Celtic Sleeve Tattoos

If there is one thing that quite a few youngsters are going for, it is sleeve tattoos. These are becoming increasingly popular amongst the new generation. More and more youngsters are going for them as a part of body art. These cover the upper part of the forearm, starting from the shoulder to the elbow. This is a half sleeve tattoo. On the other hand a full sleeve one covers the whole of the arm from shoulder to wrist. The most popular amongst these are the Celtic tattoos. In case you are ruminating on being inked, well, you should check out the stuff to follow!

Celtic Tattoos

These tattoos go back a long way, to the cave paintings. These are intricate and mysterious and have a religious connection, but they are a mix of Christian and Druid beliefs. They are characterized by fine, interwoven or braided bands. The Celtic cross and Shamrock are the best examples of the work by monks who introduced Celtics to written language. This has been preserved in Ireland's Trinity College, in its library.

Celtic Tattoo Designs

Knots
These are by far the most common and dominant amongst Celtic tattoos. Knots are without an end or a beginning. Therefore, you can start at any given point and then go with the flow of the loops to the point where the tattoo started. You can do this sans a single break! These knots are supposed to portray the intertwining of physical and spiritual realm. It also reflects the endless continuity of life. To give you an example, you can choose a design involving a row of triquetra knots, representing perfect threefold unity. You can also have a row of quaternary below that, which is a symbol of fourfold unity.

Animal Interlace
This is a variation of the basic tattoo having knots. The only difference is that there is no uninterrupted connection and no unending loops. Rather, the cords of the knots commence and come to an end in an animal's feet, tail and head. This design is used to portray dog, scorpion and the most popular dragon. These are very much liked by those who have Welsh origins.

Combinations
If you seem not to be getting enough, out of a design of 1 knot, well, combination of Celtic knots is one of the best bets. Small, large, winding, chain and full sleeve forearm tattoos can be formed by using 2 or more knot designs in tandem. Spiky and thin monotones are amazing for creation of a variety of designs. Heart shape near the wrist, silhouette of a dragon down the outer arm and sun shape on the inner arm is a fantastic design.

Interesting Aspects
In case you do not want to go for anything random, may be you can try to find out what is your Celtic birth sign and see what animal is associated with your birth date. Get that animal inked on! Similarly, there are Celtic knots which display our connectivity with other humans as well as nature. One of such designs to adorn on your arms is Celtic symbol for sister. If you want to show the strong bond you share with your friends and siblings, this is the one for you!

If you choose a tattoo which will be in tune with your persona and your mindset, it will be great. For that, probably you would need to research on the meanings of these tattoos.

Nevertheless, I hope now you would surely get inked without a wink! All the Best!