Celtic Tattoo Designs

Celtic knot, thistle and flower tattoo

The ancient Celtic art was made up of intricately designed interlacing patterns, elaborate knotwork, spirals, and animal forms.  The early Celts displayed their Celtic design mostly in metals consisting of jewelry, weapons, pottery, etc.

Celtic knots are typically complete loops that are never ending unless they end with an animal form, as at the head, limb, or tail of a particular animal, such as a jaguar.  This is also known as the zoomorphic aspect of Celtic traditional tattoo design.

The repeated crossing of the physical and spiritual are displayed in the interlacing of the knots.  The continuious path of the strands reflect the permanence and continuum of life, love and spiritual growth.

Celtic woad tattoo design

The tattoo design to the right is of a Celtic woad.  A woad is a European plant, in the mustard family, formerly cultivated for a blue dye extracted from it's leaves.

Celtic cross tattoo design

"The Irish Catholic priest will have no hesitation in telling you that the circle of the Celtic cross is a symbol of eternity that emphasizes the endlessness of God's love as shown through Christ's sacrifice on the cross.  That is unless he says the circle is a halo.  He may go on to explain that the crucifixion is important not just as an event at a certain point in time but, as the circle symbolizes, as the unending mystery of how through the crucifixion and resurrection Christ continues to offer the hope of salvation to the faithful throughout all time"
-Stephen Walker, 1996

There are many variations of styles of the Celtic cross tattoo, but a design similar to the one shown here is fairly popular.

full back Celtic tattoo design

tree of life Celtic tattoo design

Celtic tattoo design

really superbly done Celtic cross design with tribal

Celtic wedding knot

Celtic never ending knotwork tattoo design

Celtic cross tattoo design

Did you find this post fairly interesting?  LA Ink Tattoo Designs has amazing galleries of Celtic tattoo designs!!

More Super Looking Tattoo Designs

This musically inspired tattoo design is just awesome!!

I really like the imagination this tattoo shows.

The tattoo design on this gentleman's shoulder and chest is an angel amidst some roses.  The colors in this artwork are terrific.










Crazy Tattoo Designs has tens of thousands of remarkably striking tattoo designs to browse and select from.

A Little Tattoo History

The 58 markings archaeologists found on the knees, back and ankles of Otzi "Iceman",  a 5,000 year-old mummified body, places the origins of tattoos at around 3000 B.C.  Iceman, found in a glacier in 1991 on a mountain between Austria and Italy, remains the best-preserved Bronze Age corpse ever discovered, according to Smithsonian Magazine. Across Europe, archaeologists have found bone needles and clay discs believed to have been used for used for tattooing during the Upper Paleolithic (3800 B.C. to 10000 B.C.) period.
Otzi had tattooed on him a cross, six straight lines 15 centimeters long above the kidneys, and numerous small parallel lines along the lumbar, legs and ankles indicating possible therapeutic tattoos (treatment of arthritis via acupuncture).

Tattooing in the Western world is thought to have been introduce by Sir Martin Frobisher of Harwich, England.  In 1577, Frobisher. along with 3 ships and 120 men set off on a voyage to find a north west passage to China.  The purpose of this expedition was to find and return with gold ore.  Upon his return to England, Sir Martin Frobisher had with him 3 prisoners (a man, woman, and child).  The woman had tattoos on her chin and forehead and was a great attraction at the court of Elizabeth I.  Unfortunately, all 3 died within a month.

Early on, tattooing in the United States was done by hand, but in 1891, the United States Patent Office issued it's first electric tattoo machine patent to the Irish tattooist Samuel O'Reilly.  Mr. O'Reilly set up shop in New York City with the first "tattoo parlor" (studio) in the united States.  As you can imagine, tattooing became more and more popular all across the country, particularly with servicemen of the First and Second World Wars, commonly adopting tattoos as a sign of patriotism to their country and/or to their service unit.

Of course in today's world, all facets of society have tattoos.  Tattoos are no longer considered taboo and only sported by men.  Moms, Dads, doctors, lawyers, teachers, nurses, etc. have adopted tattooing as an art and a means of expression.

While much as changed over the past 5,000 years, one thing remains to be true.  Tattoos are used to outwardly express what is internally important.

Chopper Tattoo

Crab Tattoo

Crab Tattoo Design

Here is an awesome looking crab tattoo design.  I am quite sure there were a number of sittings to get this done.  Nice artwork!

Welcome To Tattoo Designs Forever

Here is a nice shot of an attractive girl with quite a bit of body art. 

                                 Their are great colors in her tattoo designs.