Egyptian Tattoos

Egyptian tattoos are the symbols used to write ancient Egyptian language.  They were based on symbols that were a known has objects; this writing system is one of the oldest in the world.  The Egyptians called them “Gods Words”.  The Greeks were the first to discover them.  They would call them hiera grammata (the sacred letters), or hieroglyphica (the sacred carved letters).  Egyptians had three main tattoos that most people would get.  First would be the Ankh hieroglyph, which symbolized “life” or ‘”the breath of life”.  Second the Eye of Horus, which means all-seeing eye.  And finally is the Scarab, which Egyptians believed that you would have immortality if you got this tattoo.

Egyptian tattoos are in fact considered the original tattoos, as Egyptians are believed to have introduced the art of tattooing to the world. Evidences of this form of body art have been derived from the ancient Egyptian mummified bodies.
The most prominent ones are the ‘dashes and dots’ patterns on females. The various reasons for using tattoos in the Egyptian culture were:

•     Religious
•     Medical
•     Amulet replacement
•     Decoration
•     Status sign

Even though most of the original Egyptian patterns are not prevalent today, the Egyptian symbols and Hieroglyphics are quite popular.
Common Styles in Egyptian Tattoos

Understanding the common styles will help you in choosing what suits you the best.
Egyptian Symbols:
The common Egyptian symbols translated to Egyptian tattoos today are,

•     Sun – Sun symbolizes growth and protection. The Egyptian civilization depended on the Sun for various things and hence it became the most important symbol.
•     Eye of Horus – ‘Eye of Horus’ or ‘Eye of Ra’ denotes immense power, protection, life, good luck and healing. It was used as an instrument for measuring. It was considered an all-seeing eye. This eye has been featured in the American dollar bill.
•     Ankh – Ankh denotes eternal life, health and strength.
•     Winged Solar Disk – Winged Solar Disk represents the battle form of Horus.
•     Phoenix – Phoenix is mythical firebird. It represents mystical rebirth, sun, immortality, and resurrection.

Egyptian Gods:

•     Egyptian culture had numerous Gods. However, today, the following are the popular choices for Egyptian tattoos.

•     Anubis – Anubis with Jackal’s head is believed to weigh a person’s heart to find out whether that person is worthy of the netherworld. It is considered a cool design by today’s generation.
•     Horus – Horus with Hawk’s head was Egypt’s king.
•     Seth – Seth stands to represent violence, dessert and storm. He has aggression towards enemies and loyalty to Ra, the Sun God.

Egyptian Hieroglyphics
Egyptian Hieroglyphics have alphabets and pictures in rows and columns. One can get a favorite slogan or desired message in English or any other language translated to Egyptian Hieroglyphics for a unique and eye-catching tattoo.