Celtic Tattoo Art FAQ

Celtic tattoo art is one of the most beautiful styles of visual art in the world. It also happens to make for one very cool tattoo. Here at Celtic Tattoo Art FAQ, we help answer any questions you might have and help you with all your tattoo design queries.

Celtic Tattoo Art FAQ #1: What’s the history behind Celtic Tattoo Art?

Celtic Tattoos are inspried from the early illustrations that accompanied biblical manuscripts, such as the Book of Kells, in the 4th and 5th centuries. They are the result of Christian priests attempting to find a visual style that incorporated both the pagan history of the Celtic people of Ireland and the traditional symbols of Christianity for the use of religious conversion. This can be seen most vividly in the Celtic cross design, which incorporates Celtic imagery of the sun with the steadfast image of the Christian cross.

Truth be told, Celtic tattoo art is a rather new phenomenon. Best evidence suggests that if the Celts had tattoos, they were primitive in nature and didn’t remotely reach the artistic heights of the visual art found in their paintings and ceramic arts. Still, Celtic tattoo art continues to represent, for many people, a connection to an earlier culture that placed an emphasis on the natural world.

Celtic Tattoo Art FAQ #2: What does Celtic Tattoo art look like?

Depends on the design …but generally Celtic it's known for its complex knots and interlacing patterns that seem to have no beginning and no end. The Celtic knot, which is so popular in much of Celtic art, represents their belief in the cyclical nature of life and the eternal power of the circle.

Like tribal tattoos, Celtic tattoo art emphasizes the feeling of a design rather than trying to depict a specific object. Nowhere is this better illustrated in their animal designs—sometimes called zoomorphism. These highly stylized animal portraits convey a feeling of the animal as a spiritual and complex being that is intertwined with the experience and color of life---a belief that infiltrates the entire style.

If you’d like to send a question to Celtic tattoo art FAQ-go ahead and email us here at rankmytattoos.com. We’ll try to get you all the Celtic tattoo art info that you need. Good luck with your design!