Viking tattoos are other Norse-inspired ink are extremely popular right now. If you’re considering getting one, here’s some visual inspiration. Enjoy!
Despite their origins more than 1,000 years ago, both the Viking Age and Norse mythology have a massive cultural impact today.
From the growing popularity of viking names to the reenactment societies all across the world and major movies and TV shows, Norse history is everywhere.
Viking tattoo inspiration
The mystique surrounding Viking culture and what we know about how they lived still remains relevant today. Many people of Norwegian heritage choose to get a tattoo to show their pride.
To demonstrate that pride, many people do a lot more than wearing short-sleeved tops! They take to Instagram and Pinterest to show off their ink. But, the best designs can be hard to find.
So, on this page, we’ve gathered together some inspiring photographs of real Viking tattoos from people all over the world. If you’re planning on getting inked, this is the post for you!
Did Vikings have tattoos?
There’s no hard evidence that tattoos were commonplace in the Viking age. Because skin is so fragile, it almost never survives in burials. We do know from Arabic observer that the Rus, a Swedish Viking tribe that are believed to be the ancestors of East Slavic people, had tattoos.
So while there isn’t hard proof, it does seem likely that artwork on the arm was a common feature.
Did the Vikings have coloured tattoos?
Some recent Danish archaeological research has revealed the colour palettes used by the Vikings, which range from rich reds and bright yellows to more earthy colours like greens and browns.
Colour symbolised power and wealth in the era, and it’s interesting to note that things were probably a lot more colourful than we first thought.
Viking tattoo ideas
Right, let’s get to it! We’ve scoured the internet to bring you some of the best and most interesting ink out there.
Who knew there was so many tattoos showed off on Instagram!? It’s the perfect place to grab some inspiration from days gone
And how about this impressive one? Recognise the face? It’s of course based on Australian actor Travis Fimmel from the hit TV show Vikings. He plays the part of Ragnar Lothbrok, someone whose very existence is widely debated.
Katherine Holman, writing in 2003, expressed this common opinion: “Although his sons are historical figures, there is no evidence that Ragnar himself ever lived, and he seems to be an amalgam of several different historical figures and pure literary invention.”
Norse mythology lends itself perfectly to Viking-inspired tattoos. Animals, monsters and other Norse creatures feature prominently on Instagram. I’ve seen many based on Odin’s ravens, for example.
Rune tattoos
Norse and other Germanic peoples began to write by using runic alphabets, which have come to symbolise Norse culture and heritage.
The runes functioned as letters, but they were much more than that. Each rune was a representation of some cosmic principle or power.
Of course, care should be taken when trying to spell modern words in runes. There were many different variations of Runic alphabets used in different parts of northern Europe and during different time periods, and there is rarely a 1:1 match with modern letters.
Runes were carved into stone, wood, bone, or metal, rather than drawn with ink. This helps to explains their sharp, angular shapes, which were well-suited to being carved onto hard surfaces.
Source: lifeinnorway