Three is Ireland’s magic number.
So ~ the Shamrock.
Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
Love, Valour and Wit..
Faith, Hope and Charity.
Crone, Mother and Virgin.
Numbers played an important role in Celtic symbolism.

Three was the most sacred and magical number.
Three may have signified totality: past, present and future
OR behind, before and here
OR sky, earth and underworld.
Everything good in Ireland comes in threes. The rhythm of story telling
in the Irish tradition is based on threefold repetition.
This achieves exaggeration. Even today in pub talk, a storyteller
can rarely resist a third adjective, especially if it means stretching
a point. “Three accomplishments well regarded in Ireland: a
clever verse, music on the harp, the art of shaving faces.”

Trackback URI | Comments RSS