Hand embroidered three leg Christmas tree decoration. Made exclusively for Manx National Heritage. Available in Red or Gold.

The famous three legs device seems to have been adopted in the thirteenth century as the armourial bearings by the kings of the Isle of Man.  It is unknown why this symbol was used – possibly because it was originally a symbol of the sun, the seat of power and life – or it may have been a modification of the “triskelle” motif popular amongst the Celts and Norsemen. Early three legs symbols show them running sunwise (i.e. clockwise) and to that extent the heraldic symbol of the Island still retained an essential feature of the ancient sun symbol.