Celtic tattoo art site that also provides the meanings of Celtic symbols. We have a giant collection of Celtic art for tattoos and crafts. If you are looking for Celtic design tattoos, you will want to click this link. We also have the biggest book of Celtic tattoo flash in the world. Our artists include Shane Clark, Cherrie Button and Rafal Sadej.
 
Celtic Tattoo Home | Symbol Meanings | Tattoo Designs | Bibliography
 
 
Celtic Designs
For people of Celtic heritage (Irish, Scots or Welsh), getting a Celtic tattoo design (for example; an Awen symbol or something from one of the illuminated manuscripts) is often a way of expressing pride in ones heritage. It is a reaffirming of affinity to the indigenous artistic style of one’s ancestors.

Most tattoo designs are inspired by, the Irish Illuminated Manuscripts. One of these manuscripts is ‘The Book of Kells’, which is on display at the library of Trinity College in Dublin. The dates on these books are from a much later time than when Celtic tattooing is believed to have begun. Currently it is thought that tattooing for the Celts started around the time when Celtic stone and metalwork began.

Celtic history goes back thousands of years. The early Celts displayed their skills in Celtic art forms such as metal, jewelry and weapons. The Romans regarded to them as fierce warriors. Celtic artwork and crosses can be found all over Ireland. They can also be found in other Celtic countries and in modern communities in the world.

Modern Celtic people have evolved symbol meanings for themselves (e.g. Irish Claddagh or a motherhood symbol). The North American people of Celtic origin wear these symbols as Celtic Tattoos to show that they are of Celtic descent. Ancient Celts passed knowledge down orally by telling stories. They did not keep many written records. Because of this, there is little evidence of their Celtic tattooing remaining, even though cross tattoos are very popular Celtic tattoo designs.

Knot tattoos are usually made with Knotwork (and usually made with no beginning and no end) that symbolizes the never-ending cycle of death and rebirth. Another type of Knotwork design is the zoomorphic tattoo design. Zoomorphic tattoo designs (or designs in general) are very similar in construction to normal Knotwork.
 
Zoomorphic knots that are pure are unending unless they end with a zoomorphic design (feet, heads, or tails) or a spiral. Un-pure Knotwork ends with a broken, ended, strand.

Celtic Knotwork meaning defies literal translation. Its meaning is found on a much deeper (spiritual) level. Celtic tattoo knots represent a crossing of physical and spiritual interlace (e.g. interlaced knots). The never-ending path in the Knotwork strands represents the permanent continuum of life, love, and spiritual growth. This is much of why Celtic tattoos are so popular.

Celtic Art
Celtic art is one of the fastest growing art forms ever. It has been inspired by great designs from ancient Celtic manuscripts like The Book of Kells. Heritage tattoos offer a body design that can be enjoyed and treasured for life.

Celtic art is recognizable with its color, complex knots, interlacing patterns, animal forms (known as zoomorphism), and various symbols that are known only in the Celtic world. The most popular (of all the Celtic designs) is the Celtic cross. Celtic art is often colored purely in black. Sometimes color is added to brighten the design. Like tribal art, a Knotwork tattoo communicates a feeling rather than representing a physical object. Knotwork gives them much of their power. To see our Celtic designs visit the 'tattoo designs' page using the link at the top of this page. To see symbol meanings of all of the different types of Celtic art, use the 'symbol meanings' link at the top of this page.

Celtic Cross
One of the most popular Celtic symbols is the Celtic cross tattoo. For years, Celtic culture ruled most of Europe, more specifically Ireland and Britain. This changed when Romans came and pillaged Celtic Nations. They brought Christianity to Britain, adopted the ancient Celtic style of art, and infused with symbolism of Christianity (a conversion that stuck). Because of this, the Celtic cross, with its symbolism relating to both ancient pre-Christian times and modern antiquity, it is one of the most popular tattoos in the world.

A Celtic cross is not easy to Draw. Interlacing knots are a chief feature of Knotwork tattoo art. The Celtic cross is a symbol of constant spiritual development... and one of the reasons these designs are so difficult to create. Because of their cyclical design and symbolic spiritual emphasis (knots that have no beginning and no end), Knotwork tattoos require a skilled practitioner. Make sure that before you get a Knotwork tattoo that you go to a tattoo artist who is qualified in Celtic tattoo art. Because it is so difficult, not all tattoo artists can tattoo Knotwork. When done well, it can be one of the most decorative and meaningful tattoos out there. If your Knotwork tattoo is done poorly, getting it fixed can be near impossible.

Selecting a Tattoo Artist
A Knotwork tattoo is not an easy design to tattoo. When getting a Celtic tattoo, we strongly recommended doing research to make sure that the artist you are considering has experience with Celtic tattoos. Not all tattoo artists have an eye for the detail of a Celtic tattoo. It is easy to accidently cross a line. Exact line placement is needed to draw the intricate patterns of art. Line spacing and shading are also important. The lines in Knotwork tattoos can bleed together if placed too closely.

Not all art is suitable for a Celtic tattoo. When selecting a pattern for a Celtic tattoo, make sure that the lines are not too close together. A 1cm is a good minimal width to keep in mind.

Related Topics
 
Motherhood Symbols - Meaning of the Symbol for Motherhood.

External Links
Jumpin' Jack Flash | Professional tattoo flash.
Tattoo flash publisher. If you are looking for tattoo flash, check out our selection

Celtic Tattoo Flash
various sets of tattoo flash and a huge book of 45 11x14 pages with line art.

Pagan Symbols & Symbol Meanings
a website dedicated to Pagan symbol designs and meanings.

Email Us
Feel free to send us email if you have questions or would like to join our Celtic tattoo mailing list for updates. You can also email us if you would like to help us by providing information on the Celts.
 
Copyright
The content and pictures on this site (Celtic Tattoo - Celtic Symbol Meanings - Tattoo Flash) is copyrighted and may not be copied for any purpose.