Triskele
/ˈtrɪskəli/noun
A three-armed spiral or triple-spiral motif, especially in ancient Celtic and Greek art.
Did you know?The word comes from a Greek term used for a three-legged figure, and the symbol’s power comes from the number three—so it later became linked with cycles, motion, and sacred balance.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
τρισκελής (triskelḗs)
“three-legged”
Late Greek
Greek
τρισκέλιον (triskélion)
“a three-legged figure or emblem”
19th Century
English
triskele
“a three-armed spiral or triple-spiral ornament”
Modern English
English
triskele
“a triple spiral motif or three-legged symbol”