Scottish Tattoos - Designs and Ideas

Scottish Tattoos - Designs and Ideas Tattoo art frequently borrows its designs and ideas from cultural heritage of ancient folks. Like tribal tattoos originate from Native American and Polynesian art, Scottish tattoos date back to time immemorial when brave warriors from the British Isles adorned their skin to show off their courage and specify battles they have won.

Since the beginning of the 17th century Scottish tattoos were used by military men and firefighters as a rule, and incorporated symbols connected with these occupations, helmets and so on. There’ were also memorial tattoos that were done by friends of a fallen person and as other R.I.P. tattoos they featured his name, dates of birth and death.

The interest towards Scottish tattoos has risen over the past twenty years. It is true about Scottish Gaelic as well, the native language of this land (though English is widely spoken there). That’ why many people want to include scripts in Gaelic into their tattoo designs, but here it is important that you know the exact meaning of this or that phrase. Dictionaries can be helpful here, or if you have a friend who’s a native speaker ask him or her for help.

Scottish tattoos may incorporate clan symbols, for there’re 13 such symbols referring to each of 13 regions of Scotland. You may also look at a plaid design and use it as a base for your tattoo. Celtic cross tattoo design is frequently asked nowadays, but decide for it provided that it is really important for you and check its symbolism as well.

There’re also Gaelic tattoos and historical Scottish tattoos. The national symbol of Scotland is thistle; the saint patron of Scotland is St. Patrick. Therefore, you may incorporate thistle, four-leaf clover or a horseshoe into you Scottish tattoo design.

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Samurai Tattoo Designs

Those who admire Japan or practice martial arts and show at the same time interest for tattoo art can get something close to their state of mind and world view. Have a look at Japanese tattoo lettering, cherry blossoms tattoos and samurai tattoo designs, for instance.

Samurai warriors have been the essential part of the Japanese culture and life since the 12th century. The 20th century has brought a lot of changes with it, and though the image of a brave samurai is still remembered and praised, not many of modern representatives of this social class lead the same life they used to hundreds years ago.

Samurai Tattoo Designs

The samurai reflected the ideal of a man, strong and calm. They lived their lives according to “Bushido” moral code that presupposed honesty, courage, respect, loyalty and self-sacrifice. It resembles the chivalry code of medieval knights. Samurai were the elite of military men, defended the weak and set a good example to every one by their own behavior and everyday conduct. However, not all samurai were warriors. Some of them had never been at the battle field and dedicated their lives to philosophy or art.

Unlike European knights samurai were not granted this title but were a separate social group. Their sons inherited this status and even wives and daughters considered to be samurai.

Samurai Tattoo Designs

Samurai values honor more than life and can even commit suicide to restore their honor. Not that they don’t value life, they simply live now and here, which is crucial in understanding oriental martial arts as well as oriental world outlook.

Samurai tattoo designs are sophisticated and complicated may include images of samurai fighting with their enemies as well as scripts done in kanji hieroglyphs to show the wearer’s favorite Bushido principle or wise saying.

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Yakuza Tattoo Designs

Yakuza Tattoo Designs The majority of tattoo designs can be worn by everyone and everywhere, but there are some types of tattoos that are typical of some social groups and act as indicators of a particular lifestyle.

Yakuza tattoo designs match this description well. They mark the belonging of a person to Yakuza, perhaps, the largest criminal organization in the world going hand in hand with Italian Mafia in the number of its members. Its beginning goes back to the second decade of the 17th century and it still exists now in a somehow changed form.

The activities of Yakuza are mainly connected with drugs, gambling and extortion of money. It is so powerful that the police are not eager to interfere. But the peculiarity of this organization is that its members come from lower levels of society and take the part of the poor helping those who are nearlyoutcasts of society.

Yakuza Tattoo Designs

Yakuza members used to get lots of tattoos as they marked their strength and courage as well as their desire to underline the distance between them and society with all its norms and rules. Sometimes tattoos, namely rings on the arms, meant the number of crimes committed. That’s why in Japan tattoo art has been for a long time considered an exclusive mark of the criminal world.

Yakuza Tattoo Designs

The peculiarity of the genuine Yakuza tattoo is that it is not done with electric machines. The artists still use the old technology which is painful and requires much time and effort, as well as money. But the result is so impressive that hardly any modern artist can reproduce it.

One of the most wide-spread symbols of Yakuza tattoos is tiger, used as well by samurai in their time. It’s common practice to wear a great many of tattoos that cover large body areas.

Yakuza is a male organization in its essence but Yakuza tattoo can be seen now on both men and women. The latter usually have the ties of blood with the members and get a tattoo to show their interest and devotion.

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Samoan Tattoos as a Part of Polynesian Tattoo Designs

Samoan Tattoos as a Part of Polynesian Tattoo Designs Samoan tattoos constitute a substantial part of Polynesian tattoo designs. They have rather a long history and go back to time immemorial. Nowadays, with the popularity of tribal tattoos growing, people are interested in original tattoo designs.

Samoan Polynesian tattoo designs preserved their originality for local people have always tried to minimize the influence of foreigners on their culture. Yet nobody knows how tattoo art appeared on Samoa Island. One story tells us about two Fijian women who came and taught the locals the art of tattooing while another story mentions a Samoan who travelled to the kingdom where spirits reside and learned there the trade.

What strikes and astonishes about Samoan tattoos most is the painful process of getting a tattoo. It is also an important ritual marking the transition from childhood to adulthood or acquisition a special status in society or a title.

The procedure is accompanies by songs and dancing and taboo is placed on those who are about to get a tattoo, and it is lifted after the ordeal is complete. So to get a traditional Samoan body tattoo one need at least ten days with a lot separate sessions and “day-offs” for the skin to heal as the damage is really great.

Samoan Tattoos as a Part of Polynesian Tattoo Designs

Take into account primitive tools like combs and sharpened animals’ teeth that are used in tattooing instead of needles and you will understand why getting a Polynesian tattoo is the real endurance test. Meanwhile, it is very shameful for Samoans not to pass this test.

The tattoos themselves can be extremely large and cover nearly a half of a man’s body, their patterns are intricate and complex and combine lots of meaningful symbols. In fact, every tattoo is like a book that can tell a life story of its wearer.

Samoan women received tattoos as well, but this didn’t constitute any ritual. Their patterns were also simpler and incorporated fewer inked areas than that of men’s tattoos.

Samoan tattoos alongside with other Polynesian tattoo designs, definitely contribute to the art of tattooing. One can incorporate their patterns in his or her tattoo though nobody I guess will be willing to undergo the original process.

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