Beads Irish rosary wooden Celtic cross Perhaps nothing
is more synonymous with Irish than Catholic. The Roman Catholic religion has been
a part of Irish history since the first century A.D. , when the Irish saint, Patrick,
was purported to have driven all the snakes out of Ireland. The Irish also have
a place in the history of western rosary beads. Irish monks are believed to have
brought the practice of repetitive prayer to Europe, and they may have had prayer
beads to keep count of each of the 150 psalms that they said.*
The Celtic
Cross also brings Ireland and things Irish to mind. I sell rosary beads hung with
Celtic crosses, particularly fitting for those proud of their Irish heritage.
The history of the Celtic cross isn't clear and it is filled with legends. One
of these, which might in fact carry some truth, is that St. Patrick saw a Druid
circle in stone and made the sign of the cross through it. It is certain that
Irish Christians made use of Druid symbols in order to make their religion more
palatable to their pagan brethren. In any case, no one will see the Celtic cross
dangling at the end of a pair of rosary beads, without connecting the owner to
Ireland, or perhaps Wales or Scotland because these regions also claim the Celtic
cross as part of their heritage.
The Celtic cross comes attached to many different
types of rosary beads, including those made with wooden beads. Wooden beads have
a special attraction because of their link with nature and with the wooden cross
of Jesus. Wooden articles bring to mind comfort and nostalgia-a grandmother's
wooden rocking chair, the dining room table, old wooden toys. A friend of mine,
who owns a wooden pair, says she can more fully meditate on the mysteries of the
rosary as she rolls the wooden beads between her fingers because there is a warmth
and earthiness about wooden rosaries that no other material can match. Wooden
rosaries hung with a Celtic cross are a favorite choice of rosary, especially
by those of Irish, Welsh and Scottish descent. The simple design of the cross
coupled with the natural feel of wood in fact make them a good choice for almost
anyone. *John D. Miller, "Beads and Prayers", Burns & Oates,
2001. |
