Tribal Tattoo Designs: Where the Past and the Present Meets
Back in the 70-s of the 20th century the world of tattoos was enriched by tribal tattoo designs. Curved and fascinating, they are nevertheless simple in their patterns and color scheme – they are usually monochrome and done in black. Original tribal tattoos were not merely copied by people but also new designs, different from the traditional ones, were drawn. The latter are called neo tribal tattoos.
In the past tribal tattoos were used to show to identify separate groups of people called clans. There were lot of tribes and each had its own traditions and its own pattern of tattooing. Nowadays we mostly speak about Maori, Hawaiian, American Indian, Incan and Aztec tribal tattoos but there were a lot more tribes on Earth. That’s why many of us will recognize a tribal tattoo but very few will say to which tribe it belongs.

Modern people can name a lot of reasons to get a tattoo, but still they would be different from that of ancient people. Clan identification was important not only “just to show off” but in the battle field tattoos made easier it to differentiate between friends and enemies.
Another reason for tattooing was to show a social status. For instance, married coupled had the same tattoo done to show that they are inseparable. This tradition remained till present time. Also boys used to wait their coming of age when their legal adulthood was marked by tattooing and they were allowed to take part in hunting and fighting. Meanwhile, those who didn’t endure pain of tattooing could share the fate of outcasts from society.

For our ancestors stayed in constant contact with forces of nature and worshipped them, tribal tattoo designs incorporate sun, moon, stars designs with a peculiar styling. Though abstract forms were most widespread.
Tribal tattoo designs can be authentic ( were used by actual tribes that may be extinct now); the adaptations of original designs; and custom tribal tattoos that can be drawn even by everyone using templates available on the Internet.
Wrist Tattoo Designs - Small but Cute
If you wish something small and inexpensive yet catchy you may think about getting a wrist tattoo. Nowadays it is one of the most popular tattoo designs. A lot of celebrities wear tattoos on their wrists, which only adds to their popularity.
Wrists tattoos can be worn by both men and women. For women such tattoos, delicate and feminine, will be a nicest adornment of their wrists. They can look like a small bracelet of simply incorporate a small picture depending on the pattern chosen.
For women flower and star wristband tattoos is the most common design alongside with Hawaiian styled tattoos. Little fairies can be placed on women’s writs as well.
Men can resort to masculine tattoo designs, namely tongues of flame, tribal abstractions or Celtic knotwork. These designs can be as well used by women as there’re no restrictions and rules about wearing this or that tattoo pattern.

Rosary tattoos will fit this part of body perfectly and will be your reminder of your faith as you will always have the opportunity to have a look at it. Some prefer tattoo lettering as their wrist tattoo. It may be letters from exotic alphabets like Sanskrit or Kanji or some scripts in modern languages (usually English) so that everybody could understand what your mean by your wrist tattoo.

Wrist tattoo due to its size and simplicity can be done within a few hours in one sitting. Wrist tattooing can be more painful than that of other body parts as here the bones are too close to the skin surface, and this means pain. However, people who have undergone this process don’t complain much.
Wrist tattoos require special aftercare, especially in first days as they are exposed to environment, namely dirt and bacteria that can cause inflammation. Moreover, wrists tattoos should be refurbished after years to preserve its initial sharpness and colors.
Foot Tattoo Designs
Tattoo art allows you to express your creativity to a full extent offering a great many of tattoo designs. At the same tome, you can place your tat wherever you like though shoulder and back tattoos are most commonly seen. But there’s also a possibility to ink your hands and feet.
For hands henna tattoos are most frequently chosen as they last 2 weeks and then disappear. It is unusual to wear permanent tattoos on hands while foot tattoos are worn by people for a long time and people are happy that they’ve chosen their feet as a place for their tats.
Foot tattoos are usually small and simple and due to this factor they are not pricy. But is you wish to extend your foot tattoo to your ankle and leg, be ready to pay a larger sum.

Both men and women can consider foot tattoos, but life shows that they are more spread among girls and women. A female foot adorned with a small neat tat looks definitely cool and exceptionally sexy both in flip-flops and high-heeled shoes.
Various designs can be applied to foot tattoos. It may be flower compositions, butterflies, rosaries, stars, fairies, and what more! The list can be easily continued. For instance, Celtic knots or tribal patterns will be great for foot tattoos. They will also suit men as they carry spirit of masculinity in them.

Be sure you know some facts about foot tattoos before you go to a tattoo salon. They are rather painful to get and require special aftercare. They are prone to blurring so be prepared to have them re-inked after some time. You should be very careful with a foot tattoo in its healing period as dirt can get into it and cause infection and inflammation.
The positive issue about foot tattoos is that they can be easily hidden when at work and in various situation when body art is not desirable.
The World of Tribals - Maori Tattoo Patterns
Tribal tattoos on shoulders and backs of present-day people is a way the past penetrates the present. Nearly all ancient folks used tattoos to identify themselves or as a part of some ritual. Nowadays the tradition remains, moreover, we sometimes use the same patterns, but the purpose is different.
Maori is an ancient tribe that lived in Polynesia and New Zealand. They did a lot of tattooing and it was not mere adornment of their bodies, but a sacred art. While in modern tattoo salons everything is still and quiet, a tattoo session meant music, dancing and singing for Maori people. Tattoos were like a calendar on a human body, as Maoris marked the most important events of their life starting from initiation by getting a tattoo.
Wearing tattoos showed also status of people, as well as their belonging to a family, a clan and a tribe. It was very important as there was a great tribal diversity in New Zealand at that time and everybody wished to have its own sign. That’s why there were strict rules how to make tattoos.
So there were two common patterns of Maori tattoos: either pigmented lines or non-pigmented lines on a colored surface. The lines were usually curved and many of them formed spirals and repeated motifs as Maoris believed in the circular nature of the world.

Mostly tattooed body parts were faces, buttocks and legs for men and lips and chin for women. Sometimes neck and back areas were tattooed. Maori tattoos were not only to be done according to general rules but also to repeat the “geography of the body,” so they were truly unique works of art.
There were no needles at that time, so Maori tattoos were done with knives and chisels made usually from albatross bone. Burnt wood or caterpillars were used as ink. Now, when Maori tattoos face revival, even that old equipment was brought back to life.
Maori-inspired tattoo designs form a significant part of tribal tattoos, black-and-white, mysterious and intricate.










































