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

Fluid Celtic Sleeve Tattoo

Today a woman with stamina and grit finished the second of two symbolic Celtic sleeves. The right side was previously done with flames and knots, and today the color went in the left side, a triskelion of water interlaced with knots. Now she has two matching, complementary, elemental tattoos that complement the back piece I did on her in 2001. A dream client!

Fluid Celtic Sleeve Tattoo by Pat Fish

Here is a link to the original blog post for the Flaming Celtic Sleeve Tattoo

Matching Celtic Elemental Sleeve Tattoos by Pat Fish

'Life Source' Celtic Tattoo

Today a woman requested this tattoo surrounded by a phrase that is the title of a walking song that J R R Tolkien wrote for Bilbo Baggins to sing in The Hobbit. The knot forms a ring, and is dot shaded and colored to bring out the intricate looping pattern. A fine leg embellishment for an adventuress whose life may be filled with travels.

'Life Source' Celtic Tattoo by Pat FIsh

'Fraternal Loyalty' Knotwork Celtic Tattoo

Today a young man and his family made a very long trek to come and get him his first tattoo. He wanted something symbolizing for him the loyalty felt by brothers, the support and interconnectedness. This design begins with a Celtic knotwork triskelion, extended to spirals, that lets the inner knot be precise and the outer area express movement. Using tiny dots for the blue coloration gives an extra dimension of texture. All in all, an excellent choice for a first tattoo.

'Fraternal Loyalty' Knotwork Celtic Tattoo by Pat Fish