Celtic Cross Against the Night Sky
By Year: 2016 | Glendalough | Ireland | Mag | Monuments Heritage & History | Nature | Night Sky | Stars and Constellations
This Celtic Cross is a fine example of a plain cross remarkably carved from a single granite stone. The cross is the most ancient and powerful of symbols: an encounter of the vertical with the horizontal, the feminine & masculine, temporal & eternal. The circle of the Celtic cross, implying infinity, gives it a cosmic dimension. The arms of the cross are over a metre in length. The imperforate cross stands about 2.5m tall. It may have marked the boundary of the cemetery in which stands the priests’ house. This cross is a fine example of how St Patrick trying to help the once pagan people of Ireland acclimate to Christianity. This was done by combining the cross with the circle representing the sun, because the pagans worshipped the sun and moon. A local legend surrounding St. Kevin’s Cross says that anyone who can wrap their arms around the entire width of the cross body and close the circle by touching fingertips will have their wishes granted.
Glendalough (meaning “Valley of two lakes”) is a glacial valley in County Wicklow, Ireland, renowned for an Early Medieval monastic settlement founded in the 6th century by St Kevin. It combines extensive monastic ruins with a stunning natural setting in the Wicklow Mountains. The beauty and tranquility of the lakes and glacial-carved valley no doubt appealed to St Kevin, a hermit monk, who founded the monastic site near the Lower Lake in the 6th Century. Most of the buildings that survive today date from the 10th through 12th centuries. Despite attacks by Vikings over the years, Glendalough thrived as one of Irelands great ecclesiastical foundations and schools of learning until the Normans destroyed the monastery in 1214 and the dioceses of Glendalough and Dublin were united. The settlement was destroyed by English forces in 1398. A reconstruction program was started in 1878 and today the valley boasts a visitor centre, wooded trails, walkways and rock climbing. The monastic ruins include a round tower, seven churches, a gateway into the settlement with a Sanctuary Stone, two High Crosses, the priest’s house, a graveyard, Reeferts Church, St. Kevin’s Bed (Cave) and St. Kevin’s Cell (hermitage hut). More about.
PT: Esta cruz celta é um belo exemplo de uma cruz simples notavelmente esculpida de uma única pedra de granito. A cruz é o mais antiga e poderoso símbolo: um encontro do vertical com o horizontal, o feminino e masculino, temporal e eterno. O círculo da cruz celta, o que implica infinito, dá-lhe uma dimensão cósmica. Estas cruzes celtas podem ser encontradas no cemitério de Glendalough. Com o significado “Vale dos dois lagos”, é um vale glacial no condado de Wicklow, na Irlanda, conhecida por uma povoação monástica medieval precoce fundada no século 6 pelo St Kevin. Combina extensas ruínas monásticas com um cenário natural deslumbrante nas montanhas de Wicklow. A beleza e tranquilidade dos lagos e do vale glacial esculpido, sem dúvida, chamaram a atenção do monge eremita St Kevin . A maioria dos edifícios que sobreviveram até aos dias de hoje datam do século 12. Apesar dos ataques de Vikings ao longo dos anos, Glendalough prosperou como uma das grandes fundações eclesiásticas irlandesas e escolas de aprendizagem até que os normandos destruiram o mosteiro em 1214 e as dioceses de Glendalough e Dublin foram unidos. A liquidação foi destruída por forças inglesas em 1398. Um programa de reconstrução foi iniciado em 1878 e hoje o vale dispõe de um centro de visitantes, trilhas arborizadas, calçadas e escalada. As ruínas monásticas incluem uma torre redonda, sete igrejas, uma porta de entrada para a povoação com um Santuário de pedra, duas cruzes celtas altas, casa do padre e um cemitério.
