Celtic Tribal Tattoos?

As Celtic symbols become increasingly popular as tattoo designs, you sometimes see them categorized as “tribal tattoos.” Is this accurate? Well, when it comes to words and definitions, there’s always room for argument. But you can make a good case for Celtic tattoos being authentically tribal.

In the Western world, we tend to think of “tribes” as referring to non-Western cultures, such as Africa,South America, the South Pacific and pre-European North America, for example. Yet the fact is, Europe was quite tribal until the “barbarian tribes” (as they were considered by the Romans!) settled down into a feudal existence that, if not civilized by modern standards, was more organized and less tribal.

The Celts were certainly tribal in many respects, and perhaps resisted the advances of “civilization,” including Christianity, more than most other Europeans, with the possible exception of the Vikings. Julius Caesar wrote of the Celts as a savage people who painted themselves in strange colors before battle to frighten their enemies. This painting, incidentally, was most likely not tattooing, though we still aren’t sure if the Celts practiced this art. As they did not keep written records, many of their ancient practices remain a mystery. See, for example, What We Don’t Know About The ancient Celts.

As for Celtic designs themselves, many of the symbols, such as knotwork and spirals, have a tribal appearance. Every part of the world, of course, has it’s own distinctive designs. So whether you want to call your Celtic tattoo tribal or not is really a matter of personal preference. It is not, however, completely off the wall to do so!