Tribal tattoos are an effective way to honor your culture and feel closer to your ancestors, yet it’s essential to understand their symbolic meaning before inking one on.
Tattooing Kokopelli as part of their tribal tattoo design can be an excellent way to show your sense of optimism and love for your family.
Polynesian tribal tattoos
tattoos served multiple functions: to express rank, family heritage, achievements, and decorative or ceremonial purposes. For instance, warriors would wear feathered headdresses to intimidate enemies. Different birds have different symbolic meanings, so it is wise to research its meaning before getting one done.
Stylized tribal lizards are popularly featured in Polynesian tattoos. They symbolize estate, or human form, while also serving as protection from gods or spirits, who often appear in the form of lizards to humans.
Tribal tattoos can be an expressive way of showing your faith. Your leg makes an ideal canvas for Polynesian designs that you can choose from. Many feature thick black lines to further add visual interest and are perfect for men who want to share their beliefs artistically.
Native American tribal tattoos
Native American tribes were notoriously private communities, and tattoos often had special significance within each clan. Like a secret code, tattoos could reveal which tribe an individual belonged to and their rank within it. Additionally, they served to identify women by the type of animal tattooed on their bodies, such as buffalo for Plains tribes or coyotes in Southwest tribes.
Many cultures revere feathers for both decorative and spiritual reasons. For example, Aztec warriors adorned themselves with eagle feathers before battle to frighten opponents while channeling their strength. Different feather designs carry different connotations.
Tribal tattoos featuring flowers have long been a symbol of beauty, life, and growth – perfect for honoring heritage while feeling closer to ancestors and your past.
Lion tribal tattoos
Lion tattoos are an iconic sign of strength and courage, often used as a mark of leadership and displayed proudly on the back, shoulders, or chest. Representing one of nature’s apex predators, inking a lion tattoo can show your cultural heritage while celebrating your heritage with pride.
Some tribes used lion markings to determine marital status or social hierarchy, while others employed them to mark achievements or commemorate an accomplishment.
Many people combine lion tattoos with symbols such as crosses or dragons to accentuate their meaning. Combining the two could symbolize royalty and faith or the balance between masculinity and femininity.
Another popular choice among men and women alike is finger lions, which pack all the power of full-sized ones yet fit comfortably on one’s hand. Such tattoos have quickly become very trendy over recent years.
Owl tribal tattoos
Numerous cultures worldwide associate owls with wisdom, power, knowledge, and the afterlife. Owl tribal tattoos make the perfect statement about intelligence, intuition, and spirituality, making an owl an excellent symbol.
This type of tattoo requires more detailed work, making it suitable for larger areas on the body such as shoulders, chests, biceps, or even full forearm sleeves. A complete owl design may take anywhere between 2 hours to 15 hours to complete.
Before getting a tattoo, it’s essential to research the symbols and patterns associated with your culture. Each one has a specific meaning that could significantly impact its final look and feel, as well as consideration of where exactly to place the design.
