Triskele: meaning, history of the triple spiral and its uses
The triskele is a three-branched spiral motif, known since prehistory at Newgrange, in Greece and in Sicily. What is documented, what is modern, and how to wear it.
Key points
| Form | Three spirals or three legs turning around a centre |
|---|---|
| Name | From the Greek triskelês, “with three legs” |
| Earliest examples | Newgrange (Ireland, around 3200 BCE), Malta, Mycenaean Greece |
| Emblems | Sicily (trinacria), Isle of Man, Brittany (triskell) |
| Celtic art | Present in La Tène art (Iron Age) |
| Traditional meanings | No ancient text gives them; readings are modern |
| Not to be confused with | The triquetra, the swastika, the valknut |
What is the triskele?
The triskele (or triskell in Breton, triskelion in English) is a motif of three curved branches, or three spirals, that turn from a common centre. The name comes from the Greek triskelês, “with three legs”, and it is above all the drawing of three bent legs from ancient Sicily that lent it its name.
Two main families are distinguished: the triskele with three spirals (the triple spiral) of European prehistory, and the triskele with three legs or arms of Greece and Sicily. The word was later extended to all three-fold motifs in rotation.
The earliest examples
| Place | Period | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Temples of Malta | Neolithic (4th millennium BCE) | Spirals carved in stone; the precise dating varies between sources |
| Newgrange (Ireland) | Around 3200 BCE | Triple spiral on the entrance stone of the passage tomb |
| Mycenaean Greece | 14th century BCE | Triple spiral on vases |
| Sicily | 7th–4th centuries BCE | Three-legged triskele on vases, then on the coins of Syracuse |
| La Tène art | Iron Age (5th–1st centuries BCE) | Decorative motif of continental Celtic art |
At Newgrange, the figure is more a triple spiral than a turning triskele: two intertwined spirals and a third that starts from their junction. These carvings are roughly six centuries older than the pyramids of Giza, which is impressive, but the meaning their makers gave them is unknown.
Sicily, the Isle of Man, Brittany
The coins of Syracuse (around 382 BCE, under Dionysius I) bear a three-legged triskele, later associated with Sicily (the Trinacria, “the three headlands” of the island, at the centre of which a Medusa head is added). The current Sicilian flag derives from it.
The Isle of Man has borne three armoured legs on its arms since the Middle Ages (an armorial shows them around 1280) and on its flag, officially adopted in 1932. In Brittany, the triskell is not an attested medieval symbol: it spread in the 20th century with the Breton cultural movement, and became popular as an emblem of identity.
What the ancients meant: we do not know
No contemporary text gives the meaning of the triskele. All interpretations are modern: three worlds (earth, sea, sky), three ages (past, present, future), three stages of life (birth, life, death), three elements, three goddesses, the three stages of a cycle… These readings are beautiful, but they belong to today’s symbolism.
A point of honesty: the idea of a “Druidic symbol” or a “Celtic triple deity” is not based on ancient sources. It can be said that the motif is dear to the Celtic revival, but not that it has carried this meaning since ancient times.
Not to be confused
| Symbol | Distinctive feature |
|---|---|
| Triskele | Three branches turning around a centre |
| Triquetra | Three interlaced arcs, with no turning centre |
| Simple spiral | A single curve that winds |
| Swastika | Four arms; a very old solar sign of Hindu, Buddhist and Jain traditions; hijacked by Nazism |
| Valknut | Three interlaced triangles on Scandinavian stones |
A symbol sometimes hijacked
Like many ancient motifs, the triskele has been taken up by some extremist groups (for example, a far-right South African movement used it in place of the swastika). This changes nothing about its millennia-old history, but it explains why, in some countries and depending on context, its use may be judged.
A matter of common sense: a symbol is not judged alone, but in its context. The triskele on a Breton piece of jewellery, a regional flag or a history book does not carry the meaning of a political banner.
Wearing or giving it
- Choose it for its aesthetics and for what it evokes for you: cycle, movement, a link to a region.
- If you give it to someone from Brittany, Ireland or the Isle of Man, avoid “explaining” their own symbol to them.
- A silver or stone triskele is a piece of jewellery: do not attribute any power to it.
- Be wary of texts promising “energy” or “protection”: nothing of the kind has been demonstrated.
For other motifs of the same kind, see the Celtic knot, the spiral and our pendants range. Products are described honestly (Our commitments).
Frequently asked questions
What does the triskele mean?
No ancient source says so. The current readings (three worlds, three times, three elements) are modern and personal.
Are triskele and triskell the same?
Yes. Triskell is the Breton form, triskèle the French form and triskelion the English form.
Is the triskele a Celtic symbol?
It appears in the Celtic art of La Tène, but it is older than the Celts and present in Greece and Sicily. It is therefore not exclusively Celtic.
What is the difference from the triquetra?
The triquetra is made of three interlaced arcs, like a knot; the triskele turns around a centre.
Can you wear one without any qualms?
Yes, in ordinary use. Only avoid associations with extremist groups, which have sometimes taken it up.
Also read
The meanings mentioned belong to tradition and symbolism. They are neither promises of results nor medical advice. Back to Symbol dictionary.