Celtic tattoos are known for its emphatic designs created with beautiful knots and bold lines. Over the last decade, the popularity of Celtic butterfly tattoos has touched new heights in the world of tattoo art. Here is a ThoughtfulTattoos post that gives you all the details.
Getting a tattoo done is about giving yourself a distinct identity. There is a vast variety of designs in the enchanting domain of tattoo art that can be done in different styles. Although, viewed popularly as a form of body art, tattoo lovers know that every design has a special meaning. It is this meaning that makes the wearer stand out in the crowd.
Getting a butterfly tattooed onto yourself signifies transformation and rebirth. Apart from their symbolism, such tattoos accrue popularity from the fact that they can be drawn in a number of styles. Celtic artwork, renowned for their beautiful knots, render designs of surreal beauty.
Butterflies in the Celtic Culture
Butterflies find a significant place in a number cultures. The transformation from a caterpillar to a beautiful butterfly is what amazed ancient people. Among the Celtics, they find significance in the form of a legend called Étaín, a beautiful fairy maiden. The beauty of Étaín was so captivating that a fairy king named Midir was completely besotted by her charm.
When the fairy queen came to know of this, she was very jealous. She used her magic to turn Étaín into a butterfly and brew up a storm to blow her far away from Midir. After seven years of flitting from one flower to another, Étaín fell into the glass of wine of a mortal queen attending a banquet. Nine months later, Étaín was born as the queen’s beautiful daughter. Although her identity had changed, the princess retained her original beauty.
When the princess grew up, she married the High King of Ireland. Midir recognized her as soon as he saw the princess. By defeating the King of Ireland in a game of chess, Midir kissed the princess who recognized Midir immediately. Midir used his magic to disguise both of them as swans and fled back to his kingdom.
This story highlights a number of beliefs of the Celtic people. The Celtics were a group of people with rich culture and strong association with nature. They regarded butterflies as a sign of rebirth and transformation. They believed that butterflies were souls, that when eaten by a woman along with her food, would impregnate her.
Designs to Choose From
The knots symbolize the continuity of life. In the Celtic culture, a butterfly emerges from the cocoon and then flutters about as a wandering soul that transforms into a new life when ingested by a mortal woman. Besides the symbolic relevance, Celtic knots can be easily used to attain the shape of a butterfly.
To give a more elaborate look to the design, the outer lines are emboldened. One can get a design that is emphasized by filling the knots with an array of colors. The wide spreading wings of a butterfly give a tattoo artist enough scope to fill up the space with a variety of patterns.
Shamrocks, holding a central role in the Celtic culture, is often used in tattoos using the knots. However, with a little twist, many artists add one more leaf to the shamrock image and use it as four wings of a butterfly. Apart from its association with femininity, these versatile designs allow them to blend seamlessly with the characteristics of Celtic artwork.
In case you are scared of needles but are enthralled by tattoos, there is no need to worry. With the availability henna and stick-on tattoos, sporting a Celtic butterfly shouldn’t appear as wishful thinking anymore.
