With the popularity of body tattoos these days, many people are deciding to use tribal symbols from various regions of the world for their designs. Tribal tattoos come from a number of different tribes. They can be from the Borneo tribe, Haida, Native American tribes, Celtic tribes, Maori tribes and Polynesian tribes just to name a few. The themes of the tribal tattoos can be anything from rituals of the tribe to the way they worship God, etc… Most people who decide to get tribal tattoos will select designs with a specific symbolism. Some may select a design simply for the way it looks. Most tattoos of this type are used within the tribe to identify its’ members. Some will also identify the rank of a person within the tribe. Still others are a symbol of the right of passage; boys into men, girls into women, etc… Currently, simply having a tribal tattoo gives you membership in a group of others with similar interests in expressing themselves with body art. You don’t need to be a part of a specific tribe anymore.

Most tribal tattoos are easy to do, so most tattoo artists can do them or even help you design your own from an older version. The ink used on tribal tattoos is mainly black which holds fairly well and doesn’t fade quite as easily as other colors. The tattoos are also very vivid because of the black ink. They are much easier to see because they are very pronounced with the bold black lines.

Some of the disadvantages of tribal tattoos include the fact that they are extremely difficult to remove. The same advantage that gives them the bold vivid appearance is also a disadvantage if you want to get rid of them. It is also very difficult to tattoo over them for this same reason. You may find that it is difficult to locate a tattoo artist who knows about specific tribes and their designs and customs. Most modern tribal tattoos are of a general nature rather than specifically attached to a specific tribe.

Many tribal symbols are those of strength. The lion is one sign of strength; the bear claw is yet another symbol of strength as is the flame symbol. The dragon symbol has long been a sign of strength. Other symbols that signify strength may be the scorpion, the wolf or the great white whale. There are specific designs for women also. Tribal designs for women might be the dolphin, tree of life or the motherhood design. Within this category of tattoo design, there are many that you can choose from. There is the whole Celtic collection of tribal tattoos that you can choose from also. These include the bear claw, the eagle, the peace sign, the Irish pride cross, the Celtic pentagram, the fireman’s design, and many others. Just take your time in making your design selection; you will likely have it for the rest of your life!