Tribal tattooing has experienced a reoccurrence in the past decade or so. These black tattoos that adorn all parts of the body represent the ferocity of the warrior and are inked in to instill fear in the heart of their opponents. The tribal tattoo was originally conceived to show the wealth or status of a warrior and their family to others in their tribe, but was seen as a psychological weapon by its wearers when tales of ‘marked men’ being the attacker of armies spread amongst neighboring tribes and marauding Europeans. Tribal tattoos and face painting before a battle was a custom that brought down the common man of the tribe and made him a fierce warrior that all should fear. Today tribal tattooing has gone beyond its original purpose and the black swirls and other characters associated with tribal markings is now at the artist’s whim.

The Celts are the most famous of tribal tattoo designs. They even have their own cult following that were the original continuing knot design. Either in an interest to preserve the Celtic heritage or just a desire to get a hot tattoo, people of all ages have invested in the Celtic tattoo more than any other tribal tattoo. The Romans even made a remark when they invaded the Celtic homeland that the tribal tattoos of the Celtics were some of the most beautiful, intricate body art they have ever come across.

The Haida tribe reigned in the North West American continent for thousands of years. Their style of tribal tattoo represented their lifestyle and beliefs. Talismans such as the earth and stars were incorporated into their artwork. Nature is represented by tokens such as the fish, bear, wolf, and beaver. They were one with nature and their tribal tattoo represented what they believe in. If your talisman was a wolf, then your tribal tattoo would have a wolf incorporated in it. These tattoos were very masculine and forceful. If not to fear an opponent, they were created to show what kind of man and what kind of character the man had that wore them.

Another popular tribal design is from the Marquesan people of the Polynesian islands. This tribe was fierce and would often eat the bodies of their enemies. They were a formidable enemy even without the thought that you might end up for lunch. Their bodies were completely covered with tattoos and were there to not only to frighten their enemies but also to tell the story of their village and their life. The tribal tattoos would tell you how many the warrior had defeated in battle and how many children they had. Other tribal tattoos would relay the history of the village describing things like battles and storms.

Today, as mentioned earlier, the tattoo applier has artistic freedom when coming up with these designs. Usually done in black or dark blue ink, the designs can still spark fear if not wonder by the beholder. Some tattoo enthusiasts have gone to the extreme and turned their whole body into a canvas for these tribal tattoos. The imagination and creativity of both the wearer and the tattoo artist is the only boundary to what tribal tattoo you can come up with.