Tribal Cross Tattoos

Hi there, my name is Tom.

I love tattoos and tribal cross tats, in particular.  I have put together information and a selection of pics on this site.  I hope you enjoy all the cool stuff here.

It is no secret that tribal cross tattoos have increased in popularity over the past two decades with many people from all walks of life now proudly displaying their tribal cross body art.

So where did tribal cross tattoo art come from? Tattoo art started with our ancestors, who  wore tattoos for a range of reasons such as to mark a family achievement; remember special occasions like marriage and the birth of a child; to identify tribal members; protect against enemies, evil spirits and as an amulet to ward off bad luck and bring good fortune. Tribal tattoos were also worn by members of a tribe to celebrate victories in battle over their enemies. So as you can see, tattoo art goes back many, many years.

Today, guys and girls normally have tattoos to reflect their individuality but many still wear them to remember a special event like marriage or the birth of a baby.   The death of a loved one is often remembered in the form of a distinctive tribal cross tattoo.  Even today, tattoos are also used by some social groups to identify their members, a modern form of early tribal allegiance.

Cross tattoo designs come in different stylised cross shapes and sizes – from the simple Christian cross to the more intricate Celtic cross and the bold Gothic cross.

The versatility of cross tattoos means that they can be added or mixed with other tattoos. You can turn a cross tattoo into a memorial or a necklace design, with flowers embellishing the cross.  So don’t feel limited.  Tattoo designs can easily be individualised and enhanced making them creative and unique.

Tattoo inspired clothing…

Incorporating your favorite tattoo designs on clothing looks really good.

There is a huge range of quality tattoo design inspired clothing: T-Shirts, hoodies, jeans, sweaters, and active wear. Great range to choose from including jewelry, sunglasses and underwear – choose from cool tattoo designs such as Tribal Cross, Tribal dragons, Snake tattoos, Celtic and Maori tattoo designs.

See my review of the best sites

Tribal Cross Tattoos – Christian or what?

When people think of cross tattoos many associate them with the Christian faith and Christ’s death on a cross but cross tattoos precede the Christian faith by a few thousand years.  Tribal cross tattoos can be found in nearly every ethnic race, religion and culture.

Even though each culture has its own tribal cross tattoo or design they all have two lines that intersect. The four points have different meanings in different parts of the world. They could mean north, south, east and west or the points could stand for the four elements: earth, wind, fire and water.

There are fascinating facts surrounding many cross tattoo designs. For instance the Maltese Cross means bravery.  During the time of the Crusades the Maltese Cross banner was displayed by the Crusading Knights.

Some of these Knights were burned alive by fire bombs during battle. In an attempt to save their comrades, some Knights used their own bodies to shield their comrades and smother the flames. This led to the Maltese Cross becoming the well known symbol used by Fireman and Fire Services.

One well known tribal Cross tattoo design is the Celtic Cross thought to be adopted from the Druids and their symbol of the Moon Goddess.

Tribal cross designs are so versatile, there are many other cultural influences on the tribal cross design besides Maltese, Celtic and Christian cross designs.

The ancient Egyptian, Ethiopian, Gothic, Greek and Chinese cultures featured variations of the cross in their traditional designs.

Awesome tattoo designs on these sites

Tribal Cross Tattoos Growing in Popularity

I don’t think it would be an exaggeration to say that “tattoos have become the heart-throb of the younger generation”.   Cross tattoos have moved from being symbols of Faith to being a sought after fashion accessory where you can truly display your style and individuality.

The younger generation tends to favour classical tribal cross tattoos, based on the Celtic Cross and the floral tribal cross tattoo designs.

The winged angel cross tattoo, which is often seen on the lower backs of many girls today was derived from the simple angel wings cross tattoo design. Being designed for women, these tattoos symbolise love and faith.

Tribal cross tattoos were conventionally inked using black ink.  Color added to tribal cross tattoos gives a delicate, more feminine touch.

Including color to tribal cross tattoos highlights the unique blend of tradition and fashion.

Guys tend to favour broad and relatively large tribal cross tattoos compared to girls, who prefer smaller, more discreet tribal cross tattoos on areas such as ankles, wrists or neck.

Combining other images with a tribal cross tattoo design, such as angels on both sides of the cross, can add a greater impact to the original tattoo design.  The fact that certain angel designs are closely associated with certain crosses can make the tattoo even more meaningful.  Tribal cross tattoos can be either bold and plain or have added personal images incorporated into the tattoo design.  In my opinion, tribal cross designs are an easy design to customize to your own taste and life experience.

I am not sure whether the popularity of tribal cross tattoos is because of the great  designs available or because so many celebrities proudly display tribal cross tattoos.  Maybe, it’s a bit of both?

One well known tribal cross design can be seen covering the back of David Beckham, the well-known England footballer.  Many other personalities including Justin Timberlake, Britney Spears, Robbie Williams, Drew Barrymore and Christian Slater also have unique tribal cross tattoos adorning their bodies.

Have a look at the examples of tribal cross tattoos below. 

For further information of tribal cross tattoos check out the review page.

Celebrity Tribal Cross Tattoos Gallery

Justin Timberlake's tribal cross tattoo

Robbie Williams has numerous tattoos including tribal cross tattoos

Drew Barrymore has a feminine, sexy tribal cross tattoo - perfect for women

David Beckham showing off his tribal cross back tattoo

Have a look at tribal snake tattoo info