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.

It is believed that even back then, the symbol has significant religious attachments. Some associate the use of the cross symbol to the use of the early swastika symbol (which looks very much like a cross minus the handles). It is believed that this early symbol represented the tools used in igniting a fire and eventually became a symbol of the sacred fire or a symbol of the Sun. It is also believed to be representative of lightning or the god of the tempest. It is seen as the emblem of the ancient Aryan civilization (now adopted by the Hindu people. The Hindu swastika symbol looks very much like the Nazi German symbol but means something else).

Another such connection made to the contemporary cross is that of the ancient Egyptians – the ansated cross (also known as the Ankh or crux ansata). It is the ancient Egyptian hieroglyphic character that reads “eternal life”. The Egyptian gods of old are often depicted carrying this in their hand. It is believed that the Egyptian Christians (otherwise known as Coptic Christians) later adopted this symbol – perhaps drawn by its form or meaning – as the sign of the cross.

Cross tattoos are famous among men (worn on the shoulders, back, forearm). Women have a (usually) smaller and more feminine version (on the foot, ankle, hand, lower back).

Beckham is known for his sense of fashion and tattoos just as much as he is known for his skills on the football field. The majority of Beckham’s tattoos were done by Louis Malloy, a prominent tattoo artist of the UK. Beckham has several tattoos etched on his body, the most famous among them are: The one on his lower back that reads ‘Brooklyn’ – his oldest son’s name; the name Romeo (his second son) just below his neck and the name Cruz (his third son) below his shoulder blade. I’m pretty sure he has another one of those coming!

Between Beckham’s shoulder blades is the figure of an Angel with its wings outstretched. He calls it his guardian angel. On the back of his neck he has a winged cross (I can only speculate that this is a contemporary portrayal of ‘freedom of religious beliefs’!) Reportedly, his tattoo artist Louis Malloy was flown in from the UK while Beckham was in the middle of the UEFA for this piece.

On his left upper body (right on the ribs) are lines written in Mandarin which read “Death and life have determined appointments, Riches and honors depend upon heaven.” I can’t say I agree with it but yes, it is deep and thought provoking indeed!

On his right torso, below his ribs, is the picture of Jesus (supposedly on the way to the cross.) This tattoo is said to be inspired by the painting “The Man of Sorrows” by Matthew R. Brooks; a simple representation of profound values. On the outside Beckham may seem like a “hooligan” (according to some British fans when Beckham got a tattoo on his neck and shaved his head) but clearly there is more to him than what is popularly known!

Latin Crosses
The first type of cross tattoo that is most recognizable is the Latin cross. it’s a simple cross that is a vertical line that’s intersected by a horizontal line which is shorter. It looks a lot like a lower case letter t. Latin cross tattoos are usually connected and associated with Christianity. The best thing about this cross is that it can be in any size and has a lot of meanings, including peace when put together with a dove, Irish culture when it’s put with a shamrock, or a name and date to symbolize someone who has died.

Celtic Crosses
Celtic cross tattoos are very beautiful and very symbolic. The most basic design is a regular Christian or Latin style cross that has a Celtic knot over the place where the lines intersect. The border of the Celtic cross is also surrounded by Celtic knots. The knots are designed so that the strands don’t have any beginning or end. This elegant yet simple design a symbol of life’s never ending nature, with the knot represents the joining of spiritual and physical worlds. Celtic cross tattoos are very popular with people who are from Wales, Ireland, and Scotland.

St. Andrews Cross
Another type of cross tattos is the St Andrew’s cross, and it’s different from the other types of cross because it’s shaped like the letter X instead of the letter T. it’s named this because of the fact that St Andrew followed St Peter in the fact that he didn’t want to be crucified in the way that Jesus Christ was, so he was crucified upside down. This symbolizes standing out from the crowd and St Andrew’s cross tattoos are also great for people who are from Scotland and want to proudly display their background.

Ankh Cross
The Ankh cross is another popular cross tattoo. It looks a lot like the Latin cross with the exception that there is a loop on the top of the cross above the cross’ horizontal line. It represents fertility and infinity, and it also has similar symbolism to the Latin cross.

Gothic Cross
Gothic cross tattoo patterns are very different from the other kinds of cross tattoos. They symbolize the Goth culture and usually will represent anger, pain and depression. People who choose the Gothic cross are sometimes rebelling or feel as if they are misunderstood.

When someone is considering cross tattoos, they should think about the different designs in this article and think about which one is right for them. There are cross tattoos that are right for everyone and all they have to do is figure out which is right for their style and their life.