Trefoil Knot - Trefoils in Religion and Culture

Trefoils in Religion and Culture

As the simplest nontrivial knot, the trefoil is a common motif in iconography and the visual arts. For example, the common form of the triquetra symbol is a trefoil, as are some versions of the Germanic Valknut.

Trefoil knots
A simple triquetra symbol
A tightly-knotted triquetra
The Germanic Valknut
A metallic Valknut in the shape of a trefoil

In modern art, the woodcut “Knots” by M. C. Escher depicts three trefoil knots whose solid forms are twisted in different ways.

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