Tribal Tattoo Designs - The Most Popular Tattoos in the World

Tribal tattoo designs are among the most ancient and the most popular in the world. Just imagine: every third person who makes a tattoo design chooses a them. One of the secrets is that tribal tattoos have a great number of meaning that mostly depends on the region, culture and the form and style itself. So everyone can choose a tribal tattoos that will pass to his character and will reveal his personality and individuality. Furthermore, they always look stylish, they are thousands of years old and they will never go out of fashion.

Tribal tattoo designs were made since the most ancient times. The name "tribal" says for itself. They are popular all over the world though they differ significantly from culture to culture. Tribal designs can be easily distinguished by wide black lines often symmetrically oriented.
Tribal tattoos had different meanings but they always revealed the status of the owner and were never made without meaning. For Indian tribes tattoos were symbols of their beliefs and spirit. In earlier times tattoos were also often made as signs of protection. For Hawaiians such designs were mark of identification, as today's passports. They showed the origin and the place of the owner in social hierarchy. For Polynesians tattoo designs were sacred because they were closely connected with their religion and beliefs. Tattoos in Polynesia are a tradition that lasts for thousand years. Tattoo masters always were highly respected an tattoos themselves were a privilege of priests and chiefs. Such traditional tattoo designs were made with shark teeth and fish bones and always revealed the social status of their owner.

Different animals are mostly often used in tribal tattoos. Earlier animals often were totems. Nowadays the choice of animal also determines the meaning of the design. Butterflies symbolize lightness and at the same time immortality of spirit. They are mostly made by women because of their beauty, but in some cultures butterflies symbolize the soles and are butterfly tattoos are made in remembrance of relatives or beloved people. Bear tattoo designs symbolize power and at the same time good nature. Men often make them for luck.

Eagles are often associated with freedom and might. On the whole, animal tattoo is usually chosen by the character of the animal, because they reveal and emphasize the main traits of the owner and his individuality. In earlier times tattoos were often though to have magic meaning that's why the choice was especially important. Today form, size and style of the design also matters. But of course the meaning of tribal tattoo designs also depends on the cultural background. One and the same animal could be a symbol of war for American Indians and a totem for Polynesians. So, nowadays the meaning of tribal design is very individual. The choice of tattoo can tell you a lot about the person. Tribal tattoos not only look stylish they have a deep meaning and reveal the individual character of the owner.