Celtic Tattoos Stencils

 

Celtic tattoos: 7 mystical motifs and their meaning

Hardly any other people are as fascinated by us as the Celts. Their magical symbols such as the triskele or the Celtic cross are not only popular jewelry elements in the British Isles, but are also worn as amulets here. Would you like to immortalize your love for this ancient people in a tattoo? I will show you seven Celtic tattoos and their meanings.

Celtic tattoos: symbols and their meanings

We only know of most of the Celtic symbols through the written records of Greek and Roman ethnographers, as well as Irish and British monks. In Ireland, the pagan culture of memory merged with the Christian monastic culture of writing, so that numerous old legends were passed down that every child knows to this day. Here you can find out more about the Celts.

• 1 The Celtic spiral

The Celtic spiral can be found on burial sites, dolmens and many ancient natural monuments in Ireland and Great Britain. It was often used to represent the sun and is supposed to represent the eternal cycle of life. It is also believed to represent a journey to a higher form of consciousness and symbolize cosmic energy. However, there are no specific traditions for this.

• 2 the triskele

The triskele is one of the best-known Celtic symbols and is very popular in the Irish-British area as a pendant. The term comes from the Greek and means "three-legged". The three symmetrically arranged spiral arms can stand for different triad in mythology:

• Past, present and future
• Birth, life and death
• Earth, water and air
• Body Mind and Soul

In general, the movement of life as well as evolution is seen in it. As one of the oldest Celtic symbols even the Newgrange barrow is adorned with stones on which triskeles can be seen.

• 3 The Triquetta

One of the most popular motifs among the Celtic tattoos is the triquetta or also called triqueta. It consists of three interconnected arcs and means "triangular". Their meaning also goes back to the magical meaning of the number three and symbolizes femininity as well as birth, life and death. As a tattoo motif, it is often incorporated into other Celtic tattoos or, as here, into a bird motif.

• 4 The Celtic Cross

A Celtic cross is particularly popular as a back tattoo or on the upper arm. It is one of the symbols that is most likely to be associated with the Celts and which can be seen especially in the Irish area: Old Irish cemeteries are populated with numerous Celtic crosses. Its origin goes back to the Celtic high cross, which marked a sacred area for gathering purposes. There are over 100 such crosses in Ireland to date. The special thing about the Celtic cross is the circle around the center of the bar cross, which is usually decorated with Celtic knots.

• 5 The Celtic moon

A moon depicted as a crescent or horn is seen as the revealer behind things. On the one hand, the moon is considered sacred because of its influence on ebb and flow, as well as the rhythm of female menstruation. On the other hand, the Celtic lunar calendar is based on the different phases of the moon from full moon to new moon.

• 6 The Celtic Tree of Life

Many Celtic tattoos have the tree of life as their motif, which has an important place in mythology. The tree whose roots are just as branched as the branches represents the connection between heaven and earth. Celtic priests are said to have included branches or leaves in their rituals. One tree that was particularly revered is the oak. It represents the center of the earth and is the gateway to the other mystical world of elves and goblins. The root word of Druid is also based on it: The Celtic word for oak is “dru”. So he is the guardian of wisdom or the gateway to the other world.

• 7 The Celtic knot

Large-scale Celtic tattoos often include Celtic knots. The Celts decorated their gravesites, sanctuaries, pieces of jewelry or handicrafts with these variously entangled patterns. The triqueta is also a kind of knot and is therefore also called a trinity knot. There is also the Celtic spiral knot, which stands for eternal life, or the love knot, which shows several intertwined knots. The artfully intertwined knots are both a decorative element and a symbol for the eternal return and the eternal circle of becoming and passing away, which like a knot has no beginning and no end.