Popular Tattoo Art - Do you Know What they Mean?

To the unaware, tears of tattoos may just seem to be a sad, symbolic tattoo used to perhaps demonstrate the state of mind of the tattooed person.

Yet while the symbol of a tear, usually tattooed directly beneath the eye, may seem innocent, it's roots and meanings are far more dark.

It has become custom for a tear tattoo to symbolise a person. On the more acceptable side of the design, a tear tattoo is used to symbolize a fallen brother. This is sometimes a literal brother, or a close friend or colleague who lost their life due to an unnatural death. In these instances, the tear tattoo is nothing more than an outward sign of mourning and remembrance, meant only for these purposes.

Yet the real history of tear tattoos is far less emotionally sensitive, though no less symbolic. Tear tattoos are very popular for prison inmates. In these cases, they tend to be used as a sign of the amount of murders the tattooed person has committed.

No one seems quite sure if they are used as a status symbol or as an act of penance or apology, and no doubt the real reason behind the tear tattoo depends from person to person.

In both cases, the appearance of the tattoo does not end in the shape. Further details as for the reason for the tear tattoo can be gleaned from it's total design. In general, just the outline of a tear - an empty tear - tends to be a sign of a fallen brother who was killed, though it can mean that the bearer has unsuccessfully attempted murder.

A full tear tattoo, one which is coloured inside the lines, is often used to represent a friend who has taken their own life. In prison and criminal circuits, a full tear is the declaration of a successful murder. Finally, a tear that is empty at the top but full at the bottom, means in most cases that the bearer has avenged the murder of a loved one.

The use of the tear tattoo is, for these reasons, something to be avoided by the general populace. It is seen as a highly symbolic type of tattoo and even if you were to want one just to symbolize mourning and the death of a loved one, it is too easy to get the different reasons confused and you could give someone a particularly bad impression.

It is a real shame that what is actually a symbol of remembrance can mean something else entirely. For most, avoid the tear tattoo, but there is nothing wrong with admiring the simple beauty it can sometimes evoke.

If you are Irish, or have an Irish heritage you're proud of, it may seem like a good idea to get a shamrock tattooed somewhere on your person.

You may see it as a permanent declaration of your Celtic lineage, a proud symbol of one of Ireland's most recognisable national symbols.

But be warned; tattoos are often associated with criminal activities and gangs, and a tattoo design may have connotations that you aren't aware of. In the case of the humble shamrock, this can be seen as a sign of belonging to the Aryan Brotherhood - one of the most prolific white supremacist gangs in operation today.

This is by no means an alien case, though perhaps it is an example of how an innocent symbol can mean something much darker. So when it comes to choosing a tattoo design, there's a few things you need to watch out for - or you could end up declaring an affiliation you didn't know existed.

Numbers are often used in criminal tattooing. Again with the Aryan Brotherhood, beware any design incorporating the number 12. This is used as symbolic, with "1" representing "A" and "2" representing "B" - AB, the initials of the name of the gang.

This theme is continued with another white supremacist group, the Aryan Circle, used 13 for the same reasons. This too can be damaging, as many will use the supposedly unlucky number for poking fun at superstition, not realising the other associations.

Continuing on the numbers - and the white supremacist - theme, anything with two eights (88) incorporated into the design should be avoided. Again, using numbers to represent letters, 88 is used by Nazis - the 88 representing HH, or Heil Hitler.

Numbers and shamrocks are not the only seemingly innocent designs which have less than savoury associations. Many people like the idea of having one of the suits of a deck of cards, but these too are criminal symbols. Spades are seen as the suit of thieves, clubs are "criminal" and mostly used to symbolize ex-warriors.

Diamonds is seen as the "chummy suit", used for informers, and is most often applied without consent from the bearer.

Worst of all is hearts - seen so frequently in tattoo design - which can mean "passive homosexual", while at worst meaning the bearer is basically the prison sex toy.

Before tattooing anything permanently on to your skin, check the internet and make doubly sure there are no other meanings for whatever you're about to choose.

Tattoos are increasingly popular as a way of showing one's commitment to a loved one, due in no small part to their permanence.

There are countless tales of young lovers getting each others' names tattooed on one another in situations where they cannot practically get married, thus demonstrating a monogamous commitment to stay together come what may.

Even with the advent of laser surgery the removal of a tattoo is still an expensive and long-winded process, so if you're getting someone's name tattooed somewhere intimate you would be well advised to make sure that you both feel the relationship will endure.

A future partner will never, no matter how brave a face they may put on, be comfortable with you carrying a reminder of a previous relationship - one which you once valued enough to mark yourself permanently.

Famously, the actor Johnny Depp got a tattoo while dating his then sweetheart Winona Ryder. It was on his right bicep and bore the legend "Winona Forever".

The relationship did not endure, and Depp's present wife Vanessa Paradis may laugh outwardly when she sees the ink, now changed to read "Wino Forever" in honour of Depp's fondness for wine. Inwardly, however, she would need to be a very strong woman not to cringe a little.

One case in which you can feel confident about a name tattoo is when you become a parent. That child will always be your son or daughter, so a permanent imprint of their name is something that you need never be embarrassed by - although you might find yourself looking at it differently the first time they get into some kind of trouble.

Celtic history goes back thousands and thousands of years.

Early Celtic people were well known for their skills in artwork of jewelry, metal, and even weapons.

They were warriors as well, regarded as fierce fighters by the Romans.

Throughout Ireland, there are many examples and evidence of Celtic artwork and Celtic crosses.

Over the years, modern Celtics evolved and established symbols for themselves along the way.

Throughout North America, Celtic people often wear these symbols to let others know that they are a Celtic descent.

The symbols and knowledge have been passed down through the years, as there is little no written history.

Tattooing however, keeps the Celtic tradition alive with the infamous Celtic cross and other popular Celtic designs.

Most Celtic tattoo designs come from Ireland, where the evidence of Celtic history is very strong indeed. The Trinity College found in Dublin, Ireland, contains many manuscripts that document the Celtic heritage and symbols.

The height of Celtic tattooing however, occurred during the era when stone and metal work was really popular.

Celtic knot tattoos are some of the most popular and most common designs, featuring loops with no end that symbolize a never ending cycle of dying and rebirth.

There are also Celtic animal tattoo designs as well, which are similar in design to the knot tattoos, although the cords in the design normally terminate in heads, tails, and feet. The pure knot tattoo designs are normally never ending, unless an individual adds an end to symbolize a spiral.

The meaning behind the knots in Celtic tattoos defies any type of literal translation and is found at a much deeper level. The interlacing of the knots expresses the repeated crossing of both physical and spiritual elements.

The strands and their never ending path is a popular design for Celtic tattoos, representing life, faith, and love. For many years, Celtics have used these designs for emotional as well as heritage purposes.

Those who are from a Celtic descent, Irish, Scots, or Welsh, normally find a Celtic tattoo to be a great way to express their heritage pride. These tattoos help to reestablish pride, and give tribute to one's ancestors. The tattoos aren't easy to do, most taking several hours. Unlike other tattoo designs, Celtic tattoos are among the hardest designs in the world.

If you are from a Celtic descent and have decided to get a Celtic tattoo, the first thing to do is find an artist capable of doing the tattoo. The designs are very difficult and not all tattoo artists can do them.

It's always best to find a tattoo artist who has a background in Celtic designs, as this will ensure the tattoo is done correctly. The artist who does the tattoo needs to have an eye for detail and exact line placement - which is a skill that not all tattoo artists possess.