Archive for Celtic Tattoos
Celtic Cross Tattoo Designs
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The cross for most people is representative of their religious beliefs however the Celtic cross (for the Irish, Scottish or Welsh) is more a symbol of their proud ethnic heritage than of religious beliefs. The same goes for people coming from the Celtic background anywhere else in the world.
The Celtic art had strong influences from the Norse art by way of cultural exchanges through trade and conquests, which leads to confusion regarding the actual origin of the art forms. The Celtic designs are known for their intricate weaving patterns which supposedly imitate the complexity of nature. The famous Celtic knots in mazes and spirals, and the complex interweaving without beginning or end is symbolic of the cycle of the seasons and of life itself.
A cross through a circle is probably one of the most famous Celtic cross designs. It is believed that this form took shape during the early years of Christian intervention in the sun and moon worshipping culture. According to the legend of St. Patrick the two separate forms came together in his attempt to bring the Druids to Christ. It is said the St. Patrick blessed a sacred stone (marked with a circle) by making the mark of a Latin cross through the circle. Even after the Christians re-sculpted the stone, the Druids apparently continued to view their ancient symbols.
As for the meaning of the Celtic cross, it is believed that the circle represents the mystical while the cross represents the geographical. The circle indicates the eternal and continuous love of God while the cross indicates the four corners or the four directions of the earth. Some even say it represents the four elements – air, water, fire and earth – and the coming together of the axes indicates the joining of forces like earth and heaven. It suggest a realm where time and space stop existing – a prerequisite for communication between our world and the mysterious beyond.
Jamie Foxx and tattoos
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Eric Marlon Bishop, better known as Jamie Foxx, is not only a talented actor but also a spirited stand-up comedian, singer, song writer and radio host. This multi faceted actor was born in Terrell, Texas during the heights of racial segregation. His birth parents abandoned him after a few months, and he was adopted and raised by his mother’s adopted parents – Mark and Estelle Talley. Foxx had the (then usual) strict Baptist upbringing and started training to play the Piano at a very early age.
Foxx’s first appearance in stand-up comedy was mere happenstance. He was dared to go on stage and crack a few jokes by a girlfriend, and he accepted the challenge. He later found out that the women (female comedians) were called to stage first and so he changed his name to an androgynous ‘Jamie’. He chose the name ‘Foxx’ as a tribute to comedian Redd Foxx.
Jamie Foxx got his big break with the movie Ray (a biographical film based on the life of musician Ray Charles.) He even won the Best Actor Award – Academy Award – for his performance in the movie. Foxx is also an accomplished musician (he won a Grammy Award) whose albums Unpredictable and Intuition were rated high on the Billboard 200 charts.
Foxx also has a love
for tattoos, perhaps not the obsessive love for the art that we see among other celebrities. He has just two of them! (But one of them pretty much makes up for many, many others.)
Foxx has an elaborate and intricate Celtic design etched on his shoulders – spreading across his chest and arms (till the elbow lines). The look is that of veins (more like thick leafless grape vines) spreading across his torso. Does it mean anything? I guess not! And if it does, I’m guessing it means he loves plants – grape vines – wine! (Gee! he must really love wine!!)
The other tattoo is located on his head. At the back of his head, across the skull (about 4 inches wide) in an inverted arch is the next Celtic design. Like the back half of a wreath. I’m guessing this one doesn’t mean anything either. I guess not everyone really cares about what tattoos they get. If it looks good, it works!
History of Celtic Tattoos
Posted by: | CommentsTattoos have been important to many cultures over human history. Try to picture the sight of men covered in intricate tattoo patterns running and screaming at you in battle. That is what you would have seen thousands of years ago in a battle with Celtic warriors. The Celts used tattoos as a type of battle intimidation. They considered war the most important and honorable moment of their lives. They battled shirtless, and sometimes took their long hair and shaped it into spikes on their head or like the mane of a horse. (Venefica, 2010) Although the Celtic warriors had some intimidating tricks up their sleeves – or lack thereof (they fought naked) – the tattoo became one of their most important battle techniques. Although seeing their hair up in spikes must have been pretty intimidating as well . . .
The Celts used a plant called the Woad (Isatis tinctoria) to make their tattoos because it was wonderful for use as a blue dye. The leaves of the plant had to be picked and dried. In a method similar to making tea, they would heat the leaves in hot water to extract the dye. It was then cooked until it formed a paste that could be applied with something like a needle underneath the skin. (Venefica, 2010) The Celts were sometimes called Picts in areas of ancient Britain which means “painted ones” in Latin because of their use of tattoos. There were also other groups in Europe that used similar tattoos such as the Huns, Scythians, and the people of the Steppes. (Orvin, 1985)
There is still great debate about whether or not the Celts painted or tattooed themselves. More than likely, the Celts did use tattoos because it is an ancient art and ancient bodies found close to the Celtic time period were heavily tattooed. The Celts considered the Tree of Life to be one of their most important and sacred symbols. It was believed to symbolize wisdom and the otherworld, often thought to have been an oak tree because they were considered sacred. Celtic knot tattoos were also a favorite, they have loops that do not end – showing that the cycle of life and death never end. Celtic animal designs were very important in war and Roman historians mention the animal figures drawn on Celtic warriors in their texts. (Clanne Preachin, 2010) Celtic designs can be put together to form many interesting combinations. Sun and moon symbols, stars and skulls, etc., or just about any combination you think of can be used to represent a person’s feelings and beliefs. Not to mention, they look great on any part of the body.
The tattoo designs associated with the Celts today mostly come from Irish illuminated manuscripts. Celtic art is recognizable with its black color, knots, patterns with very intricate linework, and zoomorphism (animals). The Celtic cross has become very popular as well. Many people want to show their pride in their Celtic heritage, such as the Welsh and Irish, by getting a Celtic tattoo. The important thing to remember is that these designs are intricate and ornate and finding the right artist is essential. The designs are not simple and an experienced tattoo artist will be very necessary to get the proper effect.
Works Cited
Clanne Preachin. (2010). Retrieved january 14, 2010, from The Painted People: http://www.preachain.org/index.php?module=article&view=11
Orvin, L. (1985). House barra. Retrieved January 14, 2010, from Oh Woad is me!: http://housebarra.com/EP/ep04/10woad.html
United and kingdom and worldwide law. (2009). legends and chronicles. Retrieved january 14, 2010, from celtic warriors: http://www.legendsandchronicles.com/celtic-warriors/
Venefica, A. (2010). Whats your sign. Retrieved January 14, 2010, from The doorway to symbolism: http://www.whats-your-sign.com/celtic-tattoos.html
Celtic Letters of the Alphabet and Free Tattoo Flash
Posted by: | CommentsAt Free Tattoo Patterns Online we believe you should know something about the tattoo designs you place on your body. If your tattoo is visible to others you should be able to tell them about its meaning or origin. Therefore, before copying the beautiful Celtic alphabets below, take a moment to read about Celtic lettering.
Some Background on Celtic Lettering
Between 700 – 800 B.C. Irish monks wrote beautifully illustrated manuscripts which documented Celtic historical events and poetry. Their work was laborious and painstaking and it sometimes took months to complete a single manuscript.
However, the intricate manner in which the lettering was done was a work of art. The monks used vellum, very thin calf-skin, as paper and goose or crows quills as their writing devices. Vegetable-based black ink was used as the medium.
Celts are known for their artistry and use of symbols to display their heritage and descent. Tattooing is a way to honor that heritage and tradition. As you look at each letter, think about the time it took the monks to write an entire story on vellum paper using these beautiful letters. Take a moment to appreciate the artistry of these Celtic letters of the alphabet.
You can use these letters as free tattoo designs that you can print, save, and take with you to a tattoo shop. To save a design:
- Right click on the design.
- Select “Save Image As” from the menu that appears.
- Save the design to your hard drive.
Free Celtic Letter Tattoo Designs
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Free Celtic Letter Tattoos Interspersed With Symbols
Imagine how nice they’d look with just a little color!
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See also : Celtic Cross Tattoos Symbolism: What the Cross Means
Celtic Cross Tattoos & Symbolism – What The Circle Means
Posted by: | CommentsThere are many explanations available concerning the circle that’s present in a Celtic cross. Some believe that the circle symbolizes eternity and the unending bounty of God’s love. Some people believe that the circle represents a halo, in particular, a halo that encircles the head of Jesus. And some people believe that the circle represents the hope of salvation.
All of these meanings can be valid.
According to legend the origin of the circle itself can be attributed to St. Patrick who decided that combining a circle with a cross would be more appealing to the Irish non-believers that he was trying to convert to Christianity. It’s believed that while preaching, he saw a sacred stone symbol that was marked with a circle representing the moon goddess. St. Patrick added the mark of a Latin cross to the stone circle and blessed it, thus creating the first Celtic cross. Some naysayers discount this legend because it means that a Christian priest used heathen Druid symbolism to faction a sacred Christian symbol however it’s documented that St. Patrick did indeed convert many former Druids into Christians, even ordaining some of them as priests. It’s not too hard to imagine that he took something that the Druids were comfortable with and could relate to (the sun symbol) and used it to make their conversion to Christianity more palatable.
For more information see:
Celtic Cross Tattoos: What Do They Mean?
Posted by: | CommentsLet’s begin with the meaning of the symbol itself.
What is a Celtic Cross?
A celtic cross (pronounced “kel-tic”) is an ornamentally designed cross that has a circle surrounding the place where the cross intersects.
People with Scottish, Welsh, or Irish heritages may be very familiar with this symbol. For many people from these ethnic groups the celtic cross represents a symbol of faith. This may also be true for people from Scandanavia. Celtic and Norse art are very similar and borrow elements from one another; this has been true throughout history.
The Celtic design itself has been said to denote nature, representing something with no beginning and no end. It is said to represent the seasons of nature, the cycle of life, and eternity. For that reason many people get Celtic cross tattoos to represent longevity of life. Some people also get the tattoos as symbols of protection.
The cross symbol itself is sometimes referred to as the Irish Cross, the Cross of Iona, or the High Cross.
This should not be confused with the Sun Cross symbols, which show a cross fully enclosed inside the circle as shown below:
Here are some tattoo examples of that:
With the Christian form of the Celtic cross the ends of the cross extend outside the circle. This maintains the true form of the cross itself. It is believed that either St. Patrick or St. Declan developed the cross by combining the symbol of the sun with that of the cross during their attempts to convert the Irish to Christianity. This was done to highlight the importance of the cross by linking it with a symbol (the sun) that represents life giving properties.
Here’s an example of a simple Celtic cross:
Here is an example of a more stylized Celtic cross tattoo:
