The story of the Celtic Cross is surrounded more with legend and anecdotal evidence than it is with hard fact and recorded historical truth.

One such legend records that Saint Patrick was evangelizing some Irish heathens in the early days of his ministry, when those argumentative natives pointed out an occultist burial stone nearby, insisting that it would always be part of their spiritual beliefs and practices. This was a free-standing phallic symbol, representing the Druidic moon goddess with a circle surrounding her head. Patrick simply drew an image of the stone in the dirt, adding a Latin cross, thereby “Christianizing” the pagan symbol into the first “Celtic Cross” and converting the unbelieving Irish into stalwart followers of Christ.

The old newspaper adage rings true in this case: “When the legend sounds better than the truth----print the legend”. Sadly, as we investigate the Celtic Cross, there is very little “truth” available to us to confirm or deny any of the stories associated with this now famous “Irish” symbol. Its history remains full of ambiguity, and there are so many variations and interpretations as to its origin, that real confirmation of its true meaning is virtually impossible.

Having said that, here is what we do know with a little degree of certainty. The Celtic Cross seems to have originated in the British Isles, not only in Ireland, but also in Scotland and Wales ,and dates from around the 9th century. The "Crosses" were typically used as “grave-stones” or “grave markers”, at first laying flat on the ground , eventually being moved in their now-famous upright positions . The grave slabs were originally solid, with variant carvings and inscriptions worked into the stone (The meaning and purpose of the hieroglyphics is still being hotly debated). Over time, the extraneous rock was chiseled away, leaving the traditional Cross as we know it today.

This type of symbolism has been recognized in many ancient cultures and has been claimed equally to encompass the beliefs of both paganism and Christianity. The outstretched horizontal and soaring vertical arms have been said simultaneously to represent the pagan “four parts of man” ,the four elements and the four points of the compass, as well as demonstrating the love of God through Jesus Christ on the cross (the outstretched arms and the head looking upwards towards Heaven) while the circle reminds us of the eternal love of God for His frail, sinful creation or the power and majesty of the Sun god.

And there it is ! A symbol of love and power and an attempted glimpse into things eternal by both Christian and non-Christian alike. Shrouded in mystery and able to engender a thousand answers to a thousand questions. The archeological quests rage on; the proponents on all sides hold fast to their personal, favorite belief. The only real truth we can say is that the Celtic Cross is enjoying a renewed interest all over the world and that its origins will continue to be debated and argued for all the years that lie ahead of us.