Celtic Friendship Symbols: 3 Friendship Knots For Tattoos Or Otherwise

 There is no one specific Celtic symbol for friendship.

Despite what you see online (usually on websites trying to sell you jewellery), the Celts created a limited number of Celtic symbols.

However, it all comes down to interpretation and, luckily, there are many designs that fall into the Celtic friendship symbol category, as you’ll discover below.

Some need-to-knows about the Celtic symbol for friendship

Before you scroll down to see the different Celtic best friend symbols, take 20 seconds to read the points below, first:

1. Treat what you see online with caution

See the Celtic friendship knot in the photo above? While it might look authentic, it was whipped up by our artist in a couple of minutes. Any website that claims that the Celts created ancient friendship symbols aren’t telling the truth, unfortunately.

2. It boils down to interpretation

If you’re looking for a Celtic symbol for friendship, it all comes down to how you interpret a symbol. For example, the Dara Knot is a Celtic symbol for strength. You could easily use this as a Celtic friendship symbol as it could symbolise the strength of the bond between two friends.

3. Not all recent inventions are bad

Although the various Celtic best friend symbols weren’t designed by the Celts, many lean on the original Celtic Knots and leverage elements of the designs. Some are terrible, some are great. You’ll find the best of them below.

The Celtic Friendship Knot

The most appropriate Celtic friendship symbol is the one pictured above, in my opinion. Those of you familiar with the Trinity Knot will immediately recognise it from the image above.

Also known as the Triquetra, the design depicts a circle interwoven with a never-ending three-pointed symbol.

With no beginning and no end, the Trinity Knot symbolizes unity and eternal spiritual life. It’s also said to represent the unity of spirit when it’s enclosed in a circle. 

It’s not hard to see why this is seen as one of the most appropriate Celtic friendship symbols, as it can signify an everlasting bond between mates.

Other Celtic friendship symbols to consider

Now that we have the main Celtic friendship knot out of the way, it’s time to look at some other good Celtic best friend symbols.

Below, you’ll find the Shield Knot, the Crann Bethadh and an often overlooked Celtic Knot for friendship.

1. The Dara Knot

The Dara Knot is one of the most notable Celtic symbols for strength and it fits perfectly into the friendship symbol category.

The name ‘Dara’ comes from the Irish word ‘Doire’, which means ‘Oak Tree’. It’s believed that the symbol represents the root system of an oak.

This tree was revered by the Celts (see why in this guide) and, if you look at the designs above, you’ll see that there’s no beginning or end.

If you’re looking for a Celtic symbol for eternal friendship, this is an excellent option.

2. The Triskelion

The Celtic Triskele is one of the oldest symbols in existence, and it wasn’t invented by the Celts. However, they used it extensively.

One of the more popular Celtic symbols for love, the symbol has no start and no end, which is why it’s a good Celtic symbol for eternal friendship.

Some believe that it symbolises the three words (present, spirit and celestial) while others believe it represents strength and progress (represented by the endless movement in the lines).

3. The Celtic Tree of Life

The Celtic Tree of Life also represents an oak. Although this is a popular Celtic symbol for family, it can equally symbolise friendship.

This Tree of Life is said to represent strength, balance and harmony (and oak can live for over 100 years and it’s roots hold its enormous weight through storms, the changing of the seasons and attack from humans and animals).

It is also believed to symbolise community and belonging, and perhaps even that we all descended from the same root.

4. Serch Bythol

The Serch Bythol is another of the popular Celtic symbols for friendship. If you look closely, you’ll see that it’s a variation of the Trinity Knot (two knots side-by-side).

It’s widely accepted that the Serch Bythol represents the joining of two souls, which is why many see it as one of several Celtic love symbols.

The lines flow endlessly, which could be taken to mean an eternal friendship that has stood (and that will continue to!) the test of time.

5. Sister/brother knots

So, there are a handful of Celtic symbol for friendship that are variations of ancient designs, like the one in the photo above.

Many of these variations are aesthetically pleasing and, once you’re OK with the fact that they’re not ancient symbols, make good Celtic friendship knots.

You’ll find some of these designs in our guides to Celtic sister symbols and Celtic brother symbols.

6. The Claddagh

The Claddagh is an Irish friendship symbol. You’ll often hear it described as a Celtic friendship ring, but there’s nothing that links it to the Celts.

The Claddagh tends to be used to symbolize a number of things, depending on how it’s worn on the finger. It can symbolise that the wearer is happily single, in love, engaged, or married.

Personally, I’ve only heard of a Claddagh Ring being given as a present between friends on a number of occasions. See our Irish symbols guide for more like this.

Celtic Friendship Tattoo Designs

There are some terrible Celtic friendship tattoos out there. You can blame the vast majority of them on the dodgy designs floating around online.

As I mentioned in our guide to the Celtic symbol for strength, don’t be fooled into believing some elaborate and/or far-fetched design is one of the original ancient designs.

There are a very finite number of designs that were created by the Celts – there haven’t been any new ones in a long… LONG time!

if you’re scouring the many different Celtic friendship tattoo designs online and you’re wondering which to select, thread carefully.

FAQs about the Celtic symbol for friendship

We’ve had a lot of questions over the years asking about everything from ‘What Celtic friendship symbol is the most accurate?’ to ‘Which is good for tattoos?’.

In the section below, we’ve popped in the most FAQs that we’ve received. If you have a question that we haven’t tackled, ask away in the comments section below.