13th Century Flying Fish Tattoo

Recently I have been invited to give a presentation at a conference on illuminated manuscripts in Philadelphia this Fall. As a result I have been perusing their archives and this is the first image I have tattooed from a book in their library. In a 13th century French Bible this tiny winged fish flies across the top of a page of Ecclesiastes. Illuminated manuscripts often have drolleries, little illustrations in the margins placed there by the monks creating the books. The Bible this especially charming one is in is part of the collection of medieval manuscripts at the University of Pennsylvania.

13th Century Flying Fish Tattoo by Pat Fish

To see more examples of tattoos taken from historical books, check out my ILLUMINATED MANUSCRIPT TATTOOS PAGE.

And visit the CELTIC LETTER TATTOOS page at LuckyFishArt.com for illuminated letters from Celtic manuscripts.

Expanded Awakening Celtic Knot Tattoo

Recently I added triangular knots across the top of this man's back, building on a backpiece begun last year. The central knot set the scale for the pattern, so the pieces now winging off to the sides were designed to accentuate the musculature and form a cohesive whole.

Expanded 'Awakening' Celtic Knot Tattoo by Pat Fish

Here is a link to the blog post for the center piece, done in 2015: http://www.luckyfish.com/blog/awakening-celtic-knot-tattoo

Celtic Wedding Ring Tattoo Anniversary Dedication

Today, a woman came vacationing from Ireland to get this colorful knotwork ring and the Irish Gaelic phrase "My Friend, My Love, My Everything" in celebration of her 25th wedding anniversary! A native speaker of the language, she was able to be certain the romantic words were correct! We also added the rainbow of colors and the month and date of their marriage.

I'm often asked to do Celtic knot wedding ring tattoos on fingers, and my answer is always the same - Never!  They blur quickly and become a regret.  I prefer to suggest a knotwork ring like this, is a vastly superior alternative that will look good for a lifetime.

Celtic Wedding Ring Tattoo Anniversary Dedication

Slavic 'Axe of Perun - God of Thunder' Tattoo

Today a man completed this half sleeve melding several cultures' symbols for the Thunder God. The top is an Icelandic/Nordic Helm ofr Awe, Ægirshjálmur, a warrior's compass. The shape usually known as Thor's hammer here encloses a shield symbol of Perun, the Slavic thunder god,  integrated with a surrounding custom weave of Celtic knot work.

Slavic 'Axe of Perun - God of Thunder' Tattoo by Pat Fish

Of all historic records describing Slavic gods, those mentioning Perun are the most numerous. As early as the 6th century, he was mentioned . . . 20th century research has established beyond doubt that the god of thunder and lightning in Slavic mythology is Perun. To this day the word perun in a number of Slavic languages means "thunder," or "lightning bolt".

The symbol in the axe head is an example of "Gromoviti znaci or thunder marks . . . these are ancient symbols of Perun, which are often engraved upon roof beams or over entries of village houses, to protect them from lightning bolts."

- Wikipedia