Claddagh Tattoos for Women

Tattoos have long been used as a form of body art to expresses individual feelings, loyalties and to make statements. The claddagh tattoos are an external manifestation of deep internal feelings of love and devotion. The tattoo design originated from an old Irish story of love, overcoming all obstacles to conquer all. The design was originally made into a ring and, even today, Irish men and women wear it to announce the status of their love life.

Using one's body as a canvas is truly an amazing experience, as you go through the bittersweet pain of bearing the artists needle and the euphoria you experience when the work is done. Before you get a tattoo it is also important to know a few things about tattoo care and maintenance. It is also imperative that you see some of the other work the artist has done, to ensure quality art work. Get your tattoo done from a reliable place, otherwise you stand to contract infections, some of which can be dangerous.

According to legend, Joyce an Irish sailor was captured at sea and was sold as slave to a goldsmith. Here he worked for several years, working in the shop and designing jewelry. Although his master treated him well, Joyce wasn't happy because his heart pined for his ladylove, who was left behind in Galway Ireland. While thinking about his ladylove, Joyce designed a ring which had two hands holding a heart with a crown on top.

Joyce's master was so happy with all the work he put in, that the master offered him half his wealth and the hand of his daughter in marriage. Joyce declined it and when he got his freedom, promptly went back to Ireland where his ladylove was waiting for him. He offered her the ring and they got married, to live happily forever.

The claddagh tattoo designs signify that 'with these hands I give you my heart and crown it with my love'. Nowadays, there are different ways to have the claddagh tattoo and they symbolize different things. For example, if you have the heart pointed towards you it means you are in love but if the heart points in the other direction it means you are seeking love.

Irish claddagh tattoos are one of the oldest forms of Celtic tattoos with interwoven patterns and intricate designs. If you are looking for delicate designs of claddagh tattoos for girls, you could incorporate, flower tattoos into your design. Show flowers hanging from wines which are entwined on the hands holding the heart.

One of the designs that you could have, is that of an angel holding the heart with a crown on top. To make the design visually appealing, you could have the angel looking towards the heaven and protecting the heart from both sides with angel wings.

You can use different tattoo lettering styles and inscribe the name of your beloved, either underneath the heart in the claddagh design, or on the heart. If you do not want a name in the tattoo, you could have a 'love quote', for example, something that says 'only yours through eternity'.

Fenian Claddagh tattoo designs are also quite enchanting, these do not have the crown over the heart. An interesting idea of Fenian claddagh tattoo is to have the hands holding the heart and a Cupid taking aim. Another interesting way to depict the claddagh design is to have butterfly tattoos incorporated in the design, show some butterflies hovering over the hands and heart.

To make designs more interesting, you could use different colors and have the tattoo done on a sensuous part of the body. A woman with a claddagh tattoo design on her lower back or encircling her ankle can look very enchanting.