tats.eu

Religion is a group of beliefs concerning the supernatural, sacred, or divine, and although every religion has their own values, rituals, practices, and moral codes, some of them are interchangeable, common or accepted by all of them. Cross Tattoos are among those symbols recognized in many forms for diverse cultures and individuals. Sometimes considered the simplest tattoo, a vertical line crossed by another horizontal, this rudimentary form is usual enhanced with intricate designs when in takes the form of a Celtic Cross, including the typical circle in the upper part and the knotwork. There are many Cross Tattoos inspired by Celtic designs that you can choose from. 

However, similar crosses can be found in Gothic and Romanesque art of the 11th century, with slight differences that make each cross a unique piece of artwork, yet versatile to be adapted. Modern Cross Tattoos are adaptations of all of these crosses from a contemporary perspective. Crosses are particularly linked with the Christian faith, but religion does not limit your options to have a tattoo with this symbol, unless you are a devoted practitioner of another religion that does not accept it, or if you belong to a fanatical religious group. In fact, many of these groups have Cross Tattoos designed accordingly. 

In ancient times, before Christ, the cross was just a symbol of two lines or bars intersecting each other running vertically and horizontally, often representing the division of the world into 4 cardinal points and elements, conforming the union of this concepts of divinity, like those from ancient Assyrians. In fact, Cross Tattoos with tribal influence are good choices for people who do not want religious connotations, although there are other designs belonging to remote civilizations. Egyptians had a cross known as “Ankh”, symbol of life and the union between Osiris and Isis, while Babylonians had a cross-associated with their Goddess of the Moon. 

Over time, both religious and metaphysical groups and fraternities adopted diverse types of crosses. European Middle Ages were witnesses of the Crusades and the Knights Templar wearing white satin gauntlets with a cross in red. Later in the 17th century, the Rosicrucian Order introduced a particular cross, motif of many Cross Tattoos of modern times.  The number of crosses styles and their association with particular groups is nearly endless. In addition, every individual may have their own order of ideas concerning Cross Tattoos, including having tattooed Christ on the cross. 

This entry was posted on Tuesday, June 20th, 2006 at 11:55 am and is filed under Tattoo designs. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.