Click Here For an Elite Portfolio of Award Winning Heart Tattoos
Click Image For More DesignsAcross the world, heart tattoo designs can be found in abundance due to their deep rooted symbolism of love and togetherness. Historians have traced the heart symbol prior to the Ice Age however, it is inconclusive of what the symbol actually meant back then.
In Greece, from 600 to 400 B.C., people used a heart symbol to represent a lyre, an adored musical instrument. Around the same time, the heart became associated with Eros who was the god over erotic love.
However, it is believed that the primary reason for the heart symbol being associated with romantic love is traced to Cyrene in North Africa. In the 7th century, the city became an incredibly profitable destination on world trade routes due to a heart-shaped seed, now extinct that belonged to the fennel family.
The magical seed had one very beneficial side effect being that it was a natural, obtainable birth control method. Couple could share more intimate moments without the concerns of bringing another mouth to feed into the family.
With the Christianity arrival, the heart symbol began to adopt a religious significance. The early Christians used the heart to represent the virtue of charity, which translated to love. Later came the “sacred heart”, a wounded symbol that had displaced a heavenly light which came to be a representation of Christ and his love. This became quite a popular symbol during the Middle Ages and is still used today to symbolize salvation, peace and unity.
Christians were not the ones to monopolize this symbol though, Hindus, Aztecs, Muslims, Buddhists, Jews, Taoists and Celts gave the heart their own significance. The heart symbol is even portrayed in Voodoo arts, representing Erzuli, the spirit of beauty, purity and love. From the period of 1000 to 1400 A.D., the heart symbol was assigned to medieval heraldry to signify clarity and sincerity.
Since the beginning of the 1900s, heart tattoo designs have always been significant. It was common to see sailors and soldiers wearing a heart tattoo with the word “mom” in it or the name of a significant other. At the same time, it was just as popular to see a heart housing the name of a loved one who had passed on as a tribute or remembrance.
Click Here For an Elite Portfolio of Award Winning Heart Tattoos
Although there are literally hundreds of heart variations, there are a few that have remained quite popular through the years.
Sacred Heart – There are a few different looks to the sacred heart tattoo but it typically portrays a heart that is surrounded with thorns and a flame that appears to be escaping from the top. Those that wear a sacred heart are usually showing devotion religiously or as a symbol of strength.
Locked Heart – A heart and key tattoo is popular with couple who want to share a form of permanent symbol for their relationship. One partner will get a tattoo of a locked heart while the other gets a tattoo of the keys belonging to the lock.
Broken Heart – These tattoos are commonly chosen by those suffering from either an unrequited love or from the death of a loved one. These types of heart tattoo designs will often incorporate the person’s name or a date.
Named Heart – Made popular by sailors and soldiers, a heart with the name of a loved one is a symbol of devotion to someone special in your life.
Pierced Heart – A heart tattoo that is either pierced with a dagger or something similar can have various meanings from sorrow to bravery to power. It usually is a suggestion that the wearer experienced some type of grief or struggle.
Celtic Heart – These stunning pieces of art include intricate knot work that loops around the image. These are popular as a cuff or an ankle band.
Keyshia Cole – Singer wears her heart on her right shoulder.Lily Cole – Model/actress has a heart tattoo on the inside of her right wrist.Eve – Rapper displays a heart with words on it on her right arm.Jennifer Finnigan – Actress hides her heart on her right hip.Jill Kelly – Adult film star shows off her heart tattoo on her right buttock.Kelly Osborne – Ozzy’s daughter has a heart on her lower stomach.Monique Sluyter – Centerfold model wear a heart on her left shoulder.Tila Tequila – Model displays a heart on each arm that are accompanied by other tattoos.Sara Weston – Model has a heart tattoo on her lower back.Serena Williams – Tennis player wears a heart on the back of her neck.Click Here For an Elite Portfolio of Award Winning Heart Tattoos
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