Shamrock Tattoos Have A Long History
Posted by Tattooaholic
Shamrock tattoo designs are so much fun you do not have to be Irish to enjoy them. They are a symmetrical symbol that can work within other patterns or designs. Shamrocks should not be confused with the four-leaf clover despite the fact that they look alike. The shamrock is a very green, three-leaf plant that is closely associated with St. Patrick introducing Christianity to Ireland. Finding tattoo designs that either relate to Ireland or St Patrick is easy. It is also easy to personalize such tattoos.
Historically, this cousin of clover plays an important part because from the beginning, the leafy plant attracted attention. It was believed by the Celts of Wales to have the ability to ward off evil spirits then it was adopted by the Christians.
Kidnapped as youngster, Patrick lived as virtually a slave in Ireland until he finally escaped and returned to his parents. After becoming a priest of the early Roman Catholic Church, he felt drawn back to Ireland to convert the very people who had once enslaved him. St. Patrick used the shamrock to explain the Holy Trinity pointing out the three leafs were also one leaf.
The shamrock went on to become a universally recognized symbol of Ireland. The word shamrock actually comes from the Irish word seamrog or seamair og which means ‘little clover’. Long before St. Patrick, the plant was also sacred to the druids.
It is a lot of attention for one little plant that does not even have a colorful bloom, but that is how remarkable the shamrock is to behold. Shamrock tattoo designs can be remarkable for the dazzling green set off by the simplistic nature of the plant itself. Of course because of the distinctive nature of the shamrock and the way everyone instantly recognizes it, you can play with the shading if you want. A pale green shamrock next to a dollar bill, for example, tells everyone just how your money situations truly runs, or a multi-colored shamrock lets people know you have a less than serious side.
Of course for luck you might want to keep the basic green shamrock and make it personal by adding a fairy, flower, or mushroom, heart or other symbol to the design. You could incorporate name or initials in script along the outline of the shamrock for a distinctive look, and a harp inside a shamrock makes sure everyone knows it represents Ireland.
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