Looking for Irish symbol tattoos? Want to know about all the different styles of cross symbol tattoo available? Read our guide for more information on choosing the right tattoos for you…
The meanings of Irish symbols have survived through the ages mostly in the form of Celtic runes and Ogham. These designs have been inked as body art on tribesmen from various Celtic clans. As ancient Irish symbol tattoos had no written meaning attached to them, many of the meanings of these symbols have been attributed to historians of ancient Irish culture.
Among the more famous Irish symbol tattoos is the triskelion. Deriving its name from the Greek word for ‘three-legged’, this design depicts three legs in a circle mimicking the running movement. It champions competition among men. The triple spiral forms part of Irish symbol tattoos that connote the three powers of women in the form of the maiden, the mother and the crone. A single spiral that spreads out from the core is ethereal in design and signifies birth, growth and the expansion of consciousness.
The double spiral represents balance and also denotes the equinoxes. Irish symbol tattoos that denote the male and female energy utilises the ‘Arwen’ or three rays that depict three horizontal lines, wide at the base and tapering to point. The outer rays symbolize the male and female energies and the middle ray connotes the balance between the two.
Irish Symbol of Purity
The Ogham, otherwise known as the ‘Celtic Tree Alphabet’, was inscribed on stone, sticks, trees and stakes by the ancient Irish people as a form of written communication to mark boundaries. Druids commonly consulted sticks engraved with the Ogham alphabet to prophesise. The Ogham sign for purity that is used as Irish symbol tattoos is the ‘Ailm’, or fir tree, that resembles an even armed cross within a circle. The circle is a symbol of the wholeness of spirit. The Ailm denotes clarity, pure energy, purity and good health. Other symbol tattoos connoting purity are birds, sky and water.
Irish symbol tattoos comprise a wide array of exquisite designs that can trace their historical origin to the Ogham alphabet, runes or specific Celtic designs. These tattoos conveyed special meaning and were prized among members of an Irish clan. The ancient artistic designs have survived to this day to become part of a wide variety of unique Irish tattoos.
