Well why not? Ha ha! Seriously, why would you want to get a Celtic tattoo? In case you haven’t given it much thought, we’ll discuss some elements and associations that may not have occurred to you yet.

Celtic tattoos obviously have something to do with the Celts, but who were they? The Celts were an Indo-European people now represented primarily by the Irish, Gaels, Welsh, and Bretons. We’ll call it the British Isles. For such a small area, there is a lot of diversity and history in the British Isles. Geography alone includes England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales, not to mention the coastal Hebrides islands of Scotland, Orkney and Shetland. When you hear people mention Celtic tattoos, they are usually referring to the prehistoric designs used in decorative arts or by warriors.

Celtic art based tattoos provide you with an incredibly rich treasure trove for resource designs. Because these designs are quite primitive, they tend to have less detail than a modern cartoon drawing or anime cel would, for example. This means that they can look good even in the hands of a less experienced tattoo artist. The repetitive nature of the designs also means that they look good on small parts of the body like the wrist or ankle.

Celtic culture has given us the English language, which you are reading right now, along with many of the fairy tales, legends, games, songs, holidays, Protestant religion, and literature that are a pervasive part of American culture.

The primitive and archaic feeling, as well as the symbolism behind Celtic tattoos, makes these designs very attractive. Especially if you live in a big city, surrounded by technology, machines, and fiberglass, this connection to our ancient brothers and sisters reminds us that there are other ways of living and different ways of being than what is considered the modern standard of living.

From a design standpoint, a Celtic tattoo gives you a classic, understated look, while sending a subconscious message of association with the “rulers of the known world.” You’ve probably realized by now that you don’t really need to be from the UK to justify wearing a Celtic tattoo. If you’re from the United States, it’s pretty common to have a family member who is English, Irish, Scottish, or Welsh, even if you don’t look the least bit white.

Ok, so that’s a lot of the reasons why people get Celtic tattoos like they’re going out of style. Now, what will your tattoo look like? Lots to choose from, that’s for sure. First of all, spirals. Some of the older Britons called themselves Picts. They wore blue tattoos or war paint in battle. We are lucky to have stone carvings from the period, showing various symbols, such as the sacred spirals, the wheel of Taranis (his version of Thor) and the tree of destiny.

Celtic knot tattoos have to rank at the top among the currently popular Celtic tattoos. These designs actually come from illuminated manuscripts from the Middle Ages or even earlier. Illuminated manuscripts are books that were written and illustrated entirely by hand, before printing! When you think of someone, usually a monk, who spends his whole life developing these designs, it seems incredible that someone could create this without Google image search or Photoshop. The knots you find in Celtic tattoos usually go around the edge of the page, and are almost always seen in band tattoo designs. It can be as simple or as complex as you want.

Celtic tattoo designs, whose two main ideas are spirals and knots, can be transformed into a myriad of beautiful new designs. Some of the things that can be combined with the spiral and the knots are the Claddagh, the triangle, animals like the boar, the bear, the griffin or the deer, the sun and the moon as part of the ancient spirituality of the Celts, or perhaps certain heraldries. devices.

Celtic tattoo designs might fit right for you, but whether they do or not, I hope reading this has given you some ideas about their historical significance. Celtic influences are everywhere, so much so that they are an integral part of the Western world most of the time, making a Celtic tattoo a harmonious and subtle choice for your new ink.