Boyne Valley, County Meath, Ireland
Nigel Borrington
The Tri-Spiral
Is a design engraved on one of the stones inside the middle chamber of Newgrange is probably the most famous Irish Megalithic symbol.
It is often referred to as a Celtic design, but it was carved at least 2500 years before the Celts reached Ireland. At 12 inches in diameter the tri-spiral design is relatively small in size, less than one-third the size of the tri-spiral design on the entrance stone.
Believed by many people to be an ancient symbol of pre-Celtic and Celtic beliefs, the triple spiral appears in various forms in pre-Celtic and Celtic art, with the earliest examples having been carved on pre-Celtic stone monuments, and later examples found in the Celtic Christian illuminated manuscripts of Insular art. The triple spiral was possibly the precursor to the later triskele design found in the manuscripts.
The megalithic tomb of Newgrange in Ireland features several examples of the triple spiral as petroglyphs. These particular examples do not feature three-fold symmetry of later renderings but feature two intertwined spirals with the third originating from the indentation between the other two. This particular feature is rendered with high fidelity in each instance at Newgrange and would suggest a non-tripartite interpretation. One possible interpretation could be the union of male and female (the two entwined spirals) to engender an offspring though how this relates to its setting in a tomb begs explanation.
Last night in order to highlight the uniqueness of the Newgrange spirals, I produced the following versions by tracing over a photograph I took of the original, thus producing different drawings using both the positive an negative spaces of the relief.
You can read into these your own interpretation of the original meaning ….
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March 24, 2016 | Categories: Comment, Gallery, irish history, megalithic people and remains, Nigel Borrington, Pagan, Travel Locations | Tags: County Meath, European history, Ireland, Newgrange, Nigel Borrington, Pagan, Pagan art, Pagan symbols, passage tomb, Tri Spiral, triple spiral | 2 Comments
The Bog of Allen (Móin Alúine), County Laois
Irish Landscape Photography : Nigel Borrington
The Bog of Allen
The Bog of Allen is one of my favourite places to visit in Ireland for Walking and Landscape Photography. It covers some 958 square kilometers (370 square miles) stretching into County Offaly, County Meath, County Kildare, County Laois, and County Westmeath.
Although it main function is for Peat production, which is mechanically harvested on a large scale by Bórd na Móna, the government-owned peat production industry.
The bog of Allen is one of the most tranquil areas in the country and of great inter national importance.
This link shows how a raised bog is formed : raised bog formation
The Images below were taken on a recent visit and I feel that they show just how amazing this location is, from the large open sky’s and landscape to the amazing colours produced by Sphagnum moss and its flowers.
Gallery
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July 18, 2014 | Categories: Gallery, Landscape, Nature and Wildlife, Nigel Borrington, Travel Locations | Tags: bog lands, Bog of Allen, County Kildare, County Laois, County Meath, County Offaly, County Westmeath, Ireland, irish nature, Landscape Photography, Nature, Nigel Borrington, raised bog, Sphagnum moss | 7 Comments
New-grange and the Triple spiral
Boyne Valley, County Meath, Ireland
Nigel Borrington
The Tri-Spiral
Is a design engraved on one of the stones inside the middle chamber of Newgrange is probably the most famous Irish Megalithic symbol.
It is often referred to as a Celtic design, but it was carved at least 2500 years before the Celts reached Ireland. At 12 inches in diameter the tri-spiral design is relatively small in size, less than one-third the size of the tri-spiral design on the entrance stone.
Believed by many people to be an ancient symbol of pre-Celtic and Celtic beliefs, the triple spiral appears in various forms in pre-Celtic and Celtic art, with the earliest examples having been carved on pre-Celtic stone monuments, and later examples found in the Celtic Christian illuminated manuscripts of Insular art. The triple spiral was possibly the precursor to the later triskele design found in the manuscripts.
The megalithic tomb of Newgrange in Ireland features several examples of the triple spiral as petroglyphs. These particular examples do not feature three-fold symmetry of later renderings but feature two intertwined spirals with the third originating from the indentation between the other two. This particular feature is rendered with high fidelity in each instance at Newgrange and would suggest a non-tripartite interpretation. One possible interpretation could be the union of male and female (the two entwined spirals) to engender an offspring though how this relates to its setting in a tomb begs explanation.
Last night in order to highlight the uniqueness of the Newgrange spirals, I produced the following versions by tracing over a photograph I took of the original, thus producing different drawings using both the positive an negative spaces of the relief.
You can read into these your own interpretation of the original meaning ….
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March 24, 2016 | Categories: Comment, Gallery, irish history, megalithic people and remains, Nigel Borrington, Pagan, Travel Locations | Tags: County Meath, European history, Ireland, Newgrange, Nigel Borrington, Pagan, Pagan art, Pagan symbols, passage tomb, Tri Spiral, triple spiral | 2 Comments