Saturday 16 November 2013

'An Tigh Geata' - Druid banner

I'm thrilled and excited to be able to tell you that I'm making a new processional banner, this time for the Order of Bards, Ovates and Druids (OBOD).  It's the Order's 50th anniversary next year, and the new banner, replacing one from the 1960s which was lost, will be part of that.

The lost banner incorporated various symbolic elements significant to Druidry, and I was asked to use them too as part of my design.  I'm not knowledgeable enough to explain things properly, but if anyone wants to know more about Druidry then the website has lots of information, or I'm sure the lovely friendly people there would be happy to help.

So, without further ado, here's my design:



The trilithon gateway (the Stonehenge-style standing stones), the rays of light and the Gaelic text were requested by OBOD and had been used in a different way on the old banner; the colours represent the three grades in Druidry (blue for bards, green for ovates and white for druids).

In my design I interpreted these colours as earth (the lower half of the spiral circle), sky (the upper half), and stone (the trilithon itself).  The Celtic spirals are my addition, but I think they work well with the other elements.

It's going to be a similar size to St Cuthbert's banner, and so able to be carried by one person:



It's great to be working on a larger piece again, and I can't wait to get started!

1 comment:

  1. It's going to be beautiful. I'm looking forward to following your progress, and can't wait to see what materials you will be using. We recently went to the National Cathedral in Washington DC, and I thought of you when I saw the banners in the church. Eventually I'll post some photos on my site.

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