Universal Meaning of Celtic Knotwork
In the spring of 2003, I spent three weeks in the city of
Chennai, formerly known as Madras, located in Southern India.
Each morning, walking before the heat of the day, I was amazed
to see intricate knot work patterns drawn out free hand with
flour in front of the driveways and gates of homes. These
artistic scrolls, I was told by an Indian friend, were offerings
to local gods, and were part of a tradition that stretched back
into the ancient past.
I have seen knot patterns in my travels throughout many parts of
the world. In Islamic countries where iconography is prohibited,
the mosques are heavily decorated with knot-like patterns.
Stone-carved knot work motifs can be found on ruins from the
Americas to the Hindu iconography of Bali, Indonesia. In Tibet,
the