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Tattoos Of Crosses

September 10th, 2010

Tattoos Of Crosses

Tattoos of crosses is very popular tattoo design today. The most popular cross tattoos is the Latin cross, a Christian religious symbol. Not all cross tattoos are religious in nature though, at least, not in a conventional sense. Some people get tattoos of crosses to express their religious feelings, other people may just like the design or give a pre-Christian or personal symbolic meaning to their cross tattoo. Cross tattoos are usually worn by men on the shoulders, back, forearm. Women also have them, but then the design is usually smaller and more feminine on the foot, ankle, hand, lower back.

Here’s some of tattoos of crosses type :

Pre Christian Crosses

Some people may be surprised to learn that crosses were not always a Christian symbol. There were many cross symbols in the older, pagan religions. In some pre-Christian cultures, the vertical bar was seen as the male phallus, the horizontal bar as the vagina. The Celtic druids saw the cross as a phallic symbol as well (see further). The ancient Babylonians had a cross symbol that was associated with their moon deity. The Assyrian cross was associated with the four directions. In ancient Egypt, the ‘ankh’ cross symbol was a symbol or the union between Isis and Osiris. Ankh tattoos, like other cross tattoos, are quite popular today, especially among people who have an interest in mythology or the occult.

Celtic Cross Tattoos

The Celtic cross (aka Irish cross) is a particularly beautiful representation of this almost universal symbol and Celtic cross tattoos are a popular type of Celtic tattoo. The Celtic cross looks like a basic cross with a circle (symbol for the sun) around the intersection and is adorned with Celtic knot work art . The effect of these tribal cross tattoos is stunning, either in plain black, blue or a bold Celtic green. The Celtic cross is often incorporated in an armband tattoo.

Christian Cross Tattoos

The Christian faith uses the cross as a symbol for the fact that Jesus Christ was crucified by the Romans, a common Roman way of executing slaves and non-Romans. The Christian cross symbolizes Jesus’ victory over dead. The most simple and basic cross is called the Latin cross or crux ordinaria. The vertical line represents the divine, the horizontal line represents the world, the intersection is the union of both. These holy cross tattoos are often quite small and done in black and white. Most popular places for them are the wrists, hands and the upper arms. The type that shows Jesus on a wooden cross is called a crucifix. A cross hanging at the end of a rosary, combined with praying hands is a popular Christian tattoo design as well.

Ethiopian cross tattoo

The Ethiopian tattoos of crosses is worn by followers of the Coptic church to express their faith. The Coptic church is the largest Christian church in Egypt. The Coptic cross has 2 lines of equal length and is derived from the Egyptian ankh cross. At the end of the lines are 3 points that symbolize the trinity of the Father, Son and Holy Ghost. The 12 points together symbolize the 12 Apostles of Jesus.

Gothic Cross Tattoos

Although the Goth subculture is not tied to a specific religion, they like to adorn themselves with religious symbols, especially Catholic symbols. Gothic cross tattoos often have an iron texture and are heavily adorned. The crosses are often combined with imaginary like daggers and barbed wire. Gothic tattoos are German in style.

Maltese Cross Tattoo

Originally, the Maltese cross is the symbol of the Knights Hospitaller, a group of Christian warriors. A Maltese tattoos of crosses has 4 v-shaped arms with the narrow end on the inside and 8 points. The 8 points stand for faithfulness, piousness, honesty, courageousness, glory, disdain of death, helpfulness, and respect for the church.

Southern Cross Tattoos

The Southern cross (aka crux) is a constellation that is visible in the Southern Hemisphere. Several flags have the Southern cross on them, like those from Australia, Brazil, Samoa and more. The Southern cross is also pictured on the Confederate flag or the rebel flag, used by the Confederate States in the American civil war.

Iron Cross Tattoos

Iron tattoos of crosses are popular with bikers. The iron cross was a German military decoration that was handed out to soldiers. Nowadays it is the logo of the German army. In the 60s, the iron cross was also popular among American surfers.

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