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.
