Getting a tattoo is not a recent phenomenon as the practice has existed for thousands of years. Perhaps the most famous archaeological discovery was that of the discovery of the Iceman who had 57 tattoos on his body. Archaeologists estimate that this man lived about 5000 years ago. Tattooed mummies have also been unearthed in the permafrost of Altai. Tattooing was a prominent part of ancient Chinese culture and paintings that have been discovered from ancient Egypt suggest that tattooing was a part of life in the prehistory of this country.

In ancient times, tattoos were used to mark slaves and criminals. Its use declined in the Western world during the Middle Ages when the practice was condemned by the church. However, many societies and tribes in North America, Africa and Asia continued to use tattoos as body decoration, a sign of rank, a sign of mourning, as a charm to ward off evil spirits and as part of religious and ceremonial rituals. The tattooing skills achieved by the Japanese and the Maori people of New Zealand had yet to be surpassed.

The practice of having pictures and designs tattooed onto the skin was reintroduced to the West by seamen returning from America in the 16th and 17th centuries. Numerous tattoo establishments set up business in both Europe and the US. Samuel eilly, an American, invented the first electric tattoo machine in 1890. This invention sparked a renewed interest in the art of tattoo. People became interested in having various pictures and designed drawn and colored on different parts of the body. It was a common practice among sailors who frequently had their arms and chests tattooed with hearts, military insignias and religious symbols.

Henna and Mehndi were and still are the main materials used in making the colors for the tattoo ink in India, North Africa and parts of the Middle East. Copper was commonly used among the Picts of what is now the United Kingdom. In Japan, tattoos were used for various purposes at various times during the country history. It was used to communicate a person status and was the mark of punishment that criminals were forced to endure to show that had committed an illegal act. By the late 1800 this act was outlawed by the government and those with tattoos were segregated from society.

In the early tattoos of the Middle East, this was a common way of showing that a person was in mourning. A person would deliberately cut themselves and rub ash into the cut to express reverence for the deceased.

In Samoa, the tradition of applying tattoos by had has not changed from early times. Here tattoos are still applied using a tool, called an au, which is a comb made by fastening boar? teeth together onto a wooden handle and a portion of a shell. It takes many weeks to complete a tattoo in this manner and it is a very painful process.

Some religions do prohibit the use of tattoos, such as the Hebrew religion and it is specifically mentioned in the King James version of the Bible.

There are many sites online where you can get and learn about the designs of free tattoos. Home pages of the various sites have a menu that you can use to find the design you want and to learn more information about the design. When you do visit one of these sites to find a tattoo design you would like to have, there are certain things you should keep in mind. One is that the design should not be offensive when it is on a visible part of your body. The design you choose will last forever, so be careful about your choice. Don let the fact that you have consumed alcohol influence you into making a rash decision that you will later regret.

Tribal designs for tattoos have been steadily growing in popularity since the 1990. Most of these tattoos are drawn on the back where there is more space for larger designs. It is also an easy area for you to conceal a tattoo if you don’t want it to be seen by others or if the occasion demands that you not display a tattoo. When choosing a tattoo for the back area, whether it is tribal or another design, you do have to take the shape of your back into consideration. Many people choose to have a tattoo on the lower back that dips below the waistline to create a sexy look. On women, this is usually a floral design, but tribal designs also lend themselves to creating this look.

A bird with its wings spread is an excellent choice in a tattoo design for the lower back. It is also more unique than that or stars, flowers or butterflies. Many men make the mistake of having hearts tattooed on their arms containing the name of their current girlfriend. Then when the relationship ends you have a permanent reminder of the heartache and it may not be a good thing to display the name of another woman when you meet the girl of your dreams. Parents often have the names of their children tattooed on their arms, ankles or shoulders. The same thing applies to many grandparents with the names of their grandchildren. There is nothing wrong with tattooing names for these people.

Old-school designs used by early sailors, such as anchors and military insignia, are still popular tattoo designs. The mythical Phoenix and the dragon are popular Japanese designs. Many people like to have Chinese symbols in a tattoo, but in this respect you have to be very careful that you know the exact translation of the symbol. It would not be very nice to have such a tattoo thinking it meant something nice, only to find it was really an offensive word or phrase in the Chinese language.

Those with a Celtic ancestry are likely to have a tattoo of a Celtic cross or a Celtic knot. Your creativity can really shine through if you design your own tattoo and then bring it to a tattoo artist to have drawn on some part of your body. The tattoo you choose should have some significance for you and should not be something that you will later come to regret.

When you look for free tattoo designs, it is important to know which ones are the most popular if you are in the tattoo business. The most popular designs today are:

* Stars

* Butterflies

* Fairies

* Flowers

* Dragons

* Celtic and Christian crosses

* Angels

* Skulls

* Hearts

When choosing a tattoo design, you should know about the design and what it means. It is very cool to add a heart or a love symbol, but you should think twice about adding a name. This is especially true if you want to add your girlfriend name. What will happen if you break up? You are stuck with this name on your arm or whatever part of your body you have the tattoo for the rest of your life and your next girlfriend may not take too kindly to it. It is fine for a parent or grandparent to have the names of their children or grandchildren on a tattoo because these will last forever.

Tribal tattoos are also very popular today. They come in many different designs and contain a lot of black ink. This is advantageous in that black ink doesn fade as fast as other colors. These tattoos are very visual and you can easily create your own design. Because of the use if lines and interlocking designs, they are excellent for use on broad areas of the body such as the shoulders and upper arms.

Celtic tattoos with their intricate knots and crosses are quite popular as tattooed armbands. In addition to the Celtic cross, Celtic butterfly tattoos are also in demand. The butterfly is a symbol of rebirth and a person with such a tattoo is showing the world that he/she has gone through difficult times and is now ready to face life anew. Although you mat love the look of this butterfly design, it is important for you to know the meaning behind some of the various designs so that you don’t project the wrong image of yourself to others. For example, the Celtic knot is a symbol of eternity, while the Celtic trinity knot can have Christian, pagan or new age symbolism. The Celtic shamrock is not only the symbol of Ireland, but is also the symbol of the Catholic Church in Ireland. Each leaf of the shamrock has a particular meaning in a tattoo: Hope, Faith, Love and Luck.

Ci-Shen is the Chinese word for tattoo. While tattoos were traditionally used as a mark of punishment, many people now like to have small Chinese symbols tattooed on their body. When you choose one of these symbols, it is important that you thoroughly research its meaning before you get the tattoo. Make sure your translation source is reliable as some sources may use a loose translation that has no relation to the actual meaning. Japanese tattoos are usually small tattoos that can be completed in one sitting. Like the Chinese tattoos, the dragon features predominantly in the tattoos of this culture and the Phoenix is widely popular. This is a mythical creature that symbolizes justice and fidelity.