The most popular meaning of the claddagh tattoo is friendship, love and loyalty. In fact, this traditional Irish symbol has been used since ancient times to express attachment for another person, especially if they were a loved one or best friend.
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In the 18th century, during Penal times in Ireland, the claddagh ring became a promise of love or loyalty toward one’s country.
So if you are looking for a tattoo with a meaningful symbolism the Claddagh tattoo is your best choice! In this article we will talk about its meaning and symbolism and how to get a tattoo.
History of the Claddagh Tattoo
The origin of this tattoo is lost in time, even though there are many symbols with similar meaning to the claddagh ring, but there are no certain data about its beginnings. It is believed that the symbol was probably brought out by monks who lived during the first centuries A.D., and it was initially used as a Christian symbolism to represent love, fidelity and friendship. Even if it’s hard to date his birth, for sure we know that since 1700s Irish people started using this beautiful design as engagement or wedding rings.
This particular tattoo can express so many different things because not only it has Irish roots but also French and English origins which lead to create something truly unique.
Claddagh Rings Tattoo
The most popular meaning of the claddagh tattoo is friendship, love and loyalty. The hands represent friendship, while the heart represents loyalty and love. So if you want to get a tattoo with some symbolic meaning this design is perfect for you because it has many different symbols in one image. It can be customized in many ways depending on your preferences, your beliefs or even your religion.
One of the most important things about this Irish symbol is that it never changes its meaning through time even though new symbolic aspects are added over time like elements like the crown which actually stands for allegiance, fidelity and honor (it also dates back to ancient times) .
What’s so special about Claddagh tattoos?
The claddagh tattoo is a very popular choice when it comes to body art. This particular symbol has a lot of different meanings and can be customized in many ways, especially if you choose to work with an artist who’s going to make you a one-of-a-kind design.
You can read more about the symbolism of this beautiful design here .
So, if you are looking for something meaningful that will represent your personality or even your faith then this is definitely the right choice! In fact, people from all over the world wear claddagh rings which proves how popular it is today. What makes these rings so special is the legend behind them which tells us how they came into existence. Of course there are many different versions of this story but the most popular one tells us about the friendship of Richard Joyce and Grace Kelly.
According to this legend, after falling in love with a beautiful Irish girl called Katherine Brady, Richard decided to buy her a claddagh ring as sign that he wanted to marry her some day. When she passed away, Richard was so upset that he kept the ring on top of his fireplace for many years until one day someone came into his house and stole it! After discovering this terrible news, Richard had enough courage to go out and find new love which lead him on another road trip around Europe where he met another woman who became his wife.
