When Roman legionaries first set foot on British soil and were met with strange northern men with their faces painted blue, they couldn’t imagine that strange symbols Celts tattooed on their bodies would be so popular some 2000 years later. Not much is known about early Celtic history, but Celtic tattoo designs are very well documented thanks to Irish Illuminated Manuscripts, among other things. Some of the most popular designs come from The Book of Durrow from early 5th century and The Book of Kells, from the middle of the 6th century.

Today, the Celtic culture is going through a revival. There are many aspects of Celts history that fascinate modern people. They conquered almost the entire known world and their intricate tattoos, which are very popular today. Most of them come from The Book of Durrow and The Book of Kells, Irish Illuminated Manuscripts (illuminated meaning illustrated).

Other symbols tattoo masters paint frequently are the Celtic cross, Awen symbol, Irish Claddagh or a motherhood symbol. Today, these are popular.

People often neglect the actual meaning of the design when choosing a tattoo. This is wrong approach, especially if you are doing permanent tattoo. If you are going to have something on your body for the rest of your life, it would be very wise to know what it means.

But whatever you choose, make sure you know the meaning of it. It is not simply a matter of pretty colors. Celtic tattoos are very symbolic, and if you are going to wear one, you might as well know what it means. It can be very embarrassing if someone ask you what does some tattoo you have means, and you don’t know or tell a wrong answer.

Many people today wear Celtic tattoo designs, mostly because they are proud of their Celtic roots. Considering the deep symbolism of the design and the history of the Celtic people, this doesn’t come as a wonder. Unfortunately, not many records of this wonderful culture have reached us, since the Celts passed their history orally, without writing it down.

If you enjoyed the article, feel free to have a look at my site about tattoos and learn more about cross tattoos and Japanese Dragon tattoo desings.

Tags: Tattoos