Claddagh Rings
A few people find it weird to despite the myriad of choices, a true romantic beau would almost always go back to the traditional Celtic Claddagh rings as an engagement gift. Perhaps you might even find yourself wondering what is really so special about it?
To answer the question, a Claddagh ring is extraordinary because of its symbolic meaning. Its design is a collaboration of several elements namely, two hands, a heart and a crown. Each icon represents three vital elements to keeping a happy marriage. The hands represent friendship. The heart embodies love while the crown is the representation of loyalty. As a whole the ring substantiates the romantic statement: "With my two hands I give you my heart, and crown it with my love." Given that much meaning, what kind of woman would not want a Claddagh ring as a betrothal gift?
Today we are going to look beyond the symbol and discover some of the age – old facts about the Claddagh ring.
Origin:
The Claddagh rings were traditionally used as wedding bands that are worn by women. They are supposed to have been a part of a group of rings called "Fede Rings" that has become popular during the Roman times. The term "fede" originated from the famous Italian phrase "mani en fede" which generally means "hands in faith".
There has been contradicting knowledge about the origin of the ring itself. Here are the three legends from the old Irish tradition that talks about its conception.
Legend #1: The legend of Marie Joyce
Marie Joyce was simple maid belonging to the Tribes of Galway who married a Spanish merchant by the name of Domingo de Rona and went with him to reside in Spain. By some stroke of ill luck, De Rona died early in marriage, leaving his widow a huge amount of money. Marie Joyce decided to go back to Ireland where she fell in love and later married Oliver Og French, the current mayor of her hometown.
Marie Joyce then decided to put her new found wealth in good use. She financed the construction of the bridges in Connacht. One day, as a reward to all her good deeds, an eagle miraculously appeared and dropped the Claddagh ring on her lap.
Legend #2: The prince who fell in love with a commoner
During the earlier days, when kings and queens ruled the Celtic region, there was a prince who fell in love with a common maid. However, due to existing protocols, the king did not approve of their love. To prove that the prince was serious about her beloved, he came up with a ring with a Claddagh design that he eventually showed and explained to the king. After fully understanding what the symbols are about, the king conceded by letting the two lovers marry.
Legend #3: The legend of Richard Royce
Like Marie, Richard is also a native of Galway. In his youth, he left his hometown to fend for himself in a foreign land. Before he left, he made a promise of marriage to maiden whom he loved deeply. However, before he got the chance of fulfilling that promise, the ship that he was boarding was captured and he, like the others were sold as slaves. He worked for a Moorish goldsmith where he learned the craft of forging gold. During this time, he made the Claddagh ring for his beloved from way back home.
During the reign of William III, he arranged for all the British slaves to be released by Moors. As a result, Joyce was freed. However, his former master respected him so much that he offered his wealth and daughter in marriage to make Joyce stay. Despite the offer, he decided to go home to fulfill his promise. He brought his newly learned craft with him and succeeded as a goldsmith.
Among the three legends, the third one is supposed to be the only story backed up with facts and documentation. However, there is still question as to how the real Claddagh ring came to be.
Traditional Ways of Wearing the Ring:
The Claddagh ring is also special in the sense that its meaning somehow changes depending on the way it is worn. To illustrate further, here are the ways of wearing the ring with their corresponding meaning.
1. If worn on the right hand with the heart positioned away from the body, this means that the wearer is not committed to any relationship but is searching for one.
2. If worn on the right hand, this time with the heart facing the body, this signifies that the wearer is in a serious romantic relationship.
3. When the ring is worn on the left hand, again with the heart facing outward, this means that the person wearing it is already engaged to be married.
4. However, a Claddagh ring worn on the left hand with the heart facing towards the body signifies that the wearer is already married.
On a different note, be aware that these traditions are not really strictly followed anymore. Sometimes, a woman or man would just have the tendency to wear the ring depending on how they see fit.
The Claddagh Ring in the Modern Culture:
In a way, the Claddagh rings of today evolved but remained the same. They changed because they are not only given as wedding bands but they have also been a popular choice for engagement rings. In addition, apart from the traditional gold Claddagh ring, they also have counterparts in silver, white gold or platinum. The different makes somehow allows the ring to be more accessible to the buying public. For example if the platinum make seems to be too expensive for you, you can always opt for the silver Claddagh ring counterpart. The newer rings have also been beautified further with the addition of precious and semi – precious gemstones like diamonds, rubies, emerald, quartz, amethyst and so on and so forth.
So what remained the same you ask? Simple, despite the centuries, the love and the values they embody remained very much the same.
of today evolved but remained the same. They changed because they are not only given as wedding bands but they have also been a popular choice for engagement rings. In addition, apart from the traditional gold Claddagh ring, they also have counterparts in silver, white gold or platinum. The different makes somehow allows the ring to be more accessible to the buying public. For example if the platinum make seems to be too expensive for you, you can always opt for the silver Claddagh ring counterpart. The newer rings have also been beautified further with the addition of precious and semi – precious gemstones like diamonds, rubies, emerald, quartz, amethyst and so on and so forth.
So what remained the same you ask? Simple, despite the centuries, the love and the values they embody remained very much the same.
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