Triquetra: meaning, history and common confusions
The triquetra is a knot of three interlaced arcs, known from insular art, Scandinavia and Christian iconography. Its real history, its modern readings and the confusions it causes.
Key points
| Name | Triquetra, from the Latin for “three-cornered” |
|---|---|
| Form | Three lens-shaped arcs interlaced in a single continuous line |
| Early related motifs | Ceramics of Anatolia and Persia, coins of Lycia (4th century BCE) |
| Insular art | Common from the 7th century (Ireland, Great Britain) |
| Scandinavia | Norwegian coins of the 11th century, runic stones |
| Christian reading | Trinity, common since the 19th century |
| Modern reading | Triple goddess (Wicca), “power of three” |
What is the triquetra?
The triquetra is a figure formed of three arcs, like three overlapping lenses, interlaced in a single continuous line with no beginning or end. Its Latin name means “three-cornered”. In mathematics, it is the representation of the simplest knot, the trefoil knot.
It should not be confused with the triskele: the triskele turns around a centre, the triquetra is an interlacing. In archaeologists’ language, however, “triquetra” is applied to any figure of three arcs, including turning forms.
Related very old forms
Motifs with three arcs appear from the 4th century BCE on ceramics of Anatolia and Persia and on coins of Lycia. But these are turning motifs, close to the triskele. The interlaced form we call the triquetra is typical of early medieval art.
It is found in the insular art of Ireland and Great Britain from the 7th century, in illuminated manuscripts, on stone crosses and on Anglo-Saxon coins of about 710–760. There it is one ornament among others, within a repertoire of interlacings.
Scandinavia and runic stones
In the 11th century, a triquetra appears on one of the runic stones of Funbo (Uppsala region, Sweden). Norwegian coins struck under Harald Hardrada (who reigned from 1047 to 1066) also show an interlaced triquetra.
In the same context appears the valknut, three interlaced triangles. The two figures resemble each other, and they are often confused. The name “valknut” is modern, and it is not known how the Scandinavians named this sign.
The triquetra and the Trinity
Today, the triquetra is frequently used as a symbol of the Christian Trinity: three equal and inseparable arcs. This reading is attested at least since the 19th century (the Irish archaeologist George Petrie mentions it in 1845), but the intention of medieval artists is not known. Art historians of the early 20th century, such as J. Romilly Allen, doubted this meaning.
Catholic iconography now commonly uses it for the Trinity, sometimes enclosed in a circle. This meaning is therefore real in current usage, even if it is more recent than the first triquetras.
Modern uses: Wicca, television, jewellery
In neopagan and Wiccan currents, the triquetra is read as the triple goddess (maiden, mother, crone) or as a sign of protection. In the American series Charmed (1998–2006), it is the motif of the “Book of Shadows” and of the “power of three”. In the film Thor (2011), it appears on the hammer. Many “Celtic” jewellery pieces take it up, sometimes in a circle.
These uses are modern. They can be respected without being presented as ancient traditions, and without claiming that a piece of jewellery bearing a triquetra protects anyone: it is a choice of taste, belief or memory, and it is enough to say so in those terms.
What the readings are today
| Context | Reading |
|---|---|
| Christianity | Three divine persons, one nature |
| Wicca and neopaganism | Triple goddess, three faces of the feminine |
| Personal reading | Body, mind, heart; past, present, future; three family bonds |
| Art and design | Continuity, eternity (a line without end) |
None of these readings is “the right one”: they depend on who is looking and what they believe. That is why the triquetra lends itself so well to jewellery for alliances and births.
Common mistakes and advice
- Saying the triquetra is “the symbol of the Druids”: no ancient source establishes this.
- Confusing it with the triskele or the valknut.
- Believing it brings any particular protection: it is a decorative and symbolic motif.
- Overlooking context: the same three arcs have a religious meaning in a church and a recreational meaning in a television series.
For other interlacings, see the Celtic knot. To choose one in jewellery, visit our pendants or our rings.
Frequently asked questions
What does triquetra mean?
From the Latin triquetrus, “three-cornered”. It is a figure of three interlaced arcs.
Is the triquetra Celtic?
It is typical of the insular art (Ireland, Great Britain) of the early Middle Ages, but it is also found in Scandinavia and elsewhere.
Triquetra or valknut?
The valknut is made of three interlaced triangles; the triquetra of three arcs. They resemble each other and are often confused.
Is it a Christian symbol?
It is used as a symbol of the Trinity, but this use is mainly attested from the 19th century onwards.
Can you wear one if you are not Wiccan?
Of course: it is a decorative and symbolic motif open to several readings.
Also read
The meanings mentioned belong to tradition and symbolism. They are neither promises of results nor medical advice. Back to Symbol dictionary.