There are many tribal cross patterns from which you can choose your body art design. For many, this can indeed become a cumbersome task. Read on to know more.
When you plan to get yourself inked, it is important to remember that tattoos are permanent. Hence, you will have to take extra care in choosing the design. Cross patterns are very popular among the lovers of body art.
Among the cross motifs, tribal cross tattoos rank amongst the top designs. These are not always related to Christianity, as tribal crosses have existed long before the advent of Christian crosses.
Designs
The main difference between tribal and Christian crosses is that the tribal crosses are combined with other elements of tribal art. The lines used to make these tribal designs are often in random order and have hard or sharp ends, as well as sharp turns.
The lines cross over each other back and forth in delicate and intricate patterns. Tribal crosses are often large, dark, and bold, and hence, they are prominently visible in the crowd of tattoos.
If you are looking for this type of body art for men, you might want to consider cross tattoos with wings. This is a unique design that combines a cross with the wings of an eagle or an angel.
Men opt to place these tattoos on their upper arms, forearms, nape of the neck, chest, and shoulder blades. Women, however, may choose to get it done on the wrist, ankle, the sides of their ribs, and waist.
Meaning
A lot of people use tribal cross designs to make a statement. These cross motifs have spiritual, rather than religious, connotations. Having learned that, let us see what are the other meanings associated with a tribal design that sports a cross.
A number of people opt for this type of tattoos because they have a connection with a certain tribe and want to pay homage to their ancestors.
There are others who opt for tribal body art as they want to show their belief in, and respect for, a certain tribe to which they could belong to or identify themselves with.
In some cases, people opt for a cross tattoo design because they identify with a particular trait of the group.
The majority of people get it done for the beauty of the design.
Celtic Crosses
The cross was used by the Celts as one of the druid symbols in their pagan worship of sun and nature. The crosses are also known as sun crosses, owing to the symbol of a circle containing a cross, representing the sun and the tree of life.
Today, the tribal version of the Celtic cross has evolved and is often combined with knots and spirals. For the wearer, these crosses stand for the pride they have in their culture and ancestry. A Celtic cross embodies the spirit of a Celtic warrior and does not depict Christian belief.
Colors
Normally, these are made only in black ink. However, if you want to use colors with these tattoos, you may opt for tribal colors such as red, green, blue, and purple. If you want a feminine look to your body art, you can add flowers or fairies in different colors.
When you are looking for tribal body art with crosses, make sure you are looking through a variety of avenues. There are a number of tattoo galleries online which may be of help to you in your search. You may also not want to lose out on the opinions offered by your tattoo artist. Making small changes to a design can give you a unique pattern.