All of us are fascinated with our past. Whether we enjoy reliving the good old days during a nostalgic chat with old friends or we love tracing our roots and genealogy back hundreds of years, the past fascinates us. In fact, many people find their past and their family history so intriguing that they get tattoos so that everyone, including themselves, can enjoy it in a more public fashion. There are four main types of family history tattoo, and each one is unique and special for a different reason.
Coats of Arms Tattoos
Coats of arms come in several different varieties. They tend to be modeled after a shield, and may have animals, plants or even people on them. They are highly symbolic. For example, a coat of arms tattoo with a lion on it often indicates bravery, while one with a snake can symbolize cunning and slyness. Coats of arms symbolism is also highly interactive, and the various elements of the design often work together to indicate a family's slogan or motto. If you want to be sure that people understand how all the elements of your coat of arms fit together, then you may want to place your family motto above or below your coat of arms tattoo on a separate scroll tattoo. Family mottos can have to do with pride, honor, bravery or personality traits that the family finds important. Often people write them in Latin to accompany their coat of arms, and if you do not have a historically documented motto, then you can make up your own or choose one. Popular family mottos include sentiments like Fortis et Fidelis (Strong and Faithful) and Fortuna Juvat Audaces (Fortune favors the Brave).
Family Tree Tattoos
Some people have such a good time exploring their family history and learning about the members of their family tree that they get family tree tattoos. These often are highly stylized, and they generally are designed to resemble bonsai trees or other types of trees that have many branches. Generally a family tree tattoo bears the names of family members in ornate lettering and is fairly difficult to examine closely, but creates a beautiful image of a tree “often flowering or in full leaf” from far away. If you are going to get a family tree tattoo, it is best to get it in an area that has a lot of room. A small family tree can take up your entire shoulder area, and a detailed one can require your entire back. Work carefully with the tattoo artist to make sure that names are spelled correctly and that details are worked in so that they will not fade over time and become illegible.
Portrait Tattoos
Often people get portrait tattoos to help them feel closer to their ancestors and relatives. Popular portrait tattoos include images of grandparents who have passed on or other relatives that the tattoo owner either admires or misses. Portrait tattoos can help a person deal with a loved ones death by helping them feel that they are remembering that person and keeping them near. Portrait tattoos and memorial tattoos are very similar, and are often gotten for similar reasons. They help keep a memory alive and also help the person who has the tattoo move on with their life without feeling like they have forgotten the person in the portrait tattoo.
Personal Designs
Of course, it is only appropriate that family history tattoos should be deeply personal, and there are many tattoo designs that are actually family history tattoos that you would never guess had any family history behind them unless you asked. People often get images of animals that make them think of favorite things that they did with loved ones or even landscape tattoos of places that are special to their families. Also, sometimes people use culturally influenced designs, such as Celtic knot work or tribal art that has personal meaning or that they identify with in some manner to symbolize something special in their family. For example, a flock of ducks might appear to indicate a love of the wild, but in reality symbolize a much-loved family story about a family member who has passed on.
All family history tattoos are deeply personal, but they are also usually intended to elicit questions and curiosity. In order to be sure that your family history tattoo gets the attention that it deserves, you may wish to place it in a spot that is fairly easily visible. Often family history tattoos go on people's shoulders because they can be hidden while the person is at work, but easily displayed during leisure time. Other people get them on their backs, which allow for more elaborate designs but are less easy to show off. When you get a family history tattoo, remember that ultimately it is for your enjoyment. Be sure that it is a tattoo design that you will enjoy looking and talking about for years to come.
