Celtic Cross Tattoos - What is the True Meaning?
by John McCleary
Celtic cross tattoos are the most powerful way of expressing
your faith in God's love. The cross is regarded mainly as a
symbolization of Christianity nowadays. The Pagan followers
consider it as the symbol of sun demonstrating its life-giving
qualities. The designs of Celtic cross tattoos have gained the
attention of thousands of people from all over the world and
they are the most popular tattoo designs now. People of Celtic
ancestry wear the cross tattoos to show their respect to their
ancient culture.
Celtic cross tattoos with knotwork are a more complicated design
since they symbolize the complexity of nature. The knots in the
spirals and mazes show the reflective nature of the four
seasons, the circle around the cross depicts the ancient
religious meaning.
The Celtic cross is represented well in the Book of Kells. In
fact, many religious cultures have The Celtic cross as the
system of symbols. Hence, there is no wonder why many people
have a high regard for Celtic cross tattoos.
Celtic cross tattoos have a deep connection to pre-Christian
religion. When the ancient Celtic people converted into
Christianity, naturally the Celtic cross became a symbol of
Celtic Christianity. Ireland offers so many variations of the
Celtic cross. Celtic cross tattoos are awesome in appearance,
there is no denying this, and the legend of Celtic history now
continues to grow in the form of Celtic cross tattoos.
Celtic cross tattoos are indeed found in ancient Bible
manuscripts. Many elaborate Celtic designs are inspired by the
fabulous drawings found in those books. These Celtic cross
tattoos are not only beautiful but when used as tattoos - they
are also flexible. You can use them to be tattooed as small
armbands or you can ink them in the entire back area. The
designs can be either simple or complicated. Whatever the
design, they express the importance of emotions rather than a
physical object which shows the powerful meaning of life.
Many Celtic cross tattoos feature the beautiful artwork of
ancient Celtic knot work. These represent ethnic heritage and
faith. The four points in the cross represent the four parts of
man or the four elements that include earth, wind, fire and
water or the four points in the compass. Celtic cross tattoos
with circle symbolize the love of God or the majesty of the Sun
God according to Pagan beliefs.
Though different people may have different meaning for the
symbol, Celtic cross tattoos are something that can evoke the
spiritual emotions of people. Again, the flexible style and
decorative nature of the designs gain great popularity among
tattoo lovers. Importantly, the size of the cross can be
reproduced easily to ink them anywhere on the body.
It is important to know the meaning of the Celtic cross tattoos
before wearing it. A common person may not understand the
meaning of these symbols. However, I must admit there is a
growing awareness of Celtic culture nowadays; it is almost a
popular trend to be versed in Celtic culture. You need to take
the appropriate care to avoid misrepresenting the design. Be
sure to check out online galleries - there is a plethora of
quality designs available only if you know where to look. Choose
the right design, think hard about the placement, ignore the
critics and you will have no regrets.
About the author:
John McCleary is an avid Celtic historian with a passion for
Celtic tattoo design. John runs an informative website on Celtic Cross
Tattoos giving away free tattoo designs, useful tips, photo
galleries and much more. Be sure to check it out at :
http://www.squidoo.com/celtic_cross_tattoos