet, so it is easy to see why this teaching was central. The Celtic cross symbolized this, often-times containing symbols of snakes. On St. John’s cross there is a deeply carved snake which is a symbol of Christ’s triumph over Satan and death.
Symbols carved onto the Celtic crosses were common. The monks used these to teach an illiterate population the basic stories of the bible and the Christian faith. These included The Last Supper, The Crucifixion, John the Baptist baptizing, as well as snakes, birds, and other animals. There is also the common “Celtic knot” which decorates them, symbolizing eternity.
More than just symbolic, and certainly not intended to be merely decorative or worn as jewelry, the cross was an icon, conveying what it represented. Often-times these crosses had a solid stone foundation. This foundation served as more than merely a practical purpose of stabilizing the cross, but also symbolized what was fundamental for the faith; love. The Love of God fully on display in Christ. Thus, I leave you with the following by Godfrey Birtill.
“When I stop at the cross, I can see the love of God.
But I can’t see competition, I can’t see hierarchy.
I can’t see pride or prejudice, or the abuse of authority.
I can’t see the lust for power.
I can’t see manipulation.
I can’t see rage or anger or selfish ambition.
I can’t see unforgiveness.
I can’t see hate or envy.
I can’t see stupid fighting or bitterness or jealousy.
I can’t see empire building.
I can’t see self-importance.
I can’t see back-stabbing, vanity, or arrogance.
I can see surrender, sacrifice, salvation, humility, righteousness, faithfulness, forgiveness, grace, love. Love . . . Love . . . Love.
When I stop! . . . . at the cross.
I can see the love of God.[3]
[1] One of the favorite books of the monks of Iona. Quoted in “Water from an Ancient Well”, Kenneth McIntosh
[2] “Water from an Ancient Well”, p. 87
[3] “Celtic Daily Prayer: Further Up and Further In” Book Two. p.899