The origin of the Celtic cross tattoo designs has been lost in history. The Celts did not keep written records, yet they have a unique oral history that was handed down to the Roman times and the these designs can be traced back to then. The first mention of the Celts as wildly tattooed people, appears in 400AD, after a battle with the Italians, and the cross can be traced back to their first work with stone and metals during the previous century.
The Book of Kells is a manuscript of Celt artwork and many of the these designs seen today are taken from this book. This volume of ancient images is filled with the intricate Celtic knots, and geometric designs of the Celts textiles, pottery, and paintings, and the standing stones, or stone crosses that dot their homelands.Celtic cross tattoo designs have been traced back to the Druids who used the symbolism of the cross with its four equal points as representative of the four natural elements, earth, wind, fire, and water. The center circle is the symbol of unending life, and the natural relationship between life and death. The Celtic crosses feature other symbols pf supernatural power as well.
