The Meaning Behind Celtic Cross Tattoos

According to Irish legend, Saint Patrick is credited with the creation of the Celtic cross. He is thought to have added the sun to a Christian cross to increases the importance of Christianity by using elements already familiar to Irish culture. That is one reason Irish people as well as other Christian’s like Celtic cross tattoos. There are other reports that the Celtic cross originated in the 5^th century, but this also has tones of the mysterious. Regardless of the origin, Celtic cross tattoos are very popular among men of every culture.  

Just like with other images used in tattoos, Celtic cross tattoos also have deep meanings. The panels in Celtic cross tattoos often get the most attention due to the bold and beautiful designs focused on those areas. Some designs in Celtic cross tattoos are Celtic knot designs, while others are much more complex and intended to tell a story. Most Celtic cross tattoos have a particular design that differentiates them from regular cross tattoos. Celtic cross tattoos based on pre-Christian images have arms that stay inside the circle in the background, post Christian era designs always show the arms passing the edges of the circle and extending outwards. 

The most commonCeltic cross tattoos feature a crucifix. This symbol stands for religious purity and often is featured with a representation of Jesus hanging on the cross. While most orthodox Christians tend to avoid piercings and tattoos, several modern ones can be seen sporting Celtic cross tattoos. A basic Celtic cross is it next most popular of the Celtic cross tattoos. These tend to depict four arms, three of which are bordered by a circle. It stands for the sun being an everlasting source of renewal just like Jesus. The eastern cross is another in the line of Celtic cross tattoos. This style tends to have a small bar on the bottom to show where Christ stood at the moment of his deaths along with a crossbar at the top demarking where the inscription supposedly rested above his head.

All Celtic cross tattoos have deep meanings, choosing the one that best fits your situation and your personality has a lot to do with your personal beliefs. Celtic cross tattoos are not often chosen only for their look, but for their religious importance. Make sure to properly research Celtic cross tattoos before going to the studio so that have the one that fits in with your belief system.