It was through an association with the Tudors that the Red Dragon became a symbol of Wales and became an integral part of the Welch Flag. In effect, when Henry Tudor’s forces faced Richard III’s forces at Bosworth in 1485 Welsh forces under the Red Dragon played a crucial role in his victory. Thus, he adopted the flag as a tribute to the Welsh people (you can find more information about these events in Lofmark’s (1995) “A History of the Red Dragon”). Not surprisingly then the Red Dragon became symbolic of Wales.
The Luckenbooth design was so named because it came from the “locked” booths on the Royal Mile to St. Giles Cathedral in Edinburgh. This design, in broach form, was traditionally exchanged between lovers upon betrothal. The intertwining hearts are often inscribed with phrases like “of earthly joys thou art my choice”. The crown on the brooch is symbolic of Mary Queen of Scots
The thistle is a national symbol in Scotland. It may seem a bit odd, especially to farmers, that the thistle would be a country’s national symbol. However, when one knows the story associated with the thistle in Scotland, it is very understandable. The story goes something like this. One evening long ago, the Scottish army was encamped and settled down for the night. At the same time, an invading army was silently moving into position to slaughter the unaware Scots (the nationality of the invading army is in some doubt so I’ll just refer to them as an invading army). Fortunately for the Scots, the invading army stepped on thistles and cried out in pain. Naturally, this alerted the Scots and they were ready when the attack came and were victorious. Thus, the thistle became the national symbol of Scotland.
There are at least two versions of the creation of St. Brigid’s Cross. One version is that she wove it to pass the time while attending to her father on his deathbed. He wanted to know what it was. She explained it represented the cross on which Christ was crucified. Although a pagan, he was so moved he accepted Christianity before he passed away (in another version it is a local Chieftain rather than her father).
Brigid’s cross is held in high regard in Ireland. It is believed that displaying the cross in one’s home will protect the inhabitants because of St. Brigid’s miraculous accomplishments. More detail on St. Brigid will be presented when we develop the Saint’s section of this blog.
The Irish Harp is the unofficial national symbol of Ireland. Authentic Irish harps are made from one solid piece of wood and have a very unique sound.
Historically harpists provided entertainment at the royal court. Consequently, harp music was closely tied to Ireland’s national identity so much so that invaders banned harp music in an effort to keep resistance to a minimum. That ban and the resistance to that ban is probably the reason behind the esteem the harp is held in Ireland. It is clearly a symbol of Irish pride and heritage.
Today harp music is ever present at weddings and other special occasions. Harp decorations adore jewelry, clothing, and so forth. There are also some very good harpists around who have made their music (both traditional and contemporary) available on CDs. Harp themed jewelry is very popular for obvious reasons.
A Shillelagh is essentially a club fitted with a leather wrist strap (not a true national symbol of Ireland but close). It is typically made out of the wood from the blackthorn bush (light but very stout). The name and club may have originated in the village of Shillelagh in County Wicklow but no one knows for sure. It was used in the 19th century in traditional Irish stick fighting (called Bataireacht). The Shillelagh with its large knob head is useful for self-defense as well.
On a side note, blackthorn hedges, which are almost impenetrable, are thought to be favorite haunts of fairy-folk.
The shamrock is the national symbol of Ireland and is incorporated into the President of Ireland’s Coat of Arms. Not surprisingly, the shamrock is used as a symbol for sports teams and to represent things Irish in general.
There are at least two versions of how the Shamrock came to be linked to things Irish. One, and by far the most popular, is that St. Patrick used the three leaves of the shamrock to represent the holy trinity. There seems to be little support for this explanation in his writing but the story persists. The other version is that the three leaves represent the Triple Goddess which predate Christianity in Ireland . Of course, an alternative explanation is that the Irish Shamrock can be traced back to both sources. They are not mutually exclusive.
The Claddagh design has three components: the hands represent friendship, the heart represents love, and the crown represents loyalty. The exact origin of this design is not established but one likely explanation involves the abduction of Richard Joyce (a native of Claddagh in Ireland…a town that no longer exists) on the high seas. He was enslaved and apprenticed to a silversmith. Joyce learned the trade well and finally managed to escape. He returned to Claddagh to find that his betrothed had never given up hope and was still waiting for him. His joy gave him the inspiration to develop the Claddagh design…a now universal symbol of love, loyalty, and friendship. “Gra’, Dilseacht agus Cairdeas” are the Gaelic terms that refer to the Claddagh elements for the purists among you (pronounced “graw, dealshocked orgis cordiss”).
When the Claddagh is worn as a ring, the hand on which it is worn and direction of the heart on the Claddagh has consequence. When the Claddagh is worn on the right hand with heart pointed out, it indicates that one’s heart is unoccupied. Worn on the right hand with the heart pointed in indicates the wearer is in a relationship. Worn on the left hand with the heart pointed out, it means the person is engaged. Worn on the left hand with the heart pointed in, it means the person is married.
