The most popular tattoo designs are those of tribal tattoos. This is the name given to the style of tattoos that were the norm with the peoples living in Africa and in the islands in the Pacific Ocean. It is really easy to recognize the designs because they are characterized by dark lines that form symmetrical patterns. Most of the time such designs are done in black and skin tone colors, but occasionally there can be bright colors involved to make the tattoos more visible on the skin. There is no particular object associated with a tribal tattoo although today they are often in the designs of animals and birds.
The tribes that wore these tattoos in the parts of the world did not do so for style. Rather wearing a tattoo was a symbol of power. Among the Samoan tribes of the South Pacific, becoming a man meant having virtually all of the skin of the body covered with tattoos. Any man who did not have tattoos was treated as an outcast by the tribe.
Having their bodies tattooed was one of the ways in which Indian tribes in North America prepared for battle with their enemies. In Burma, it was important to have a tattoo on the chest over the area of the heart because it was the belief of the people that a tattoo on this part of the body would protect them from being killed by a bullet. Thus, the concept of tribal tattoos is very symbolic and not just a matter of being in fashion by having a tattoo.
The custom of using the patterns of tribal tattoos was not found in the Western World prior to the 1990's. The very first use of this pattern was for the Los Angeles rock band by Leo Zuleta. Pretty soon it evolved into a trend linked to rock music and everybody needed to have a tribal tattoo.
There's no particular section of the body where tribal tattoos ought to be located. Even so, if you're thinking about getting one of these designs, you might want to give it careful thought. The tattoo of a bat, for instance, can have different connotations determined by where you reside if you want to remain true to the original intention of the design. To the American Indian, the bat was regarded as being a trickster and to have such a tattoo meant that you were an individual that couldn't be relied on. In contrast, to the tribes of the South Pacific, the bat came to be adored and the symbol was given a location of significance on the body.
Since tribal tattoos are permanent, they are not designs you should take lightly when you decide you want to have a tattoo. Make sure that the design you choose is something that you can live with because you will have it for the rest of your life. They are usually quite large and cover a large portion of the part of the body where you choose to have one. There are literally thousands of designs to choose from and some of these are designed for specific parts of the body.
For lots of tribal tattoo ideas, as well as examples of tribal tattoo designs, visit TattoosDesigns.net
