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While today it is possible to find some incredibly breathtaking tribal tattoo designs, you'll be hard pressed to experience the full, authentic art of the tribal tattoo experience in commercial America. Now, electric tattoo machines and high tech and high quality inks have replaced sticks, styluses, bone needles and plant dyes of the modern tattoos ancient ancestors. Modern tattoo artists have replaced the shaman and medicine folk of old.

The History of the Tribal Tattoo Design

Most likely, the very first tattoo happened on accident. All it takes is a few rowdy primitives playing around the fire. It wouldn't take long for someone to fall in, get poked with a charred stick and later heal before they realized that they were on to something. The news probably spread as fast as the fires that prompted the invention. As a matter of fact, it is rumored that the first tattoos were of the sun or flames in honor of the sun god(s).

There were three major factors that took the practice of tribal tattooing from the realm of art and into the plane of the spiritual: Pain, Permanence and Loss of the Life Source (blood). This mystical trio elevated the tattoo from mere art and transformed it into a chance to draw people into a relationship with God, a god, magic powers, or a trance or vision state.

Because body and soul were generally thought to be identical to one another, your tattoos then existed on two planes: the physical and spiritual realms. Many of the tribes from Borneo believed that tattoos would not only be enough to get them to the proper spirit world, but that their tattoos also offered them special qualifications for advantageous occupations upon their arrival.

It has been found that most (if not all) primitive tribes used some form of body marking, be they tattoos, scarifications or the use of plain, temporary body paints. This art prevailed worldwide until the arrival of civilization as we know it, when the tattoo fell into a temporary loss of popularity.

Times May Change, But The Reasons Stay the Same

In ancient times, tribal tattoo art was popular for many of the same reasons it is so alluring today. Tribal tattoos were employed for many motives.

To Identify Clans, Tribes and Families

Originally (and hence the name) tribal tattoos were employed to identify and group tribes, clans and families together. Not only did this enable you to easily identify one another, or recognize distant relatives, but it was generally believed that your tattoos would allow you to find your tribe and join it again in the afterlife. Today, fraternal orders, gangs, members of the military and other organizations also have designed tattoos that are recognizable to their fellow brothers and sisters.

Marriage Tattoos

In addition to a tribal tattoo, ancient men and women may also wear a marriage tattoo. Not only would this serve the same function as the modern day wedding ring (as a witness to your commitment to another), but again, would allow you to find your spouse in the afterlife. This was understandably important when husbands and wives would cross the veil several years apart from one another. In modern times, this form of tribal tattoo is still prevalent, and you will often see spouses and life-mates with matching tattooed armbands, rings, initials, and hearts as a permanent witness to their love and fidelity.

Rites of Passage

Ancient adolescents approaching maturity would often come under the prick of the tribal tattoo point before being socially accepted as an adult. A woman who couldn't bear the pain of a tattoo would be unfit for the impending pain of childbirth making her unacceptable for marriage. A young man who couldn't take it would be seen as unfit for battle or hunting, often dooming him to the role of outcast. Today, many teenagers eagerly await (or don't wait) their eighteenth birthday and celebrate their entrance to adulthood by getting a tattoo.

Totem Animal Guardianship

Many tribal tattoos were administered as proof of the power of certain totem animals over the lives of those they chose to guard and bless. This was especially true amongst Pacific Northwest Native American tribes and the Druids and Celtic people of the British Isles. Being bestowed with a totem animal guardian was a two-fold blessing- not only would you gain the strengths and abilities of the totem animal, but the tattoo also served as a mysterious link between the animal spirit and the bearer of its marks. Different animals provided different strengths and virtues to their receiver. Today, animal tattoos are wildly popular. Lower backs, upper backs, shoulders and arms abound which have been decorated with gentle butterflies, fearsome dragons, and deadly scorpions in hopes that these creatures merits will take hold.

Magical Reasons

Probably the most documented and understood of the magically charged tribal tattoos was for the purpose of love spells and charms. These tattoo magicians would mix special herbs and potent concoctions to their dyes and would apply the tattoo to a small, generally hidden area to activate the magic. Generally, these tattoos were kept hidden because it would be foolish for an old married woman to go around wearing the marks of a foolish youth. Today, who doesn't know someone who knows someone with an ex's name tattooed somewhere, whether they've covered it or removed now or not?

You can find a tribal style fairy, Hawaiian themed designs, African inspired prints, and Celtic crosses (both pagan and Christian), and even Maori facial tribal art. But it appears that the ancient superstition still prevails.

Why are Tribal Designs so Popular?

The popularity of tribal tattoos lies in the meaning behind them. In ancient times, tattoos were used for two primary reasons: to mark a person as a member (or nonmember) of the local group or to express religious, magical or spiritual beliefs and convictions. Those same reasons a prompting more and more men and women to seek out tribal art tattoos.

The appeal lies in the fact that having this tribal art, regardless of the symbol or the country of origin, is that it helps us to reinforce our positive feelings about ourselves, and allows us to connect in some way to an element of mysterious ancient activity. By simply limiting the number of colors you use and the way your lines are drawn and suddenly, a simple dragon, butterfly or eagle has transformed itself into a totem to be worn proudly and permanently.

The Final Destination for Your Tribal Design

Fortunately for tribal art enthusiasts, there is hardly any place where a tribal tattoo CANT go!

Probably the most popular of all is the armband, be they flames, barbed wire or intricate knot work. Tribal suns are great for chests and shoulders. There are tons of tribal designs that are ideal circling places like navels and nipples. There is also some really amazing tribal art designed for the upper back, and some very seductive pieces fashioned to adorn the lower back or tailbone area.

The fact remains that when it comes to tribal tattooing, it can work for anyone- male or female, young or old. All you need is a little creativity and a great design!!

The selection of your tattoo design may be, in the end, the most important part of the entire process of getting a tattoo. When you are picking out a tattoo design, there are many factors involved that often people do not consider until it is too late and their tattoo design determines what and where the tattoo ultimately looks like instead of personal preference. When you are selecting a tattoo design, start out slowly and be methodical. Remember, this is a permanent piece of art that not only will be visible on your skin forever, but that you will often be asked to explain and relate to yourself and your life. A tattoo is a permanent expression of yourself, so follow these steps to insure that the expression is exactly what you wanted it to be.

1.Investigate tattoo styles, tattoo images and tattoo symbolism.

When you get a tattoo, that piece of art is a personal expression about yourself. Even if you get it as a joke, it is still an integral part of your body for the rest of your life. As a result, you need to be sure that you get a tattoo design that symbolizes things about you. Look online to find images that you like, then investigate those images to make sure that you understand their symbolism, if they have any. The symbolism of the images and the things that they symbolize to you do not have to be the same, but a tattoo of a symbol that indicates a certain thing to a large portion of the population can influence the way people view you. For example, regardless of why you got a swastika tattooed on you, people who saw it would assume certain things about your opinions when it comes to race. While this is an extreme example, other types of tattoos also can have major significance to certain portions of the population, such as military honors and military tattoos, so you should be sure to understand the conventional symbolism behind your tattoo design as well as your personal tattoo history.

2.Consider the ramifications of the location of your tattoo.

Deciding where to put your tattoo will influence its appearance in a major way. For example, if you want a tattoo on the back of your ankle, then it will need to be far smaller and much simpler than a tattoo on your shoulder would have to be. Also, depending on your profession, you might need to pick an area of your body that can be covered up with professional clothing. While tattoos in the workplace have become far more common particularly with the explosion of patriotic tattoos after September 11, 2001, some offices still discourage them and may even react negatively to you during a job interview if you have one.

3.Interview and Investigate Tattoo Parlors and Artists

Selecting a clean, safe and inviting tattoo parlor is a critical part of your tattoo process, as is finding an artist whose work you like and who is willing to work with you to create the best tattoo possible for you. While artistic originality is as important among tattoo artists as it is among any other segment of the artistic population, you need a tattoo artist who is willing to work with you to give you the perfect tattoo, and that likely means that you need an artist who is willing to use a stencil and color guide for guidance if it will help them achieve the look that you want. Be polite about requesting this, but do not bend on this issue if you want to be sure that your tattoo looks just like you have envisioned it. However, remember that some artists view stencils as an issue of artistic integrity, so if you come across an artist that will not use a stencil no matter what, then politely accept this decision and continue investigating your options elsewhere.

4.Get that perfect tattoo!

Once you have the perfect tattoo design and the perfect tattoo location to go along with the perfect tattoo artist, then it is time to get that perfect tattoo design. Be sure that you are prepared before your tattooing session. Get plenty of rest, and eat a healthy, but not too heavy meal. Also, drink plenty of water and avoid alcohol and drugs prior to tattooing, since these can cause major health complications and even make your tattoo hurt much worse than it should.

The praying hands found in many Christian pieces of art were originally created by Albrecht Drer, a German painter, printmaker and theorist from Nuremberg. It was commissioned as an altarpiece called ''Hands of the Apostle'' by the mayor of Frankfurt in 1508. (There is a rumor that the hands are modeled on the hands of Drer's brother. The story goes that his brother supported Drer's art by working in the mines. However, this is just an urban legend.) A later version of these praying hands appeared in another piece if Drer's work, only this time as the hands of an apostle standing at an empty grave looking heavenwards at the coronation of the Virgin Mary. The original was destroyed by fire in 1729, but a copy of the altarpiece, as well as some earlier sketches survived. Today, Drer's ''Hands of the Apostle'' can be seen all over the world in paintings, t-shirts, jewelry and other depictions of Christian faith.

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The Scarab Beetle is a dung beetle, which rolls balls of animal dung along the ground. These balls are rolled into holes that the beetles dig in the ground. The beetle then deposits its larvae in the dung ball which - when hatched, feed upon the dung. According to Egyptian mythology, the dung beetle rolling his ball of dung along the ground was thought to mimic the Sun's heavenly circuit across the sky during the day and its daily self-renewal. It was believed that a sacred symbolic Scarab carrying a Solar disk on itsback, represented the Sun's cycle through the sky.

During the time of the Egyptians, stone-carved scarabs were used as magical amulets and protective talismans to aide its wearer with the power of "eternal renewal of life." Scarabs were also employed as talismans and royal seals. The winged scarab was used in Egyptian funeral rites. When the long linen strips covering mummies have been unwrapped, many small charms and amulets have been uncovered. Foremost among them have been sacred Scarab beetles.

The ancient Egyptians believed that Khepri renewed the sun every day before rolling it above the horizon, then carried it through the other world after sunset, only to renew it, again, the next day. Some New Kingdom royal tombs exhibit a threefold image of the sun god, with the beetle as symbol of the morning sun. The astronomical ceiling in the tomb of Ramses VI portrays the nightly "death" and "rebirth" of the sun as being swallowed by Nut, goddess of the sky, and re-emerging from her womb as Khepri.

In Aesop's fable "The Dung Beetle and the Eagle", the eagle kills a hare despite the beetle's appeals. The beetle takes revenge by twice destroying the eagle's eggs. The eagle, in despair, flies up to Olympus and places her latest eggs in Zeus's lap, beseeching the god to protect them. When the beetle finds out what the eagle has done, it stuffs itself with dung, goes straight up to Zeus and flies right into his face. Zeus is startled at the sight of the unpleasant creature and jumps to his feet. The eggs are broken. Zeus then learns of the beetle's plea which the eagle had ignored. He scolds the eagle and urges the beetle to stay away from the bird. But his efforts to persuade the beetle fail; so he changes the breeding season of the eagles to take place at a time when the beetles are not above ground.

As tattoo designs, Scarab Beetles are symbols of the cycle and power of the sun, of resurrection and the after-life. They are lucky amulets for protection and will help guide one successfully into the afterlife. Scarab Beetles are often shown with falcons wings, and these special Scarabs ensured that an individual would be able to persuade Osiris to let them into the Afterlife regardless of what they might have done that was less than virtuous in life.

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