Celtic Tattoos

Celtic Tattoos

Celtic Tattoo designs are one of the fastest growing tattoo art in the world.

Inspired by ancient Celtic manuscripts like the Book of Kells, and more ancient times of Pagan worship and the courageous Celtic warriors. They offer the wearer an instantly recognizable and flexible style that can be as complex or as simple as the wearer desires.

Celtic tattoos stress the importance of communicating a feeling rather than attempting to represent a specific physical object—and this gives them much more power and permanence.

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Interlacing knots, a chief feature of Celtic tattoo art and a symbol of the constancy life, is one of the reasons why these tattoos are so difficult to create. With their cyclical design and symbolic emphasis on knots that have no beginning and no end, Celtic tattoos, like no other style, require a skilled practitioner. Make sure that before you get your own Celtic tattoo that you go to a tattoo artist who specializes in Celtic tattoo art.

Celtic tattoo art is one of the most beautiful, complex and meaningful styles of visual art in the world. It also happens to make for one very cool tattoo.

The history behind Celtic Tattoo Art

Celtic Tattoos are inspired from the early illustrations that accompanied biblical manuscripts, such as the Book of Kells, in the 4th and 5th centuries. They are the result of Christian priests attempting to find a visual style that incorporated both the pagan history of the Celtic people of Ireland and the traditional symbols of Christianity for the use of religious conversion. This can be seen most vividly in the Celtic cross design, which incorporates Celtic imagery of the sun with the steadfast image of the Christian cross.

Truth be told, Celtic tattoo art is a rather new phenomenon. Best evidence suggests that if the Celts had tattoos, they were primitive in nature and didn’t remotely reach the artistic heights of the visual art found in their paintings and ceramic arts. Still, Celtic tattoo art continues to represent, for many people, a connection to an earlier culture that placed an emphasis on the natural world.

What does Celtic Tattoo art look like?

Depends on the design …but generally Celtic it's known for its complex knots and interlacing patterns that seem to have no beginning and no end. The Celtic knot, which is so popular in much of Celtic art, represents their belief in the cyclical nature of life and the eternal power of the circle.

Like tribal tattoos, Celtic tattoo art emphasizes the feeling of a design rather than trying to depict a specific object. Nowhere is this better illustrated in their animal designs—sometimes called zoomorphism. These highly stylized animal portraits convey a feeling of the animal as a spiritual and complex being that is intertwined with the experience and color of life---a belief that infiltrates the entire style.

Origin of Celtic Tattoos

Celtic symbol designing has its origin in the prehistoric times. These designs have been in fashion for thousands of years. People of Celtic origin have a rich cultural heritage that is worth exploring. Since the bygone times, these people have been known for their artistic ability. The Celtic tattoos look simply stunning. They have headed their way in the making of various kinds of stonework, metalwork, jewelry and weapons.

Celtic designs usually comprise of intricate patterns of lines, spirals, and loops that are combined in a very attractive manner. Animal designs are the topmost priority, when it comes to Celtic tattoo styling. Animal Celtic designs are more popularly known as the zoomorphic tattoo designs. Tattoo designs usually incorporate tiger or a lion. There is always a meaning behind every Celtic design, which is usually not very apparent and it is pretty difficult to solve the mystery.

The interlacing between the lines represents association between the physical and spiritual worlds. The ongoing route of the loops symbolize the unending cycle of life, death and rebirth. Celtic designs reveal the personality of the Celtic people, who are usually depicted as courageous warriors. Popular Celtic designs are Celtic knot and the Celtic cross.

Celtic history goes back thousands and thousands of years. Early Celtic people were well known for their skills in artwork of jewelry, metal, and even weapons. They were warriors as well, regarded as fierce fighters by the Romans. Throughout Ireland, there are many examples and evidence of Celtic artwork and Celtic crosses.

Over the years, modern Celtics evolved and established symbols for themselves along the way. Throughout North America, Celtic people often wear these symbols to let others know that they are a Celtic descent. The symbols and knowledge have been passed down through the years, as there is little no written history. Tattooing however, keeps the Celtic tradition alive with the infamous Celtic cross and other popular Celtic designs.

Most Celtic tattoo designs come from Ireland, where the evidence of Celtic history is very strong indeed. The Trinity College found in Dublin, Ireland, contains many manuscripts that document the Celtic heritage and symbols. The height of Celtic tattooing however, occurred during the era when stone and metal work was really popular.

Meaning behind Celtic Tattoos

The meaning behind the knots in Celtic tattoos defies any type of literal translation and is found at a much deeper level. The interlacing of the knots expresses the repeated crossing of both physical and spiritual elements. The strands and their never ending path is a popular design for Celtic tattoos, representing life, faith, and love. For many years, Celtics have used these designs for emotional as well as heritage purposes.

Celtic designs also represent the fight and the heart of the Celtic people who were renowned throughout the world as courageous warriors.

Celtic knot tattoos are some of the most popular and most common designs, featuring loops with no end that symbolize a never ending cycle of dying and rebirth. There are also Celtic animal tattoo designs as well, which are similar in design to the knot tattoos, although the cords in the design normally terminate in heads, tails, and feet. The pure knot tattoo designs are normally never ending, unless an individual adds an end to symbolize a spiral.

Celtic Knot: This tattoo consists of decorative loops with no beginning and no end which represents the continuing cycle of life and death.

Celtic Cross: The celtic cross is usually a highly elaborate design containing many interlinking spirals and strands. Once again, the lines used to create the outline of the cross don't have a beginning or an end, and as such represent the immortality of human life and love. The cross is also significant as the Celtic people believed it would protect them from their enemies.

One of the most powerful of these Celtic tattoo symbols is the Celtic cross. For years Celtic culture ruled most of Europe and specifically Ireland and Britain. But this all changed when the Romans came in and kicked major ass. When monks brought Christianity to Britain they adopted the ancient Celtic style of art infused with the symbolism of Christianity. It was a genius move because the conversion stuck and today the Celtic cross, with its nod to both ancient pre-Christian worlds and modern antiquity, is probably one of the most popular tattoos in the world. But that doesn’t mean they’re easy to do.

Celtic tattoo designs are a great way of expressing pride in your ancestry whether you are of Irish, Scottish or Welsh descent. In fact these designs are highly popular among people from across the world who have Celtic ancestors and heritage more so now than ever as we travel to the far corners of the world.

However the tattoos are difficult to do, most taking several hours. Unlike other tattoos, Celtic tattoos are among the hardest designs in the world. Read the tips below before getting one.

Tips for those thinking of getting Celtic Tattoos

If you are from a Celtic descent and have decided to get a Celtic tattoo, the first thing to do is find an artist capable of doing the tattoo. The designs are very difficult and not all tattooists can do them. It’s best to first find a tattoo artist who has a background in Celtic designs, as this will ensure the tattoo is done correctly. The artist who does the tattoo needs to have an eye for detail and the ability to place the lines and spirals in exactly the right place is vital.

I once asked a world respected tattooist and body peircist what he's afraid of doing most. He paused a few seconds and said, “It’s when some guy walks in with a copy of the Book of Kells!” The complex interlocking illustrations in the ancient manuscript are beautiful, but the fine details and twisting lines can be some tattooist’s idea of a nightmare. This is one of those cases where bigger is often better. Remember that a pencil can draw a finer line and more detail than can be exactly rendered with a tattoo machine. Tattoos blur slightly with age, and the smaller the artwork, the more details will be lost to the changes that occur naturally as the skin ages. Put another way, don’t try and get a really tiny Celtic tattoo.

And even once you find a talented artist, it will take a lot of time, patience and dare I say it, tolerance of pain, in order to get your celtic design just right. So make sure that you find the perfect celtic design before you go any further. When done well, it can be one of the most decorative and meaningful tattoos out there. When done poorly…well best not to even think about that.