Josephine de Beauharnais and Napoleon Bonaparte

By all accounts, it was an unusual wedding as Napoleon was several hours late and both parties lied about their age: He claimed to be 18 months older on the wedding certificate and she claimed to be 4 years younger!

Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton

But the duo couldn’t remain separated and married again the following year! Although both movie legends met, flirted and married other people, those close to the couple say they were soul mates and kindred spirits.

Prince Edward (formerly Edward VIII) and Wallis Simpson

Whatever else could be said about the whole episode, the marriage was a loving one and they remained together until his death in 1972.

Henry II & Eleanor of Aquitaine

The couple also produced three future kings: Henry (known as the Young King), Richard the Lionheart and John I, signer of the Magna Carta. It could be said that this union changed the course of history.

Mark Antony & Cleopatra

However, the couple remained steadfast in their mutual love and it is said that Mark Antony perished in Cleopatra’s arms, a story told in a Shakespearean tragedy.

No matter how powerful or important someone is, they are not immune from the effects of love. As you can see above, some of the most famous and extraordinary figures in world history were capable of true love and many of them didn’t care about the consequences of their union.

Can you think of any other examples of powerful historical figures getting married?

Is there one couple in history who you believe should have been married but never tied the knot?

5 Legendary Wedding Unions is a post from: Celtic Rings Ltd Blog

Contrary to what you might hear, it is possible to throw a lavish party without the accompanying budget. No matter how amazing the wedding day turns out to be, brides in particular analyze their expenditure and point out areas where they could have improved upon in terms of budget. Below, we show you how to cut wedding costs without looking like a cheapskate!

Cutting Cost Per Guest
While cutting the guest list is one option, reducing the cost of each guest is another. A great way to cut food costs is by having a buffet instead of the traditional sit-down meal as it is possible find buffet options for as little as €15 a person. Another great tip is to use the wedding cake as dessert. Believe it or not, you will get away with asking guests to pay for their own booze. While this may seem like an unpopular option at an Irish wedding, the vast majority of guests will understand.

Wedding Buffet is always a cheaper food option.

Email your wedding invitations and save big.

Try giving out chocolates for wedding gifts.

Only have your closest friends & family at the top table.

If you can follow the above tips, a great financial burden could be lifted from your shoulders and the quality of your celebration shouldn’t suffer one iota. Be frugal when you can but above all else, enjoy your day as it should be the happiest of your life!

Can you think of other ways to cut wedding costs without offending your guests or reducing everyone’s enjoyment?

5 Quick & Easy Ways To Cut Wedding Costs is a post from: Celtic Rings Ltd Blog

As it is a great occasion, the married couple enjoy the day and worry about the bill later on. Yet the ultra-rich like to take things a step further so feast your eyes on the 5 most expensive weddings ever! Please note that the figures are adjusted for inflation.

5 – Andrei Melnichenko & Aleksandra Kokotovic – €23 million

Aleksandra and Andrey Melnichenko

4 – Kate Middleton & Prince William – €25 million

Prince William and Kate Middleton

3 – Vanisha Mittal & Amit Bhatia – €50 million

Vanisha Mittal and Amit Bhatia

2 – Prince Charles & Lady Diana – €84 million

Prince Charles and Princess Diana

1 – Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum & Sheikha Hind Bint Maktoum – €104 million

Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum & Sheikha Hind Bint Maktoum

The next time you fret about the cost of a wedding, remember that things can get more expensive. Besides, the extravagance of a wedding has no bearing on the union’s success so bear that in mind before breaking the bank!

Have you or any of your friends really pushed the boat out for a wedding?

What is the most lavish wedding you have ever attended?

Top 5 Most Expensive Weddings Ever is a post from: Celtic Rings Ltd Blog

The Celts are even accredited with the invention of soap! They admired sleek bodies, found obesity repellent and were extremely found of jewelry and generally looking good. Not much has changed in 2,000 years!

Jewelry was seen as a way to showcase status and Celtic symbols had a very specific and significant meaning. We outline these meanings below so next time you find Celtic jewelry adorned with symbols; you’ll know what you’re buying.

Celtic Cross
This is one of the most famous Celtic symbols and is primarily associated with Irish Celts. The Celtic Cross is known to be the bridge between heaven and earth while many scholars believe that the four arms of the cross are representative of the four elements: Wind, fire, earth and water.

View our entire range of Celtic Crosses

Celtic Spirals
You will probably have noticed an increase in the number of Celtic spiral tattoos in contemporary society as well as on jewelry but how many people know the significance of what they are wearing (both in terms of precious metal and ink)?

Many of these symbols date back over 4.500 years.

Many experts in the field of Celtic symbolism believe that they are metaphors for cosmic symbolism as they resemble the shape of whirlpools and galaxies.

The direction of the spirals is also significant with clockwise spirals believed to represent good luck while anti-clockwise spirals are associated with magic spells.

You may also find spiral arrangements where an equal amount of spirals are going clockwise and anti-clockwise which is a representation of balance.

Torc
A golden torc is said to have been a popular jewelry choice for members of the Celtic nobility. Even Queen Boudicca is believed to have ridden into battle wearing a torc around her neck. It is believed that the Celtic torc was a symbol of nobility, status and strength.

Additionally, torcs can also be associated with emotion, creation and metamorphosis due to their crescent shape which is similar to that of the moon. It has also been suggested that the torc is associated with gods and goddesses. For example, the Celtic god Cernunnos is often depicted with a torc around his antlers and another around his neck.

The Celtic god Cernunnos holds and wears a torc.

However, given the fact that Celts held religion and nature in such high regard, we can assume that these symbols had a deep spiritual meaning.

Understanding Celtic Jewelry Symbols is a post from: Celtic Rings Ltd Blog

• Imbolc – 1 February
• Beltaine – 1 May
• Lunasa– 1 August
• Samhain – 1 November

These were spread 3 months apart and signified the changing of the seasons. While these festivals are rarely celebrated today, you can change all that and release your inner Celt by embracing ancient customs, details of which are outlined below.

Imbolc
This was originally a pagan festival associated with the goddess Brighid and was transformed into a Christian celebration for Saint Brighid. On the eve of the festival, 31 January, it was necessary to clean the home in preparation for Brighid’s visit.

Saint Brigid carrying the famous Brigid’s Cross.

Beltaine
On 30 April, it was traditional to extinguish a flame and relight it as a symbolic gesture. Another old tradition was to decorate the home with a huge amount of flowers such as primrose and buttercups while also adding greenery such as juniper, ivy and gorse in order to create a May bush which was said to be a guarantee of prosperity.

The bush was then ceremonially burned on the night before Beltaine. On the morning of Beltaine, families would collect morning dew from the grass and store it somewhere warm until it was needed for healing. It was also common to collect water on the morning of 1 May and use it to bless the house.

Lunasa
This marked the end of the summer and beginning of autumn as people looked forward to the harvest being brought in. In past generations, it was common to pick blueberries and strawberries though this was only practised in warmer climes as the berries would not be ripe by 1 August in Ireland and Scotland.

Celtic Goddess, Mabon – Autumn

Group celebrations normally consisted of games, races, singing and dancing on a hilltop or near a lake.

Samhain
This is the most commonly celebrated of these ancient festivals and we refer to it as Halloween. Samhain is the most supernatural of festivals with ancient peoples believing that the Underworld was upset at the changing of the seasons and Faeries were said to arrive on the eve of this festival to abduct humans.

Samhain – We now know as Halloween.

It is important to remember that the dates above are not accurate because the modern Gregorian calendar only came into being in 1751. Even the Julian calendar that was used up to this point was altered in 1582 so there could be 11-12 days of a difference between the new and old calendars.

Nonetheless, it is fascinating to look at the above ancient Celtic religious festivals and note that we still celebrate St Brighid’s Day, May Day and Halloween.

Perhaps Celtic ways have not completely been eradicated after all!

Celtic Celebration of the Four Traditional Quarter Days is a post from: Celtic Rings Ltd Blog

Few rings possess a greater symbolic virtue than Claddagh wedding rings which are known to represent loyalty, friendship and above all, love. This is seen in the Claddagh ring design where the crown equates to loyalty, the hands mean friendship and the heart of course represents love.

This ring gets its name from the small fishing village of Claddagh in Galway.

Fishing Village of Claddagh, Galway.

Joyce was sold into slavery to an Algerian goldsmith but managed to gain his freedom through diplomacy. Before leaving, Joyce’s former master offered his daughter and a huge sum of money in return for the Irishman remaining and creating more Claddagh rings.

However, Joyce followed his heart and returned home to marry his beloved. The ring he crafted for their wedding ceremony was the Claddagh ring we know today.

Claddagh Rings with Birthstones.

Claddagh Ring Symbolism
While Claddagh rings are often used to symbolize friendship, they are becoming one of the most popular wedding rings available. You may not be aware of it but there are four different methods of wearing a Claddagh ring, each of which displays your availability or lack of. This means you better be careful when wearing one! If the Claddagh ring is on:

The right hand and the heart faces outwards, it means the wearer is single and looking for a mate

The left hand with the heart facing in, this means the wearer is married

Claddagh Wedding Rings Rise in Popularity

Remember, Claddagh rings are worn because of their significance rather than as a display of wealth. Therefore, you can purchase beautiful rings in silver instead of spending a small fortune on gold.

Above all, Claddagh rings help to create a close bond between two people regardless of their geographic location. They are a wonderful example of Irish spiritualism and are the perfect wedding rings for devoted couples.

The Deep Meaning Of The Claddagh Ring is a post from: Celtic Rings Ltd Blog

1. Most people associate the Celts with Ireland and Scotland but the civilisation originated in Central Europe. The earliest Celtic settlement was discovered in Hallstatt, Austria in 1200 BC. The heartland of the Celts is actually in Germany, Switzerland and Austria.

Celtic Europe – Originated from Germany, Switzerland & Austria

3. It was previously believed that the Celtic language was more or less phased out after the Roman conquest. In actual fact, Celtic languages were widely spoken afterwards according to the writings of St Jerome in the 4th and 5th Century AD. However, these languages did start to disappear during the Middle Ages and today, very few people speak Celtic languages and their usage is mainly confined to the west of Ireland, Brittany and Wales.

4. The Celts were extremely active traders and were constantly in touch with Mediterranean merchants. It was common for them to trade iron tools and weapons for wine and pottery.

5. The Celts created a road network across Europe before the Romans.

6. Contrary to the image of the Celts as a barbaric race, they were actually more advanced than the Romans in an array of economic and scientific aspects. For example, Celtic calendars used before the Roman calendar were more accurate. In fact, some scholars suggest that ancient Celtic calendars were more accurate than the modern Gregorian calendar!

7. The Celts were extremely wealthy and this is one of the reasons why Julius Caesar was so eager to conquer Gaul. In France alone, there were at least 400 gold mines. At that time, Rome was not particularly wealthy and needed finance to boost its army. The conquest of Gaul was a huge financial coup and helped the empire flourish.

8. Most people picture a typical Celtic nobleman to have long hair and a wild untamed beard. In actual fact, the fashion of the time dictated that their hair was short and neat while they were also clean shaven. Archaeologists have found tweezers on the site of Celtic settlements.

Celtic tools including tweezers.

10. In terms of military might and training, the Celts were a match for the Romans. A key reason for their defeat was because of tribal arguments and an unwillingness to work together to beat a common enemy.

We hope that the interesting facts above help you gain a greater understanding of Celtic civilisation and perhaps dispel a few prevailing myths. We hope to bring you another round of facts in the near future.

10 Interesting Facts about the Celts is a post from: Celtic Rings Ltd Blog

Polytheistic Religion

It wasn’t until the Iron Age that the Celts began to see their deities as having human form. Celtic shrines were built in remote areas such as lakes and hilltops, perhaps in a bid to communicate with nature.

Deities
There were hundreds of deities worshipped by Celtic tribes and in some cases; families worshipped their own individual god that was completely unknown to other Celtic peoples.

Gods were normally associated with certain skills while goddesses were usually (but not always) associated with nature. Ceremonies were often held in sacred groves with temples specially built for this purpose.

There are of course a number of Celtic gods and goddesses known throughout the Celtic world such as:

Badb:
The goddess of death, rebirth and war. She was a goddess specifically worshipped by Irish Celts.

Badb – The Goddess of Death.

Branwyn – The Goddess of Love.

The Dagda:
A father figure and protector of the tribe. He was associated with a cauldron and held a magic club which could kill up to nine warriors with a single blow while the handle could bring them all back to life.

Dagda – Protector of the Tribe.

Lugh

Taranis:
He was the god of the sky and possessed a thunderbolt and wheel. Those interested in Greek and Roman mythology will compare him with the Roman god Jupiter and the Greek god Zeus.

The End of Celtic Religion
Once Gaul and much of Europe came under Roman control, a large proportion of Celtic tribes were assimilated into Roman culture.

The influence of the Druid class was to weaken and eventually disappear. In time, a number of deities appeared that were a combination of Roman and Celtic mythology.

Ireland and the Scottish Highlands remained free of Roman rule though not necessarily free from Roman influence.

However, these tribes maintained the old ways for longer than their European counterparts but in the 5th century AD, Christianity began to replace polytheism in Celtic Ireland and Scotland.

Irish missionaries went throughout Europe converting various tribes and the old religious beliefs were no more.

Religion of the Celts: Deities, Worship & Assimilation is a post from: Celtic Rings Ltd Blog

6 – Changelings
When female fairies gave birth to children with deformities, they would enter the human world and snatch a human baby, leaving the deformed fairy child behind. These were also known as changelings and while they had the appearance of regular babies, they were emotionally very different.

Artwork by PJ Lynch – http://pjlynchgallery.blogspot.ie/

7 – Dagda’s Harp
Dagda was the name of a high priest who owned a large and stunning harp. During a conflict, the harp was stolen so Dagda followed them to an old castle. He called the harp to him and played the Music of Tears, causing everyone in the castle to cry.

Dagda’s Harp – Artwork by Monika Kovac

8 – Faeries
Aside from dumping aesthetically displeasing babies, Faeries were known to bring tremendous misfortune to all those who crossed their path. They could turn into anything they wished but often enjoyed taking human form to trick people.

An Irish Faery – Mischievous and beautiful.

9 – Leprechauns
Even those with little interest or knowledge when it comes to Irish mythology will have heard of leprechauns. Although we see leprechauns as being extremely small by human standards, they are actually giant faeries.

Leprechaun and his pot of gold!

While the leprechaun may be nothing but a mere legend, this doesn’t stop people rushing to the end of a rainbow to find their gold!

10 – Saint Patrick
Saint Patrick is a well-known historical person so why is he in a blog about legends? This is mainly because of his deeds such as driving all of the snakes out of Ireland. There is still intense debate and disagreement over whether Patrick spread Christianity across Ireland or if it was the lesser known Palladius.

The Legendary Saint Patrick

Hopefully, this information helps you gain a greater understanding of just how rich Irish mythology is. Perhaps you will be inspired to learn more about Saint Patrick, Leprechauns and all the other tales, legends and symbols associated with this great nation.

Top 10 Tales & Symbols Of Irish Mythology – Part II is a post from: Celtic Rings Ltd Blog

This has greatly enriched Irish folklore and in the next 2 blog posts, we will take a quick look at 10 of the most enduring legends and symbols in Irish Mythology.

1 – Pookas
This infamous creature comes from Celtic Mythology and is essentially a Goblin. The Pooka came in a myriad of forms because of its ability to shape-shift. The Pooka could become a horse, a dog, a goblin, a sheep or anything else it wished. The Pagan holiday known as Samhain (Halloween) is commonly associated with the Pooka.

Pookas, or Changlings

2 – Banshee
The legendary Banshee is known as a harbinger of death. The Banshee could take the form of a haggard old woman or a beautiful one. Whenever a Banshee was seen, she would emit a horrible scream which would bring death in a family if any member heard it.

A Screaming Banshee

3 – Children Of Lir
This is one of the most poignant tales in Irish Mythology. King Lir had four children and a loving wife but when she died, he married his sister-in-law Aoife who was a jealous and manipulative woman bent on getting rid of Lir’s children. She took them to a lake and a spell was cast on them, transforming them into beautiful swans.

A Children of Lir painting by PJ Lynch

4 – The Shamrock
This three-leaf clover is known as the unofficial symbol of Ireland and is said to have been used by Saint Patrick as a metaphor for the Christian Trinity of father, son and Holy Spirit. Many of Ireland’s historical cultures have seen the Shamrock as an item which held meaning.

Irish Shamrocks

5 – Fionn Mac Cumhaill
He is known as one of the greatest hunters and warriors in the history of Irish mythology. There are a huge number of legends surrounding him, most of which are entertaining stories. One story involves Fionn and Benandonner, the fiercest man in Scotland. They tossed pieces of cliff across the sea at one another and issued a challenge to see who was the strongest.

The Legendary Fionn Mac Cumhaill

In the next instalment, we look at 5 more amazing tales and symbols of Irish mythology.

Top 10 Tales & Symbols Of Irish Mythology – Part I is a post from: Celtic Rings Ltd Blog