Final answer:
The style of Celtic letters was inspired by cultural contacts in the British Isles during the Early Middle Ages, with influences from illuminated manuscripts, Gothic and Insular art, Phoenician and Greek alphabets, and Anglo-Saxon animal motifs. The angular Viking rune stones and diverse influences in early Islamic art also contributed to the emergence of Celtic design.
Step-by-step explanation:
Inspiration Behind Celtic Lettering
The style of Celtic letters was largely inspired by various cultural contacts, migrations, and invasions, particularly during the Early Middle Ages in the British Isles.
As evident in illuminated manuscripts like the Book of Kells, the intricate designs seen on major decorated pages are produced by at least three artists displaying exceptional skills akin to those of goldsmiths.
Reliefs on historical artifacts like Harald's stone echo similar patterns found in the Book of Kells. These artistic expressions encapsulate the blend of cultural influences, including Gothic and Insular or Hiberno-Saxon art, demonstrated through humans, animals, and abstract patterns.
Moreover, influences from regions such as the Ionian Greeks and the Phoenicians played a significant part in shaping the writing systems and subsequently the decorative styles.
The Phoenician alphabet inspired the Greeks, who then passed their knowledge to Romans, and thereby influenced the alphabets used in European languages including those for decorative arts.
The interlocking animal and plant motifs commonly seen in Celtic design also draw from Style I from Anglo-Saxon art, indicative of a storytelling tradition blended with abstract patterns.
Another contributing factor to the ornate style of Celtic lettering was the utilization of angular letters like those used by Vikings on rune stones. This specific form was designed to prevent material splitting during carving and bore similarities to later Celtic styles. Further, early Islamic art, incorporating motifs from the Coptic, Sassanian, and Byzantine traditions, also shared similarities with the ornamental patterns seen in Celtic interlace and knotwork designs