Claddagh Tattoo on Foot

Till a few decades ago tattoos were a tramp symbol and associated with all that was bad, but today tattoos are more of a status symbol and people love flaunting the latest addition to their body art collection. There are some designs that are more popular with tattoo lovers than others like tribal tattoos, Chinese symbols, and Celtic tattoos.

One Celtic design that a lot of people are opting for nowadays is the Claddagh design. If you want to give a slightly unique look to this tattoo, then you can opt to get the tattoo inked on your feet.

A crowned heart held by two hands is representative of the Claddagh symbol. According to different legends there are different meanings that are attached to the symbol like love, friendship, and loyalty. There are different stories attributed to the development of the design. A widely-accepted tale is about an Irish goldsmith, Richard Joyce and his beloved.

It is believed that before sailing off to West Indies on work, he promised his partner that he would marry her on his return but destiny had other things in store, and he was captured and sold to a Moorish goldsmith.

The Moorish goldsmith released him when William III became the king of England and impressed by Joyce's talent, offered to marry him to his daughter and give him half his wealth. Joyce refused the offer to return to his hometown to marry his beloved.

It is widely believed that during the time he spent under the Moorish goldsmith, Joyce designed the Claddagh ring for his lover and presented it to her when they got married. Which is the reason that having this symbol inked on your body is symbolic of deep love.

There is another folklore according to which the creation of the symbol can be traced back to a prince who fell in love with a maid. In order to convey to his father the deep love he felt for the maid he designed this symbol explaining how the heart was a symbol of love, the hands represented friendship, and the crown stood for loyalty.

It is said that the king was so impressed that he blessed the couple and gave them permission to marry. This story though is not well accepted by historians. It is as a symbol of love and affection that it is so popular as a tattoo design.

This Celtic design is so unique that generally you do not need to innovate with different designs or customize it. One of the ways to make it seem individualistic is to get the tattoo done in uncommon places like on one's foot. You can get this tattoo in either a classic black or white combination or choose to get a colored version.

This completely depends on your aesthetic sensibilities. For women the tattoo design generally tends to be more delicate and intricate, while Irish tattoos for men are more detailed and larger in size. Both genders often get the names of their beloved inked along with the tattoo.

The tattoo can either be used to cover the entire upper area of the foot or it can be tattooed in such a manner that it resembles a ring. A Claddagh ring tattoo is a good choice for women. You can combine this design with other traditionally Celtic designs like Celtic knots and clovers.

The best part about getting a Claddagh on one's foot is that it allows you to cover it up or show it off depending on your mood. Also since not many people opt to get tattoos on their feet, it creates quite an impression. Of course you need to know that foot tattoos are quite painful and take a lot of time to heal.

You need to ensure proper care so that the tattoo is not smudged or spoiled by constant friction. Always consult an expert who will be able to guide you about the proper care techniques and also help you with innovating on the design that you have chosen.