Celtic Brooch "Cwn Annwn"

Celtic brooch with the hunting hounds Cwn Annwn.

This Celtic brooch is based on a medieval depiction and shows the motif of the hunting hounds, the so-called Cŵn Annwn.

The three dogs on the brooch chase each other and form a triple spiral with their bodies, the so-called triskele, an ancient Celtic symbol of the Trinity, which in Celtic culture symbolises life, death and rebirth.

The historical illustration that served as a model for the hunting hounds brooch is found in the Book of Kells, an Irish manuscript from the early Middle Ages, which depicts the Cŵn Annwn, the Celtic dogs of Arawn, the Lord of the Otherworld.

Diameter of the Celtic brooch: 3.5 cm.

The hunting hounds brooch is open worked and available in high-quality bronze or in genuine silver-plated.

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Dogs were of great importance to the Celts and as mystical animals they were interwoven with the world of legends like the Cŵn Annwn. Thus, representations of dogs often found a strong artistic expression in the Celtic culture of the Middle Ages.

Dogs served the Celts as protective, hunting and guard animals and were companions of gods and heroes in the Celtic mythological world, as they supposedly possessed a magical connection to the Otherworld. Images of hunting hounds were also found in particular in elaborately designed medieval manuscripts or on pieces of jewellery.