Surprisingly, the motif of beard pullers, interlocked as in this design from the Book of Kells or simply standing, is not an isolated instance of Celtic knotwork encompassing all kinds of subjects. Beard pullers are a motif that has its ancient historical roots in Islamic art where beards were associated with men and beard pullers with dispute and conflict. When Christian and Islamic societies and cultures began to meet, a direct borrowing of images sometimes took place, although the meanings associated with them weren’t so easily absorbed or even understood. In Islamic art there may also have been an entertainment aspect, as in the performance of professional wrestlers or mock fighters of the time period. However, after entering Christian iconography, the beard pullers came to symbolize the vice of discord and a moral exhortation against aggressive struggle.