Shamrock Tattoo Designs
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Shamrock Tattoo – Celtic Design Tattoos
The sheer intricacies of Celtic artwork lend itself to complicated and intriguing tattoos. Even the simplest of designs are made into a labyrinth of crossed lines and colours as the knotwork seemingly wraps around itself endlessly.
From a stout warrior on deployment overseas to a dainty lady searching for her first piece of ink Celtic design tattoos intrigue us all. Their mystery and mysticism speak to our collective souls of ancient times and symbolism that crosses nations and religions.
Celtic artwork dates over a thousand years and one of the best examples that inspires tattoo artists today is the Book of Kells. This illuminated manuscript roughly dates to 800 AD though the style of artwork and illuminations had been around for hundreds of years prior.
Most Popular Celtic Design Tattoos
Of the most popular Celtic design tattoos that are out there today, none is as common as the Celtic knot. Often referred to as the endless knot it is both as simple and as complicated as desired.
Many who wear this design attribute the symbolism of eternity to it as it has no visible beginning or end. This simple design can be included in larger and more complicated pieces easily.
Butterflies formed with Celtic inspiration create lovely and delicate tattoos. By using thin lines and sweeping curves in the intersections of the knotwork, a Celtic butterfly is a gentle and elegant reminder of self-transformation.
A Tree of Life is usually depicted as an oak tree whose roots and branches grow into a circle of knotwork surrounding the trunk. This design is most often chosen to represent the continual cycle of rebirth and regeneration, a reminder that life does indeed continue ever onward.
Taken from ancient symbolism, this design is a visual reminder of life and the journey we take throughout our lifetimes.
A triskele is a series of three spiralling arms that are connected in the centre of the symbol. Used to represent forward motion and movement, a triskele is another symbol that is of ancient origins.
The number three was of importance to the early Celts and it has been said that each spiral of the triskele’s arms represents the motion of the sun over a three-month period. By combining three of these spirals together we come up with a period of nine months represented which also happens to be the length of the average pregnancy.
Shamrock Celtic Design Tattoos
St. Patrick himself would be proud to know of the many folks who proudly wear shamrock Celtic design tattoos today. The most popular of the Celtic tattoos, a shamrock is used to represent Irish and Celtic culture throughout the world.
A shamrock is another reminder of the number three in Celtic lore and was used by St. Patrick to represent the Holy Trinity of Father, Son and Holy Spirit to the early Irish pagans. Today, shamrock tattoos are used by many to show pride in their heritage.