Posts Tagged ‘Celtic’
Celtic design tattoos have experienced a massive revival in recent years. The history of the Celts goes back thousands of years. The early Celtic people displayed their skills in complex artwork and were regarded as fierce warriors by the Romans. Influences for Celtic design tattoos and evidence of Celtic crosses and Celtic artwork can still be found all over Ireland.
Modern Celtic people have evolved symbols for themselves, and North Americans, of Celtic descent often adorn Celtic design tattoos to show off their Celtic origin. The ancient Celts passed knowledge down through an oral tradition of storytelling and didn’t keep many written records. Consequently, there is little evidence of their actual Celtic design tattoo preferences remaining even though Cross Celtic design tattoos and Knot Celtic design tattoos are very popular designs.
Most of Celtic design tattoos are taken from the Irish Illuminated Manuscripts The Book of Kells, which is on display in the library of Trinity College in Dublin. This manuscript represents a much later time period than the time period of the height of Celtic design tattoo. Designs from ancient stone and metal work are more likely to be from the same time period as Celtic design tattooing.
Knot Celtic design tattoos are usually loops with no end or beginning, much like the Mobius strip, symbolizing the never ending cycle of death and rebirth. Celtic animal (zoomorphic tattoo designs) designs are similar in construction but the cords traditionally terminate in the feet, heads or tails of the Celtic design tattoos. Pure knots are usually unending, unless the end of a strand is stylized into a zoomorphic element or a spiral.
The intricacy of Knot Celtic design tattoos, defy literal translation and their meaning are to be found at a deeper level. The repeated crossing of the physical and the spiritual are expressed in the interlacing of the knots. The never ending path of the strands may represent the permanence and the continuum of life, love and faith. For these reason Celtic design tattoos have become incredibly popular.
If you are of Celtic heritage, whether Irish, Scots or Welsh, getting Celtic design tattoos is a way of expressing pride in your heritage by reaffirming an affinity to the indigenous artistic style of your ancestors. Celtic design tattoos are not easy designs to recreate, and it is strongly recommended to make sure that your artist has experience in designing Celtic design tattoos. Not all tattoo artists have such an eye for detail and exacting line placement required for the intricate patterns particular to Celtic design tattoos.
Celtic cross tattoos are the most powerful way of expressing your faith in God’s love. The cross is regarded mainly as a symbolization of Christianity nowadays. The Pagan followers consider it as the symbol of sun demonstrating its life-giving qualities. The designs of Celtic cross tattoos have gained the attention of thousands of people from all over the world and they are the most popular tattoo designs now. People of Celtic ancestry wear the cross tattoos to show their respect to their ancient culture.
Celtic cross tattoos with knotwork are a more complicated design since they symbolize the complexity of nature. The knots in the spirals and mazes show the reflective nature of the four seasons, the circle around the cross depicts the ancient religious meaning.
The Celtic cross is represented well in the Book of Kells. In fact, many religious cultures have The Celtic cross as the system of symbols. Hence, there is no wonder why many people have a high regard for Celtic cross tattoos.
Celtic cross tattoos have a deep connection to pre-Christian religion. When the ancient Celtic people converted into Christianity, naturally the Celtic cross became a symbol of Celtic Christianity. Ireland offers so many variations of the Celtic cross. Celtic cross tattoos are awesome in appearance, there is no denying this, and the legend of Celtic history now continues to grow in the form of Celtic cross tattoos.
Celtic cross tattoos are indeed found in ancient Bible manuscripts. Many elaborate Celtic designs are inspired by the fabulous drawings found in those books. These Celtic cross tattoos are not only beautiful but when used as tattoos – they are also flexible. You can use them to be tattooed as small armbands or you can ink them in the entire back area. The designs can be either simple or complicated. Whatever the design, they express the importance of emotions rather than a physical object which shows the powerful meaning of life.
Many Celtic cross tattoos feature the beautiful artwork of ancient Celtic knot work. These represent ethnic heritage and faith. The four points in the cross represent the four parts of man or the four elements that include earth, wind, fire and water or the four points in the compass. Celtic cross tattoos with circle symbolize the love of God or the majesty of the Sun God according to Pagan beliefs.
Though different people may have different meaning for the symbol, Celtic cross tattoos are something that can evoke the spiritual emotions of people. Again, the flexible style and decorative nature of the designs gain great popularity among tattoo lovers. Importantly, the size of the cross can be reproduced easily to ink them anywhere on the body.
It is important to know the meaning of the Celtic cross tattoos before wearing it. A common person may not understand the meaning of these symbols. However, I must admit there is a growing awareness of Celtic culture nowadays; it is almost a popular trend to be versed in Celtic culture. You need to take the appropriate care to avoid misrepresenting the design. Be sure to check out online galleries – there is a plethora of quality designs available only if you know where to look. Choose the right design, think hard about the placement, ignore the critics and you will have no regrets.
John McCleary is an avid Celtic historian with a passion for Celtic tattoo design. John runs an informative website on Celtic Cross Tattoos giving away free tattoo designs, useful tips, photo galleries and much more. Be sure to check it out at : http://www.squidoo.com/celtic_cross_tattoos
www.CheckOutMyInk.com Celtic Tattoo images taken from Checkoutmyink.com! Find more tattoos and tattoo ideas at Checkoutmyink.com!