Cross Tattoo Designs
Tattoos and Crosses Combined Around the World
Man has marked his body with tattoos in all parts of the world for thousands of years. In 1991 between the borders of Austria and Italy, a man from 5300 years ago was discovered sporting 57 tattoos. Similarly, crosses are an ancient figure that is well-known in almost every culture. A combination of tattoos and crosses has led to cross tattoo designs, which are permanent historical symbol of faith engraved on the human body. There are numerous examples of cross tattoo designs from diverse cultures.
The most commonly recognized cross is the Christian Crucifix, the best-known symbol of Christianity that represents the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. A long vertical line is intersected by a smaller horizontal line about 1/3 of the way down. The cross tattoo designs often has Latin inscription of a biblical verse, most commonly I.N.R.I. which translates as ìJesus Christ, King of the Jews.î It may also show the body of Jesus Christ with a crown of thorns on his head. Although many believe that wearing tattoos is against Christian beliefs, there are others who disagree.
A cross having similar Christian origins, yet an unmatched design is the Gothic Cross. The gothic aesthetic tradition is usually dark Germanic in style and is commonly formed of wrought iron. Marked with a fascination of Medieval, Victorian and Edwardian history, the cross is often combined with imaginary like daggers and barbed wire. These cross tattoo designs are popular in the gothic and vampire cultures.
Celtic cross is also popular in cross tattoo designs. Also known as the Cross of Iona, this design was popular among early Christians in Britannia, and spread to the rest of Europe widely in the 6th century A.D. In its simplest form, the Celtic cross is like a Latin cross with a small circle around the area where the two arms connect. However, the Celtic cross is not solely for Christians. If he or she has Irish, Scottish, or Welsh origins, the Celtic cross may be more symbolic of ethnic heritage, and perhaps of a natural faith giving importance to earth, air, fire, and water.
The complexity of cross tattoo designs is thought to impersonate the intricacy of nature. The Celtic cross tattoo will also contain detailed plait work, which is a pattern of interwoven cords that symbolize the “Thread of Life”, since the human soul was thought, by the Celts, to be a fragment of the divine. An older form of a cross tattoo design was found in ancient Egypt.
The Ankh (or ìHandled Crossî) had both spiritual and earthly significance. Having a shape similar to a Christian crucifix, the Ankh in the cross tattoo designs has a loop at the top making a full circle to the beginning. Many believe that the two contradictory shapes represent both the masculine and feminine. The masculine lies underneath the circular feminine complement which might resemble the vulva. It is often interpreted as the key of life.
In addition, the Ankh was popular in Royal Egyptian society. Carried in the hand of deities in murals on ancient Egyptian walls, the ankh was also carried by kings and queens to signify that they too, would stand in line next to gods in the afterlife. One historical example of permanent body is displayed on Egyptian wall paintings from 2000 BC that shows the use of cross tattoo designs in the ancient Egyptian society.
The cross tattoo designs are an inked spiritual symbol of life on earth and in the heavens. A large number of cultures that have their own cross formation: the Aztecs and other Mesoamericans, the Chinese, etc. have the cross tattoo designs on the body as a symbol of life, death, and more that we have not yet discovered.
