The triskelion (known as the triscele in Italian, and also the called triquetra or trinacria, depending on the usage and contexts) is a symbolic figure with an ancient history, formed of three legs (or three intertwined spirals according to other traditions) that start from a common centre point (a head in the Sicilian version). The name derives from Greek and means simply “three legs”, being composed of “tri” (three) and “skelos” (leg). The origins of this symbol come from far, far away, and traces of this type of representation have been found in very different areas and cultures. Frequently depicted in Greek and Roman coins, it is generally considered a symbol of oriental origin representing the Moon, the Sun or movement, with interpretations of its meaning being varied and conflicting. Here’s the story of this traditional yet enigmatic symbol.
A WHOLLY MEDITERRANEAN STORY
The triskelion probably originated from the religious context of the pre-Jewish Middle East and later spread to the Mediterranean with the Greeks and Phoenicians. Its most systematic representation was found in Lycia of the fifth century BC, but it is thought to have Assyrian origins (going back to the ancient cult of Mithras). The symbol also has definite ties with the history of ancient Greece: the fighters of Sparta carved a white leg bent at the knee in their shields, and similar images and symbols of strength have also be found painted on ancient vases.
In Sicily it first appeared on Syracusan coins around the fourth century BC and later became the symbol of the island for all intents and purposes.
The triskelion likely arrived on the Italian island through contact and trade with the island of Crete (an idea also confirmed by Homer). Initially it was formed of the head of the Gorgon (or Medusa), with snakes instead of hair, with three legs bent at the knee radiating outwards. Later the snakes were replaced by ears of wheat to symbolise the fertility of the land of Sicily (they were replaced by the Romans in reference to Sicily’s role as the “bread basket” of Rome). According to other sources the symbol was assigned to Sicily by the Greeks because of the triangular shape formed by its three tips (Capo Passero, Capo Pelorus, Capo Lilibeo).
Having been used in Sicilian decorations for a long time, it was adopted as the official symbol on the island’s flag in 1946: a rectangular banner divided diagonally into a yellow section on the right and a red section on the left with the triskelion in the centre.
ONE SYMBOL, MANY MEANINGS
The head of Medusa (or a woman with wings on the sides of her head, according to other variants) attests to its Mediterranean origin and its links with classical mythology. The legs represent running and speed, and therefore change and transformation. The triskelion, especially in its original version, is in fact a symbol of life, time and the movement of all things. Its shape is reminiscent of another ancient symbol: the Indo-European swastika. They very likely share a common origin and a similar appeasing, auspicious meaning. The most plausible reconstructions trace it back to Eastern religious symbology, where it is thought to have represented the god Baal, or the sun in the form of the god of the seasons or the moon (the goddess Hecate), with legs made of lunar sickles. The triskelion was a widespread symbol of great value among the Greeks, Etruscans and Romans, and was drawn on helmets or shields and carried into battlefields and even the grave (it has also been found on urns) as a symbol of protection like a sort of amulet.
Variants of this representation are also found among the Celts and the ancient Nordic peoples. The Vikings, for example, used it as a symbol of eternity and the renewal of life, and chose it as a symbol for the divinities Frey and Thor.
During the Middle Ages it became a symbol of prestige, with its aura of mystery and fascination, and even became associated with certain noble houses. At one point it was even considered dangerous and deserving of censorship: in the seventeenth century Pope Urban VIII forbade its use because it evoked the Christian trinity.
A typical figure of Celtic esotericism, especially because of its links with the number 3, it is very important to the pagan traditions and esoteric culture, which have offered multiple interpretations, one of its many variants being a talisman against evil and acts of witchcraft. It has several meanings in its various more stylised or articulated forms, depending on the traditions: the three elements (earth, water and air) whose movement is combined in the fourth element, fire; three manifestations or qualities of the divine (thus anticipating the Christian Trinity); the three Celtic social classes; past, present and future together in the one great and eternal movement of the cosmos; the three stages of the day (sunrise, noon, sunset); the three components of man (body, feelings/thoughts and spirit).
IN SICILY AND BEYOND
The triskelion is not only the symbol of Sicily. It is also found in the coats of arms of several noble European dynasties (for example, the Stuarts of Albany in England and other dynasties from France, Denmark, Poland).
Another important link is that with the Isle of Man, which has also adopted it as a symbol: it is thought to have been “exported” to the British mainland by the Normans (who came from Sicily in 1072), eventually becoming the official emblem on the island’s flag.
The Manx triskelion, decorated in yellow, probably represents the sun, but its characteristic feature is its symmetry, which connects it to a Latin motto found throughout the island: “Quocumque Jeceris stabit” (“Wherever you throw it, it will stand”), which emphasised the steadfastness and strength of character of the island’s population. Returning to Italy, it should be said that Sicily is not the only area to be represented by this symbol: the province of Monza and Brianza (Lombardy) has also used this image to represent itself. The symbol was chosen for these places because of its shape, which can be seen as a stylised representation of the territory divided by the path of its wealth of rivers and streams.
C'è anche nell'Isola di Man.
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