The style of the ancient Celts influences Northern European artisans

The Celts were one of the many peoples of central and northern Europe whose artistic traditions were overshadowed by the classical art of the Greeks and Romans. Yet the richness and diversity of their style was widely influential and is important to the evolution of western art.

From the sixth century bce, central Europe was a cultural melting pot of tribes and settlers with ancestry and traditions from both the east and west. The dominating culture to emerge was that of the Celts. At their peak, these powerful people managed to occupy Rome (386 bce) and Delphi (279 bce) but, as the Roman Empire expanded, the Celts were pushed westward, until they settled on the fringes of the continent in Ireland, Scotland, Wales, and Brittany in present-day France. Their artistic heritage is as rich, complex, and enduring, as the people who created it. When Northern Europeans produced superbly crafted ornaments and accessories in the seventh century, their work reflected a style inherited from the Celts, and is quite distinct from the influence of the classical ancient civilizations.

The style is essentially abstract, full of densely packed spirals, knots, and mazes interlaced to form hypnotic patterns. Stylized heads with bulging eyes were another feature, and this may reflect their practice of headhunting. Ribbon-like creatures with fierce, snarling jaws were images from their own fables, which brought the fire-breathing dragons of the east into western mythology. These patterns had important symbolic meanings. Spirals are linked with sun worship and thought to represent the motion of the sun as it passes through the sky. They are found on ancient tombs known to have solar alignments. Knot designs were used to offer protection against curses and spells, and were believed to be particularly effective in warding off the evil eye. The more complicated the knot, the greater the degree of protection it provided, so it was common to wear a complex knot design as a clasp or buckle. Examples of fine

8 Belt Buckle from the Ship Burial at Sutton Hoo

Artist unknown, c.600