Swirl Patterns In Celtic Design

The swirl pattern is often found in Celtic art, especially in Ireland.

The swirl pattern can be created in one of two ways: centripetally (inward) and centrifugally (outward). The patterns are essentially the circle and the triskele, or the three-pronged whirligig.

 

Centrifugal swirl pattern: <IMG SRC="swirl-in.gif" WIDTH=200 HEIGHT=230 BORDER=0>

Centripetal swirl pattern:
<IMG SRC="swirl-out.gif" WIDTH=200 HEIGHT=230 BORDER=0>