I would love to see your photos of Cross tattoos I am interested in getting one but I don’t know what exactly I want. Can you provide suggestions or help me find a good cross tattoo?

Cross Tattoos For Men – Celtic Cross Tattoo

The cross tattoo is very popular among men. There are so many ways you can create a cross tattoo that whatever you choose will most likely be completely unique. The cross tattoo is mostly looked at as a religious symbol, as the cross that Jesus Christ died on for the salvation of the world. Crosses in general have so many different meanings but they all come back to Jesus who died on the cross. With the cross being so popular, you will see many different ways of getting your cross tattoo. Some people get a plain cross, while others have  a cross with a scene tattooed around the cross. By far a plain old cross tattoo is the most popular.

Choosing where to place the cross might be the hardest part in getting your tattoo. Some of the most popular places for cross tattoos are the chest, shoulders and forearms. Usually the cross tattoo is big and needs the room, but does not need to be too big. Some crosses are not very detailed, while other people try to make their cross tattoo very detailed.

A Celtic cross tattoo is another type of cross tattoo that people pick. Crosses in the tribal format, which are usually just big and bold with lots of black ink are also a popular choice. For guys, getting the cross tattooed on their entire back is a popular choice, which will leave room for you to get as detailed with your design as you want.

Some people choose to put their cross tattoo near to their heart, on their chest. A cross, no matter where you put it, will have a religious meaning or a heritage meaning. You can also put names on your cross, family members, children’s names or special dates that need to be remembered. Whatever you decide, a cross tattoo is a great choice and looks good on almost anyone.

Cross Tattoos For The Pious In You

Cross tattoos are popular for several reasons.  For one thing, they are versatile. Every culture that accepted Christianity put their own cultural stamp on these and other icons of their new faith. You can see this in the large number of designs and names for the crosses you will come across.

A good example of this is the story behind a very popular cross tattoo called the Coptic cross.  The original version of this type of cross was as a Christian adaptation of the Egyptian ankh symbol.  The symbol was appropriated by Christian Gnostics and given a new meaning. The Coptic cross represents eternal and everlasting love of God. In its simplest form, the Coptic cross is seen as a circle drawn on top of a cross. Inside the circle is another cross.  In its modern form, this cross is made of two lines of equal length intersecting in the middle at right angles.  At each edge are three points to represent the Trinity of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.  This gives the cross 12 points to symbols the apostles.  The Coptic Christians, like the Orthodox in Ethiopia and Eritrea, often have cross tattoos on the arm or sometimes on the forehead.

Many Christians look to using a Cross tattoo as an expression of their faith. The Celtic cross has a long history of this type of expression. The Celtic cross is actually the Latin cross with a circle going around the upper part of the cross intersecting all points of the cross.  It makes an eye catching tattoo, especially if used with a detailed background of Celtic knots.  The colors usually associated with this tattoo are green, black or sea green.

Some modern Christians often will opt for a very plain style of cross or Latin cross also known as crux ordinaria.  The vertical line of the cross represents the divine while the horizontal line is the world and the intersection of these lines is the union of both.  These cross tattoos are usually very small and done in black.  These are plain in order to signify the wood cross on which Christ was crucified.

The Gothic style cross closely resembles an older representation known as the German design.  These were very elaborately adorned crosses manufactured from wrought iron.  In the tattoo version there might be barbed wired around the middle of the cross design. There’s also sometimes a dagger.  These crosses symbolize feelings of pain, anger or even depression.  They might have a background of dark, violent or disturbing images.

The Greek cross is a bit more cheerful. This cross also known as the Cross of St. George is an attractive design with arms of equal length.  This symmetry made it a favorite among many.  Designed in 1100AD it became the symbol of England. The Greek cross tattoo is used by many who want an unusual symmetric look.

When thinking of religious tattoos, most people instinctively think of their own religion. If they are Christians this means a cross, bible or Christ tattoo, but many religions use tattoos to enhance their faith and always have.

In ancient Egypt, women would have their wrists tattooed with the symbol of their goddess of fertility.  Many Hindus get religious tattoos depicting their gods. Ganesh, Kali and Shiva are the most popular for this type of veneration. In Hawaii, some believe there is a god of tattooing.  This god will tell when you should have a tattoo done to protect yourself from evil.  Buddhists get tattoos of the Buddha or of lotus blossoms, which have many deep meanings in their faith. The tattoo drawing of an opened blossom, for instance, represents full enlightenment.

While the faith of some Christians prevents them having a religious tattoo, others use their own body to profess their faith. Some believe the bible has imagery making tattoos acceptable, but this is still hotly debated in some circles. Still, the majority of religious tattoos in American are Christian. There are many symbols of Christianity used other than those already mentioned such as angels, biblical animals such as the dove, crown of thorns and praying hands.  There are also larger backgrounds and pictorial tattoos, which are popular such as the last supper and the crucifixion.

You should be careful while researching what religious tattoo to get because people tend to take such matters very seriously. What might just seem to be ascetically pleasing to you artistically might have a very deep spiritual meaning to someone else. You should get the tattoo you really want, but be conscious of what might make others hostile to you. For example, in some parts of the world the feet are considered taboo.  In these parts of the world, the human foot is considered in some ways lewd so placing a religious tattoo on the feet would offend them. Ask around and check the internet for possible alternative symbolism or other issues before deciding on a tattoo.

Large tattoos will need to be placed where there is as much space as possible.  In the case of a large and detailed ink work such as the last supper, space will be needed or the image might not look as you intend.  The chest and back are really the only spaces that will work well for this sort of depiction.  Smaller tattoos can be placed on the wrist, hand, inside of the elbow, bicep, inner arm, chest, back or shoulder.  Many Buddhist religious tattoos and lettering tattoos look good at the nape of the neck.  Because of the subject matter, you might not want to place a religious tattoo at the base of the spine or lower back as some might find this offensive.  The upper shoulder can also be a good location for smaller, finer detailed work such as a lotus blossom or alpha and omega symbols.

There are many cross tattoos out there and you may need to use several resources to find the one that is perfect for you. Many people have some sort of Christian faith belief and want to represent it in the form of a tattoo. A cross is a great way to proclaim your faith in a non dramatic way.

When you are planning your tattoo you will want to make sure what types of cross you are getting because crosses have different meanings. The Celtic cross is a very popular choice and you can normally define this type of cross by the ring in the center. A Celtic cross represents Christianity. A Latin cross usually has the body of Jesus on the cross. This is normally associated with the Catholic faith.

The Crusader’s cross is made up of five different crosses and is a really neat cross to have as a tattoo. This cross is also represents the Christian faith. The Aztec cross is not associated with Christianity and the points resemble petals. This is the cross used by the Aztecs and dates back before Christianity was recorded.

Some other crosses that do not represent the Christian faith are the anchor cross and this is usually worn by sailors or fisherman. An anchor cross represents good luck for the sailor and is said to help them get back home safely. The Gothic cross represents pain and darkness. This is once again unrelated to Christianity and is normally seen in people who have a Goth or vampire lifestyle.

Crosses may also be used to represent someone that has passed away as a memorial. If you have a Catholic belief, you may want to include a rosary or praying hands into your cross. You can even include someone’s name on or near the cross as a tribute.

You do not have to use a traditional design of cross and it might be a good idea to create a cross of your own style. A cross can be as simple of as you want it and it can be as detailed as you want it. It is very hard to remove a tattoo and you want to make sure that you are completely satisfied with the tattoo you get. You do not want to go through the painful and expensive removal process later. If you take your time and make a good decision, you can have cross tattoos that you want to display forever.