The triquetra ( ; from the Latin adjective ''triquetrus'' "three-cornered") is a triangular figure composed of three interlaced arcs, or (equivalently) three overlapping '' vesicae piscis'' lens shapes. It is used as an ornamental design in architecture, and in medieval manuscript illumination (particularly in the Insular tradition). Its depiction as interlaced is common in Insular ornaments from about the 7th century. In this interpretation, the triquetra represents the topologically simplest possible knot.

History

Iron Age

The term ''triquetra'' in archaeology is used of any figure consisting of three arcs, including a pinwheel design of the type of the

triskeles A triskelion or triskeles is an ancient Motif (visual arts), motif consisting of a triple spiral exhibiting rotational symmetry. The spiral design can be based on interlocking Archimedean spirals, or represent three bent human legs. It is fo ...

. Such symbols become frequent from about the 4th century BC ornamented ceramics of

Anatolia Anatolia, tr, Anadolu Yarımadası), and the Anatolian plateau, also known as Asia Minor, is a large peninsula in Western Asia and the westernmost protrusion of the Asian continent. It constitutes the major part of modern-day Turkey. The ...

and

Persia Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkmeni ...

, and it appears on early

Lycia Lycia ( Lycian: 𐊗𐊕𐊐𐊎𐊆𐊖 ''Trm̃mis''; el, Λυκία, ; tr, Likya) was a state or nationality that flourished in Anatolia from 15–14th centuries BC (as Lukka) to 546 BC. It bordered the Mediterranean Sea in what is ...

n coins. The triquetra is found on

runestone A runestone is typically a raised stone with a runic inscription, but the term can also be applied to inscriptions on boulders and on bedrock. The tradition began in the 4th century and lasted into the 12th century, but most of the runestones d ...

s in Northern Europe, such as the

Funbo Runestones The Funbo runestones constitute a group of four runestones originally from Funbo in the province of Uppland, Sweden, which were raised by members of the same family during the eleventh century. The following presentations show the runic scrip ...

, and on early Germanic coins. It bears a resemblance to the ''

valknut The valknut is a symbol consisting of three interlocked triangles. It appears on a variety of objects from the archaeological record of the ancient Germanic peoples. The term ''valknut'' is a modern development; it is not known what term or term ...

'', a design of three interlacing triangles, found in the same context.

Insular art

The triquetra is often found in insular art, most notably metal work and in illuminated manuscripts like the '' Book of Kells''. It is a "minor though recurring theme" in the secondary phase of Anglo-Saxon sceatta production (c. 710–760).Tony Abramson (ed.), ''Two Decades of Discovery'' Studies in Medieval Coinage 1, Boydell Press (2008)
p. 1
It is found in similar artwork on early Christian High Crosses and slabs. An example from early medieval stonework is the Anglo-Saxon frithstool at

Hexham Abbey Hexham Abbey is a Grade I listed place of Christian worship dedicated to St Andrew, in the town of Hexham, Northumberland, in the North East of England. Originally built in AD 674, the Abbey was built up during the 12th century into its curre ...

. The symbol has been interpreted as representing the Holy

Trinity The Christian doctrine of the Trinity (, from 'threefold') is the central dogma concerning the nature of God in most Christian churches, which defines one God existing in three coequal, coeternal, consubstantial divine persons: God th ...

, especially since the

Celtic revival The Celtic Revival (also referred to as the Celtic Twilight) is a variety of movements and trends in the 19th, 20th and 21st centuries that see a renewed interest in aspects of Celtic culture. Artists and writers drew on the traditions of Gael ...

of the 19th century. The original intention by the early medieval artists is unknown and experts warn against over-interpretation. It is, however, regularly used as a Trinitarian symbol in contemporary Catholic iconography.

Buddhist tradition

The triquetra has been a known symbol in Japan called ''Musubi Mitsugashiwa''. Being one of the forms of the Iakšaku dynasty signs, it reached Japan with the dynasty's

Kāśyapīya Kāśyapīya (Sanskrit: काश्यपीय; Pali: ''Kassapiyā'' or ''Kassapikā''; ) was one of the early Buddhist schools in India. Etymology The name ''Kāśyapīya'' is believed to be derived from Kāśyapa, one of the original missionar ...

spreading technology and

Buddhism Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religions, Indian religion or Indian philosophy#Buddhist philosophy, philosophical tradition based on Pre-sectarian Buddhism, teachings attributed to the Buddha. ...

via the

Kingdom of Khotan The Kingdom of Khotan was an ancient Buddhist Saka kingdom located on the branch of the Silk Road that ran along the southern edge of the Taklamakan Desert in the Tarim Basin (modern Xinjiang, China). The ancient capital was originally sited to ...

, China, and

Korea Korea ( ko, 한국, or , ) is a peninsular region in East Asia. Since 1945, it has been divided at or near the 38th parallel, with North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea) comprising its northern half and South Korea (Republic o ...

Modern use

The triquetra is often used artistically as a design element when

Celtic knotwork Celtic knots ( ga, snaidhm Cheilteach, cy, cwlwm Celtaidd, kw, kolm Keltek, gd, snaidhm Ceilteach) are a variety of knots and stylized graphical representations of knots used for decoration, used extensively in the Celtic style of Insular ...

is used, especially in association with the modern

Celtic nations The Celtic nations are a cultural area and collection of geographical regions in Northwestern Europe where the Celtic languages and cultural traits have survived. The term ''nation'' is used in its original sense to mean a people who shar ...

. The triquetra, also known as a "trinity knot", is often found as a design element in popular Irish jewelry such as claddaghs and other wedding or engagement rings. Celtic pagans or neopagans who are not of a Celtic cultural orientation may use the triquetra to symbolise a variety of concepts and mythological figures. Due to its presence in insular Celtic art, Celtic Reconstructionists use the triquetra either to represent one of the various triplicities in their

cosmology Cosmology () is a branch of physics and metaphysics dealing with the nature of the universe. The term ''cosmology'' was first used in English in 1656 in Thomas Blount's ''Glossographia'', and in 1731 taken up in Latin by German philosopher ...

and

theology Theology is the systematic study of the nature of the divine and, more broadly, of religious belief. It is taught as an academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itself with the unique content of analyzing the ...

(such as the tripartite division of the world into the realms of Land, Sea, and Sky),Mac Mathúna, Liam (1999
"Irish Perceptions of the Cosmos"
''Celtica'' vol. 23 (1999), pp.174–187 or as a symbol of one of the specific Celtic triple goddesses – for example the battle goddess,

The Morrígan The Morrígan or Mórrígan, also known as Morrígu, is a figure from Irish mythology. The name is Mór-Ríoghain in Modern Irish, and it has been translated as "great queen" or "phantom queen". The Morrígan is mainly associated with war and ...

. The symbol is also sometimes used by Wiccans, White Witches, and some

New Age New Age is a range of spiritual or religious practices and beliefs which rapidly grew in Western society during the early 1970s. Its highly eclectic and unsystematic structure makes a precise definition difficult. Although many scholars consi ...

rs to symbolise the Triple Goddess, or as a protective symbol.. In the 1998–2006 American fantasy drama '' Charmed'', that ran on the now-defunct

The WB The WB Television Network (for Warner Bros., or the "Frog Network", for its former mascot, Michigan J. Frog) was an American television network launched on terrestrial television, broadcast television on January 11, 1995, as a joint venture be ...

network, the triquetra was prominently used as a symbol on the Halliwells' ''

Book of Shadows A Book of Shadows is a book containing religious text and instructions for magical rituals found within the Neopagan religion of Wicca. Since its conception in the 1970s, it has made its way into many pagan practices and paths. The most famous ...

'', the book of spells, potions, and other information the sisters used to fight evil. The triquetra was also used as a symbol of the Charmed Ones and their collective

Power of Three In mathematics, a power of three is a number of the form where is an integer – that is, the result of exponentiation with number three as the base and integer as the exponent. Applications The powers of three give the place values in ...

. The triquetra on the ''Book of Shadows'' would be seen to fracture and pull apart when their bond was temporarily broken by a demon. It was also featured prominently in the opening credits of each episode throughout its eight-season run. The symbol was also used in the 2018 reboot that ran on

The CW ''The'' () is a grammatical Article (grammar), article in English language, English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite ...

. In the TV series '' The Walking Dead'' (2010),

Michonne Michonne ( ), later revealed as Michonne Hawthorne, is a fictional character from '' The Walking Dead''. The character also appears in media adaptations of the series, most notably the television series of the same name, in which she is portra ...

katana A is a Japanese sword characterized by a curved, single-edged blade with a circular or squared guard and long grip to accommodate two hands. Developed later than the '' tachi'', it was used by samurai in feudal Japan and worn with the edge f ...

features a triquetra, chosen for its meaning as a "triple goddess symbol". In the German Netflix series ''Dark'' (2017), it symbolizes the caves' closed time loops with each loop being 33 years apart, with the past affecting the future and the future influencing the past. The Triquetra is of significant symbolic value to the time travelers. This symbol can be seen on the Cave's metal door, on the Emerald Tablet, in The Stranger's papers, and in the Sic Mundus photo. The Triquetra is shown on Thor's hammer,

Mjölnir Mjölnir (from Old Norse Mjǫllnir) is the hammer of the thunder god Thor in Norse mythology, used both as a devastating weapon and as a divine instrument to provide blessings. The hammer is attested in numerous sources, including the 11th cen ...

, in the 2011 film ''

Thor Thor (; from non, Þórr ) is a prominent god in Germanic paganism. In Norse mythology, he is a hammer-wielding god associated with lightning, thunder, storms, sacred groves and trees, strength, the protection of humankind, hallowing, an ...

''. After Odin utters to Mjölnir the words "Whosoever holds this hammer, if he be worthy, shall possess the power of Thor", the Triquetra vanishes. It represents

Asgard In Nordic mythology, Asgard (Old Norse: ''Ásgarðr'' ; "enclosure of the Æsir") is a location associated with the gods. It appears in a multitude of Old Norse sagas and mythological texts. It is described as the fortified home of the Æsir ...

Midgard In Germanic cosmology, Midgard (an anglicised form of Old Norse ; Old English , Old Saxon , Old High German , and Gothic ''Midjun-gards''; "middle yard", "middle enclosure") is the name for Earth (equivalent in meaning to the Greek term , "inhab ...

, and Utgard.

Gallery

File:Trikvetra.JPG, Triquetra on one of the

(11th century), located in the park of

Uppsala University Uppsala University ( sv, Uppsala universitet) is a public research university in Uppsala, Sweden. Founded in 1477, it is the oldest university in Sweden and the Nordic countries still in operation. The university rose to significance during ...

. File:Trikvetra-closeup.JPG, Close-up of a triquetra on one of the

. File:Triquetra-Münze 05.png, Interlaced triquetra on a Norwegian penny minted under Harald Hardrada (r. 1047-1066) File:Triquetra-Münze 03.png, Norwegian penny minted under Harald Hardrada (r. 1047-1066) File:Cruz_de_Santa_Susana.JPG, Four triquetras forming a " Carolingian cross" in the church of Santa Susanna in Galicia (11th/12th century ite?.

Variant forms

File:Triquetra-Vesica.svg, Triquetra composed exactly of three overlapping

Vesica piscis The vesica piscis is a type of lens, a mathematical shape formed by the intersection of two disks with the same radius, intersecting in such a way that the center of each disk lies on the perimeter of the other. In Latin, "vesica piscis" litera ...

symbols. File:Triquetra-Double.svg, An interlaced double triquetra. File:Triquetra-tightly-knotted.svg, Tightly-knotted form of triquetra. File:Triquetra-circle-interlaced.svg, Triquetra interlaced with circle as Celtic symbol (a "Trinity knot"). (Later adopted by Christian iconography as representative of "the Trinity") File:Triquetra-Interlaced-Triangle-Circle.svg, Triquetra in blue as part of an interlaced Celtic decorative symbol. (Later adopted by Christian iconography as representative of "the Trinity") File:Vodicka_triquetra1.svg, Interlaced triquetra in the style of the Funbo Runestone File:Triquetra-Cross.svg, The ''cross of triquetras'', or " Carolingian cross". File:Triquetra-Cross-alternate.svg, Cross composed of four interlaced triquetras. File:Celtic-Cross-Vodicka-decorative-triquetras-red.svg, Celtic cross with triquetras.

References

External links

* {{MathWorld, JohnsonsTheorem, Johnson's Theorem Celtic art Christian symbols Church architecture Early Germanic symbols Iconography Culture of Ireland Ornaments Religious symbols Romanesque art Rotational symmetry Symbols Visual motifs Piecewise-circular curves