InkDoneRight: Celtic Cross Tattoos

Celtic Cross Tattoos

These beautiful Celtic cross tattoos bear an interesting history and incredible meaning. From centuries in the past to the present day, the Celtic cross served as a subject of tattoos. Today, I want to talk about the amazing artwork and Celtic cross designs. With a reputation that ranges from a holy marking to a racist symbol, the story behind it goes back far and from many places around the world, and we cover it all! So sit back, relax, and check out these neat designs and the meaning behind them.

Celtic Cross Tattoos Meaning

The Celtic cross is a very specific type of Christian cross that consists of a cross of any size combined with a circle. The ring represents a nimbus or halo, which in turn represent holiness. First designed and popularized in Ireland and Britain’s Middle Ages, it made up the majority of Christian stone work. This style of cross closely resembles the Latin cross, which missionaries brought with them from Rome. Frequently, Celtic knots intertwine in the shape of a cross. Oddly enough, the Celtic knots originated from pagan beliefs across northern Europe. They represent eternity, the progression of life, and the circular nature of time. This mesh of many cultures produced an absolutely lovely tattoo design! Want to know more about Irish tattoos? Then check out this gallery!

Some people will wear Celtic crosses or runes as a representation of white supremacy. However, the vast majority of people wear it to connect with their heritage and non-racist spiritual beliefs. Never judge someone by their cover!

Celtic Cross Designs

Many different versions of the Celtic cross exist, and I want to cover the two major ones. You see the following types of designs most frequently as tattoos:

Celtic Cross Tribal Tattoos: These tattoos incorporate Celtic tribal designs into the cross. While this mostly encompasses Celtic knots, it also includes many Norse symbols. The world serpent, Jormungand, makes for a good ring design and represents eternity. The Sun cross goes back much farther than the Christian Celtic cross and looks very similar. Its meaning varies from Sun to Earth, depending on your sources. For more details, along with tons of Celtic tattoos, check out our full gallery.
Scottish Celtic Cross Tattoos: The Scots adopted the Celtic cross much later than Britain and Ireland, due to the nature of the Roman invasion and the Christian missionaries that covered the same ground much later. Despite this, it looks very much like the traditional Celtic cross. Sometimes they shake it up with elaborate shapes for their cross, rather than intricate details inside their crosses.

Other Celtic Cross Designs

By no means do these encompass all designs. What’s more, feel free to combine your cross with other symbols. Many people add holy symbols such as Christ, angels, or thorns to represent their faith. Others combine them with national symbols to show their connection to their roots. Backgrounds of peace or turmoil emphasize the meaning of the Celtic cross. Before you tattoo your Celtic cross, think carefully about what it means to you, and what it says about you. Put as much of your beliefs into the cross as you can, and your message rings clear!

As always, thanks for reading! Take care of both yourself and your tattoo. Be sure to check out our full guide on how to care for a tattoo. We also highly recommend Hustle Butter Deluxe, since you can use it at every stage of healing (and even during the tattoo process).

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