Celtic Tattoo
Celtic Tattoos and Their
Popularity
By Declan O Reilly (guest
writer)
The history of the Celtic
people goes back thousands of years. The early Celts displayed
their skills in complex artwork particularly metal, jewelry and
weapons as they were regarded as fierce warriors by the Romans.
Evidence of celtic crossses and celtic artwork can still be
found all over Ireland.
Modern Celtic peoples have
evolved symbols for themselves, and in the North American
people of Celtic descentoften wear these symbols to show that
they are of Celtic descent. 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 tattooing remaining even though celtic cross tattoos and
celtic know tattoos are very popular designs.
Most of Celtic tattoo designs
are taken from the Irish Illuminated Manuscripts 'The Book of
Kells', on display in the library of Trinity College in Dublin,
my home town. This is a much later time period than the height
of Celtic tattooing. Designs from ancient stone and metal work
are more likely to be from the same time period as Celtic
tattooing.
Celtic knot tattoos are
usually loops with no end or beginning symbolising the never
ending cycle of death and rebirth. Celtic animal (zoomorphic
tattoo designs) designs are similar in construction but the
cords terminate in feet, heads, tails. Pure knots are usually
unending, unless the end of a strand is stylized into a
zoomorphic element or a spiral.
Celtic knotwork’s meaning
defies literal translation and is to be found at a deeper
level. The repeated crossing of the physical and the spiritual
are expressed in the interlace of the knots. The never ending
path of the strands may represent the permanence and the
continuum of life, love and faith and for these reason celtic
tattoos have become so popular. For people who have a Celtic heritage,
whether Irish, Scots or Welsh , getting a Celtic design can be
a way of expressing pride in their heritage by reaffirming an
affinity the indigenous artistic style of their ancestors.
These tattoo ideas are usually not easy designs to do, and it
is strongly recommended to anyone contemplating getting one to
make sure that the artist they are considering has experience
in designing Celtic tattoos. Not all tattoo artist have the eye
for detail and exacting line placement needed to draw the
intricate patterns particular to Celtic art.
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