Irish Harp

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Throughout the Middle Ages, the harp was the most popular instrument in Ireland, and the Irish harp, or Clàrsach, has been a symbol of Ireland since the thirteenth century. Primarily, in Celtic society, the harp was used to accompany bardic poetry. Today, the harp is still on the coat of arms of Ireland.

The words in the design are from the Gaelic song "Mo ghile mear," which is usually translated as "My dashing darling," or "My shining love." The full version in both Gaelic and English can be seen here.

Brittany

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The coat of arms of Brittany has one of the simplest blazons (descriptions) in heraldry--"Ermine." The ermine pattern, known as a "fur" in the language of heraldry, represents ermine pelts sewn together.

Brittany is one of the six Celtic Nations and the only one outside of the British Isles. Even though French is the only official language of France, Breton is still spoken in the region. It is a Celtic language closely related to the nearly dead Cornish language and to Welsh.

The poem which is part of this design is in Breton. It is from a collection of folk songs compiled in the nineteenth century. It is about the birth of Merlin the Magician, who appears in some form in the mythology of all of the Celtic Nations. More information can be found about the poem here.

The oak leaves in the design were chosen because of their importance in Celtic mythology as well.

Welsh Dragon

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In Welsh, it is simple known as "Y Ddraig Goch," the red dragon. In Wales, the dragon is associated with stories of both Merlin and King Arthur, and represents the perseverance of the Welsh people. It appears on the national flag of Wales.

The writing behind the dragon is from the medieval Welsh poem Cad Goddeu, or "The Battle of the Trees, " from the Book of Taliesin. In the poem, the hero animates the trees of the forest to fight for him against the god of the underworld, but there had been a great deal of scholarly debate over the poem's deeper meaning. The full version can be read in Welsh here, and in English here.

Incidentally, "The Battle of the Trees," translated into Sanskrit, was sung by the chorus in "Duel of the Fates," from Star Wars, Episode I: The Phantom Menace.