Celtic Design Tattoos
Celtic design tattoos have experienced a massive revival in recent years. The history of the Celts goes back thousands of years. The early Celtic people displayed their skills in complex artwork and were regarded as fierce warriors by the Romans. Influences for Celtic design tattoos and evidence of Celtic crosses and Celtic artwork can still be found all over Ireland.
Modern Celtic people have evolved symbols for themselves, and North Americans, of Celtic descent often adorn Celtic design tattoos to show off their Celtic origin. The ancient Celts passed knowledge down through an oral tradition of storytelling and didn't keep many written records.
Most of Celtic design tattoos are taken from the Irish Illuminated Manuscripts The Book of Kells, which is on display in the library of Trinity College in Dublin. This manuscript represents a much later time period than the time period of the height of Celtic design tattoo. Designs from ancient stone and metal work are more likely to be from the same time period as Celtic design tattooing.
Celtic animal (zoomorphic tattoo designs) designs are similar in construction but the cords traditionally terminate in the feet, heads or tails of the Celtic design tattoos. Pure knots are usually unending, unless the end of a strand is stylized into a zoomorphic element or a spiral.
The intricacy of Knot Celtic design tattoos, defy literal translation and their meaning are to be found at a deeper level. The repeated crossing of the physical and the spiritual are expressed in the interlacing of the knots.
