Triquetra: meaning and origin of the three-pointed Celtic knot

The triquetra is one of the most elegant symbols to come down to us from the Celtic and Norse worlds: three interlaced arcs, drawn in one line with no start and no end. It's carved on runestones, painted in Irish manuscripts, and it even shows up in TV series today. Behind its simple shape is a strong idea: three things that are one. Here's where it comes from, what it means, how it differs from the triskele and the witch's knot, and how to wear it.

What is the triquetra?

The word comes from the Latin triquetrus, "three-cornered." The shape is made of three almond-shaped arcs, called vesica piscis in geometry, that cross and weave together into a three-pointed figure. In its most common form, one continuous line draws the whole thing: you can trace it with your finger without ever lifting it or reaching an end.

Sometimes it's set inside a circle that runs through the three loops. The circle adds a second idea to the first: on top of the unity of three, you get the eternity of a cycle with no beginning and no end.

Origins: runestones, carved stones and the Book of Kells

Despite a common belief, no triquetra is known from Iron Age Celtic remains. The motif shows up mainly in the early Middle Ages, between the 7th and 11th centuries, in the art of the British Isles and Scandinavia. You'll see it on Swedish and Danish runestones, on Viking-age metalwork, on the great carved stones of Ireland and Scotland, and in the illuminations of the Book of Kells, the 9th-century Irish masterpiece, where it slips in among the knotwork.

In those workshops of carvers and illuminators, the triquetra carried a simple, strong idea, three in one, in an image anyone could grasp without knowing how to read. The love of interlace came from further back, from the so-called "Celtic" and Germanic art that delighted in endless lines. The triquetra grew out of that meeting, and that's what makes it so rich: a shared symbol, not one that belongs to a single people.

Triquetra meaning

The triquetra stands for the unity of three things that can't exist without each other. What those three are changes from one tradition to another, so you're free to give it your own meaning:

• Body, soul and spirit: the most common reading today, the whole person.
• Past, present and future: time held together in one line.
• Earth, sea and sky: the three realms of the world in the Celtic imagination.

The continuous line adds one more reading: what's bound together doesn't come apart. That's why people give it to seal a bond, between friends, between sisters, across three generations of a family. As a symbol, it's also linked to protection and balance, a reminder that you stand steady on three supports.

Three arcs, one line: the triquetra reminds you that body, soul and spirit are one, and that what's bound together doesn't come apart.

Triquetra, triskele and witch's knot: how to tell them apart

These three knotwork symbols look alike at first glance and often get mixed up:

• The triquetra: three interlaced almond-shaped arcs with sharp points. It stands for the unity of three.
• The triskele: three spirals or three legs turning around a center. It's much older, found as far back as the Neolithic at Newgrange in Ireland, and it stands for movement, cycles and the turning of the world.
• The witch's knot: four interlaced arcs, often set inside a circle, also drawn in one continuous line. In folk tradition, people traced it on doors and thresholds to protect the home. See our witch's knot necklace.

To keep exploring symbols, read our guides to the tree of life and the unalome.

How to wear the triquetra

The triquetra is mostly worn as a pendant, where you can read its continuous line at a glance. Our Triquetra pendant is made of stainless steel, which doesn't oxidize and holds up to everyday wear. It comes in three finishes: gold, silver or black. It's unisex and looks just as right with a button-down shirt as with a T-shirt.

Want to take the symbol further? Many people pair it with three stones that match its most common reading. One for the body, like tiger's eye, a grounding stone. One for the soul, like rose quartz, the stone of gentleness. One for the spirit, like amethyst, the stone of serenity. Three natural stone bracelets on your wrist and a pendant around your neck: the symbol becomes something you wear.

The triquetra at a glance

Frequently asked questions

Is the triquetra a Celtic symbol?

It belongs to the so-called Celtic art of the early Middle Ages, the art of stone crosses and Irish manuscripts, but it doesn't appear in older Celtic remains. It's just as present in Norse art of the Viking age. So "Celtic and Norse symbol" is the most accurate way to put it.

What does the triquetra mean?

The unity of three things that belong together: body, soul and spirit in its most common reading, but also time, or the three realms of the world, depending on the tradition. Its continuous line adds the idea of a bond that doesn't come apart.

What's the difference between a triquetra and a triskele?

The triquetra is made of three interlaced arcs with sharp points and stands for unity. The triskele is made of three spirals turning around a center and stands for movement. The triskele is also much older, found as far back as the Neolithic.

Who should you give triquetra jewelry to?

Anyone you share a bond with that you want to keep: a longtime friend, a sister, a mother and daughter, or three generations of one family. Its unbroken line, with no beginning and no end, says without words that the bond won't come apart. And since the pendant is unisex, it works just as well with a button-down as with a T-shirt.

What does the triquetra with a circle mean?

The circle running through the three loops adds the idea of eternity and protection: the three united elements are held inside a cycle with no beginning and no end.