Tattoo Design

[gueman]

Here is a tattoo I designed. I want to know what you all think. I guess this is the first tattoo concept. It is designed to look as it is hanging off my arm. The black areas around the hands and heart will not be inked.

[nwtrailtrekker]

its kinda weird how the hands just turn into sword like things and die

but

i do think its a cool design.

all i can say is if it doesnt have a deep personal meaning to you dont print it on your arm for eternity. if it does, then by all means go ahead.

thats just the way i am about tattoos.

[A_Boy_Named_Sean]

heres mine i got a few months back

[PaperAirplane31]

I love it.

[Shumway]

For those of us who are not Irish, could you explain the significance of the crown/heart/hands?

[rmered]

For those of us who are not Irish, could you explain the significance of the crown/heart/hands?

Google search "Irish Heart Crown"

3rd Result http://www.jewelry.kaijewels.com/irish-rings.htm

The origin of this spectacular Irish ring takes us back in time to a small fishing village in Ireland. The village was called the Claddagh and that is how the Claddagh Irish ring got it's name. The time was more than 300 years ago. The boat of a fisherman from this village was raided by pirates and as was common in those days, the captives were sold as slaves. One of these slaves was Robert Joyce and he was sold to a wealthy goldsmith. Robert learnt the trade while working for his master and never forgot his beloved who lived in the Claddagh village.

While toiling through slavery Robert Joyce made a ring for his beloved. A few years later he was released from slavery and went back to his village. He presented this ring to his beloved and they were soon married. This was the first Claddagh Irish ring and was soon to become one of the most significant jewels ever made. This Irish ring has grown in popularity since then and is now a respected jewel even in countries far off from Ireland.

The Meaning Of This Irish Ring

The difficult circumstances under which the first Claddagh Irish ring was made have added to the significance of this ring. The features of these Irish rings symbolize some of the best virtues of human life. The heart held in the hands show love and the hands represent friendship and togetherness, the crown on the heart symbolises loyalty. These virtues are becoming increasingly forgotten in today's materialistic world and this is probably one of the reason why people are fascinated by this Irish ring. Change for the sake of change means little and people wish that somethings would never change.

[SnapHook]

For those of us who are not Irish, could you explain the significance of the crown/heart/hands?

Took this shot in Galway, Ireland last month...

[SDX]

Quick search brought this up

The enduring symbol of Irish affection, the Claddagh is a heart being held by a pair of hands with a crown above. The two hands represent friendship, the crown-loyalty, the heart-love.

The Claddagh ring is worn worldwide by the Irish, either on the right hand with the heart pointed outwards showing that the wearer is "free" for romance, or with the heart turned inwards to denote that his or her heart is "taken". Moved to the left hand, with the heart facing inwards, it shows that the wearer is happily married.

The original expression which accompanied the passage of the "Claddagh" was: "With these hands I give you my heart and I crown it with my love."

The ring was developed by Richard Joyce, native of Galway. He was stolen away on his wedding day, and while being transported to the plantations of the Moorish West Indies as a slave was captured by pirates in the Mediterranean. Sold to a goldsmith in Italy, he made this ring and sent it home to his bride-to-be, asking her to wait for him. He was set free in 1689 and he returned to Galway to marry his loyal beloved, and to set up shop as a jeweler.

A Dublin version of this ring appeared about 100 years ago with two hearts and two hands and no crown. This is the Fenian Claddagh.

[fonz]

Its a pretty cool symbol.

[gueman]

Well here it is. I got it about a month ago. It took a few weeks to heal and it needed a touch up too. I like it. I think I will be adding the names and birth dates of my kids in the space above the crown.

[See Red]

Yeah, something like that in the empty space above the crowd would be pretty sweet. Looks good!

[fiasco!]

nicely done, gueman.

i'm itching for my next couple tats...i decided i'm gonna get my kids' names down the front of my shins in the kanji i had done for them a while back. also, i already have an olde english D, but i'm getting another one, on my palm, just below my thumb (visual interpretation as to where Detroit is located in Michigan, which looks like the right hand).