When was the last time you truly felt excited about something? When was the time that you had adrenaline rushing through your veins? In our sedentary lifestyle, we hardly have any sort of euphoria. We just blatantly stare at the computer screen for hours and then go to bed.
The Viking tattoo will give you something to feel excited about. Seeing the visual representation of the intriguing and rich culture of the Vikings will make you feel like a warrior who is all set to crush their enemies. When you have the tattoo, you will feel like your blood is boiling. You will instantly go berserk and achieve all the things that you dream of.
Most of the Viking tattoos consist of runes and their quintessential weapons of choice. It's easy to misinterpret them as just violent depictions of masculinity but these artworks teach us the way of life. So today, we are going to dive into the fascinating journey of Viking tattoos. Hold on to your seatbelts.
Inspiring Meaning Behind Viking Tattoos That Will Help You Grow
Most people think of the Viking tattoos as portraying toxic masculinity. There are sources after sources that claim that these tattoos glorify being murderous. Some even brand the tattoo to be nothing but a visual gore fest.
However, it's far from the truth. While it's true that the Viking tattoos are gut-wrenching and full of deadly components and weapons such as axes, there is much more to them than meets the eye.
Viking tattoos teach us not to give up. If you look at most of the tattoos, you will see that it portrays how strong and fierce the Vikings are. No matter how outnumbered they are, they will fight to the death.
In the hopeless world of today, the Viking tattoo is not just another art piece, it's a necessity. The tattoo will help people to become the best version of themselves and keep their heads high at all times.
Vicious Viking Tattoo Designs To Start A Rebel
Viking culture is so vast that it is easy to get completely immersed in it. From the fearful gods to the concept of Ragnarök, there is just so much information that can be illustrated as a tattoo.
There are a couple of things that most tattoos comprise. As we will know later on in the article, weapons and armor are quintessential objects of the Viking customs. They were fierce warriors so it's obvious why they were so fascinated with them.
Another important aspect is the gods. The 3 main gods are Odin, Loki, and Thor. Many of the Viking tattoos that we will talk about will revolve around the antics of these gods. So, without further ado, let's embark on this journey of Viking tattoos that will twist both the corporeal and spiritual world.
Viking Sleeve Tattoo
The sleeve tattoos may not be much discreet but they are quite personal to the wearer. When you have the sleeve tattoo, it means that the imagery is incredibly close to you. You connect with the tattoo on a personal level.
There is nothing more intimidating than a Viking staring at you with menacing eyes. Just thinking about the scene shivers our spines. With their thick jawline and pointy helmets, Vikings appear as the ultimate men who don't have fear for anything.
Having such a picture as a tattoo portrays that you are not afraid of social conformities. You are a rebel who sets his own rules rather than blindly following others.
Viking Symbols Tattoo
In modern Scandinavia, you can find many archaeological sites which consist of symbols of the ancient Viking civilizations. These symbols are quite symmetrical which further indicates how precise and cautious these seafarers were.
One of the most distinguishable symbols of the Vikings is Valknut. This means the “knot of the slain”. Vikings are fond of war and this symbol was used to show respect to the fallen warriors. It consists of 3 combined triangles.
Another symbol that most of you will instantly recognize is Mjolnir. Because of the depiction of Thor in Marvel comics, we came to know that it's the hammer wielded by Thor. There are plenty more symbols like these in Viking culture and you are free to use any one of them.
Traditional Viking Tattoo
If you are a tattoo enthusiast, you already know what this tattoo will look like. Most traditional tattoos are full of vibrant colors to bring out a festive mood.
The modern depiction of the Vikings is quite twisted as they hardly resemble the actual culture and tradition of the Scandinavians. One of the quintessential aspects that the modern media misinterprets is the armor. We see in the movies that Vikings wear horned helmets. But that’s not true. The helmet originated in the 19th century so how can they wear it so long ago?
But as tattoo lovers, you have the luxury to depict Vikings in any way you want. No one is going to write a check to you. So, you should illustrate the bulky Vikings in any way you desire.
Viking Compass Tattoo
Without a compass, we cannot navigate where we want to go. That’s why they were the objects that saved countless lives back in the day when there was no technology.
Even the Vikings were always in desperate need of compasses. As they sailed in the seas, it was the compass that led to their destinations. When you have the tattoo, you will also be able to reach your dreams.
Viking Warrior Tattoo
All Vikings are by-born warriors. They are genetically born in such a way that they are natural fighters. Because of their immense strength and combat ability, they could destroy even the strongest of opponents.
The genetic traits aside, it's the willpower that makes Vikings fierce warriors. So, if you complain about not being tall or fit enough, you are just making excuses. Get the Viking tattoo and be ready to take over the world.
Viking Runes Tattoo
Vikings wrote in runes. These letters were very much resemblant of the Latin letters with a bit more twist and curve.
The letters are quite aesthetic and look fantastic on the body canvas. Although many runes were used by the Scandinavian people, 8 of them are believed to be the most significant. They are Fehu, Uruz, Thurisaz, Anusaz, Raidho, Kenaz, Gebo, Wunjo. Some of these letters represent the rich culture while others have more deep meaning such as the balance of all aspects in the erratic world.
Viking Head Tattoo
The head of the vikings everything. To a viking, it's the posture that can lead to victory. As long as you keep your head high, it means that you have courage and integrity.
The moment you look down is the point where you have accepted defeat. The face tattoo compels you to always keep your head high even when the time is rough. When you will be confident with yourself, everything will seem easy to you.
Viking Ship Tattoo
There were a plethora of different ship varieties found throughout many archaeological sites. The most common Viking ship is undoubtedly the longship.
These ships were primarily designed for exploring the lands and fighting against the enemy boats. They were incredibly quick and agile. As the name suggests, the ship had a long front end which made the ship much faster than the other varieties. They were also oars that could be used in desperate situations. Overall, the tattoo of the long shop is amazingly aesthetic and soothing to watch.
Viking Hand Tattoo
Having a Viking hand tattoo is a blessing. You will be able to appreciate the artwork at any point of the day. In your office or the middle of the road, the beauty of the Viking hand tattoo will keep on energizing you.
These tattoos are incredibly elegant. They mostly consist of the typical Viking helmet and a beautiful flower. The radiant hues truly complement the ruggedness of the helmet.
Viking Axe Tattoo
Vikings hardly used swords. They were just used as ornaments or items to show off. The real weapon of Vikings was the ax. Because of the sturdy handle, they could completely dismantle their opponents.
Although these weapons were mostly colorless, it's important to incorporate a little bit of color in them when you are constructing the tattoo. Vikings are joyous and festive people. The brilliant use of whimsical colors in the tattoo will surely capture their essence.
Viking Forearm Tattoo
Most of the tattoos on our list are highly colorful. This is mainly because the vikings are known to be quite festive. They didn’t need to have a reason to celebrate. The colors were included to portray their merry go nature.
However, the forearm tattoo is quite different in this regard. These tattoos are mainly done using a bold and black ink. This way, the intensity of the vikings are beautifully portrayed. You can sense how fierce they were just by looking at the tattoo.
Viking Wolf Tattoo
This fierce animal plays a crucial role in Norse mythology. According to the lore, there was a monster wolf known as Fenrir. He was the child of Loki, the god of deceit.
This gigantic wolf is known to kill Odin and is believed to be the one to start Ragnarök, the end of the world. Because of such influence, Scandinavians to this day have immense respect and fear for the animal. The Viking wolf tattoo only commemorates the respect towards the wolf in a stylized manner.
Viking Skull Tattoo
The skull tattoos are mostly deadly. But the viking skull tattoo is quite the opposite. The imagery will surely give you a chuckle in the middle of the day.
The concept behind the tattoo is quite straightforward. Rather than illustrating the viking face, you have to ink a jarring skull wearing the helmet. You need to color the skull as well as the helmet extensively so that the tattoo has a psychedelic vibe. You can also include a beautiful background full of Mandala patterns.
Viking Face Tattoo
The Vikings had the most masculine faces in the whole world. Their jaws were so narrow that it felt like they met on a single point. Even their cheeks had muscles.
Most Viking men were blond while some of them had the red hair we see in modern depictions. As it was a ritual, they always wore helmets and carried weapons with them. Seeing them all dressed up always compels us to follow their style. Although it may not be possible to look like them at all times, you can surely get a face tattoo to feel the Viking spirit oozing in you.
Tribal Viking Tattoo
The tribal viking tattoo is full of intertwining symbols and shapes that feel like it's a labyrinth. From elegant circles to alluring swirls, there are plenty of patterns exhibited in the tattoo.
This tattoo portrays the intricacies of life. Your life is not linear. There will be happy times as well as horrifying moments. You have to keep on moving forward no matter what the situation is.
Viking Arm Tattoo
The Viking arm tattoo portrays a complete scene. Close your eyes for a second and think of the first thing that comes to your mind when you think about Vikings.
It has to be either they are riding on their longboard going into battle or just sitting in the bar drinking mead. The former is the best choice for the Viking tattoo. The depiction of masculine men wearing armor and all ready to crush their opponents will surely send shivers down your spine.
Viking Armor Tattoo
Most of the information we know about the Viking armor comes from pictures and archaeological findings. According to scholars, it was a ritual that all men must wear armor at all times.
This was mainly because war can break out at any time and they must be fully prepared for it. Most Viking amounts consist of a helmet, mail shirt, shields, and their classic swords. Although they kept swords with them, they never used them in battle. They are more of a luxury item. So, you can try to make the sword look ornamental in your tattoo.
Viking Chest Tattoo
Chest tattoos are not to be taken lightly. They can create some immense pain that can't be endured by most mortals. But if you can then you already have the spirit and fierceness of the Vikings.
These tattoos are incredibly gut-wrenching. With unique patterns all over the area, the centerpiece of the artwork is a Viking staring at you menacingly. With the tattoo, you will appear as someone who has embraced the customs and rituals of Vikings.
Viking Valkyrie Tattoo
Valkyrie is quite an auspicious and revered concept of the Vikings. As we already established, warriors were highly respected and everyone needed to fight. During the battle, many warriors met their death.
Among the fallen, some of them were carried by Valkyries. They were entities of Valhalla. The rest of them that were not chosen by her would go to Folkvangr. So, getting chosen is quite a respected feat. When you have the tattoo, you will be able to walk down the path of Valhalla.
Viking Back Tattoo
Viking culture is quite vast and it's incredibly difficult to portray even the slightest bit of their customs in small areas of your body. The back is the only spot that can be perfectly utilized to curve a jarring design.
One of our favorite things about the Vikings is their weapon and the shield. When they march with them, it feels like the adrenaline is rushing through our veins. So, there is no better design than the depiction of their staple weapons in monochromatic color schemes.
Viking Raven Tattoo
Huginn and Muninn are two ravens of Odin who were used to mainly bring information to him. When Odin was absent, they also looked after the Earth and the inhabitants. The Viking raven tattoo originated from Norse mythology.
The appearance of the raven is like any other typical raven. They had a black silhouette body and often sat on the shoulders of Odin. When you have a tattoo, you will also feel like these birds are always by your side.
Viking Berserker Tattoo
We didn't know much about Berserker other than the hugely influential manga named Berserk. In this manga, there was a warrior who was all set to seek revenge by killing all demons.
At one time, he was ambushed by them. In such desperation, his inner demon woke up and he completely went wild. His strength reached an enormous height and he quickly obliterated the demons. The concept of berserker is that it is a characteristic in which the person completely loses control and goes into a wild state of mind. If you also want to be as fierce and deadly as them, this is the tattoo for you.
Viking Dragon Tattoo
Viking dragons are not like the creatures depicted in movies and comics. They are far from it. Most Viking dragons rather had a serpentine body and thick armor.
Vikings loved dragons because they revered these enigmatic and fierce creatures for their strength and power. They aspired to have the characteristics of a dragon. So, if you also want to have the same magical capabilities such as the dragon, go for this tattoo right away.
Viking Bear Tattoo
All English names of animals have quite an amazing iteration in Viking culture. For example, bears are called Bjorn. Sounds fascinating, doesn't it?
Well, Viking bears truly are. According to a well-known Viking tale, there was a berserker who could shapeshift into a bear. He mainly did it to fight against the evil king Kraki. This story has been engraved in most Scandinavian kinds as mothers always told it as their bedtime story. The Viking bear tattoo will take you back to a time when there was only tranquility and peace.
Viking Helmet Tattoo
There is a lot of misconception regarding the helmet worn by Vikings. Modern depictions have butchered the idea of what they looked like.
If you truly want to portray Viking culture, we suggest you get the tattoo of Gjermundbu. This helmet was found in 1943 and is quite resembling the original helmets worn by the Vikings. These steel helmets had two eye sockets and were quite heavy. Having the tattoo of the helmet can protect you from all sorts of evil beings.
Norse Viking Tattoo
Viking culture strongly revolves around Norse mythology. From their language to their appearance, these seafarers resembled the many gods of Norse mythology.
Vikings wrote their literature in runes which is quite an aesthetic alphabet. So, you have to include some of them in the tattoo. The artwork also needs to look a bit more biomechanical so that it aligns with the contemporary style of inking. To further solidify the Viking culture, you can illustrate a menacing Viking in the front of the tattoo.
Viking Shield Tattoo
The best offense is being defensive. You all have heard of this statement. This particularly holds when it comes to the Vikings. Their primary defensive strategy relied upon the shield.
The Viking shields were unique in every respect. The outer part which is the one used to deflect arrows or strike enemies was made out of pine, maple, or spruce. On the other hand, the handle or the buckle was made of iron to give a good grip. All in all, it was quite a marvelously aesthetic piece of weapon that will look great in your body.
Viking Armband Tattoo
The armband tattoos are representations that you mean business. When you have the tattoo, you exude an aura that you are truly dedicated to the Viking culture and you have the same spirit and willpower as them.
One of the best symbols that will look great in the armband is bind runes. In this style, you will have to combine multiple rune symbols to make a jarring design. These patterns need to be mostly portrayed in complete black.
Viking Hammer Tattoo
There is only one hammer that is known to all mankind and that is without a doubt Mjolnir. It's the hammer of Thor. This weapon is the source of power of Thor, the god of thunder.
Although we mostly know it to be a weapon of mass destruction, the Viking Happer is also used to provide blessings to those it sees fit. According to Norse mythology, this weapon is made of Uru metal. This metal is not the typical one that you can find in the chemist's shop. It can only be collected by melting a star. So, when you have the tattoo, you will surely feel invincible.
Viking Dagger Tattoo
Daggers were not just used in the war by the Vikings. They used it for several other works such as cutting wood or constructing ships. These daggers or seax were an integral part of Viking life.
There were many kinds of daggers. Some of them have 4 inches of blades while others look like actual swords with humongous blades. You can choose the one that resonates with you. To create a feeling of warmth, you can add a beautiful rose to the tattoo.
Odin Viking Tattoo
We have to end our list with Odin, the one-eyed all-father who keeps watch of all the seven realms. Odin has many names but perhaps the two adjectives that are synonymous with him are death and war.
For most of his life, Odin is seen to wear an eye patch. He has a thick and long beard and blonde hair which is the characteristic of many Viking men. He also has a spear which is called Gungnir. You have to make sure to depict each of these components in your tattoo. Finally, you can include some geometric shapes to accentuate the overall imagery.
Please Don't Describe The Subheadings
Viking Neck Tattoo
Small Viking Tattoo
Viking Tree of Life
Viking Wedding Ring Tattoo
Viking Leg Tattoo
Viking Arrow Tattoo
Viking Knot Tattoo
Viking Tattoos For Women
FAQ
There is not much information regarding Viking tattoos on the internet. Although there are many articles written about the culture and customs, none of them feature anything about body art.
So, we have taken the liberty to answer some of the most interesting questions about Viking tattoos. Grab a cup of coffee and enjoy the answers.
Q: Did Vikings wear tattoos?
Ans: There is no archaeological evidence of Vikings wearing any sort of tattoos. They were mostly focused on battles and hardly had time to subject their body to scarification. However, some scholars have indicated that there are some instances of Vikings having body arts. It's up for debate.
Q: What Is The Best Place For Viking Tattoos?
Ans: Viking tattoos are known to be quite flamboyant as we can see from the literature. They were festive people who loved to exaggerate themselves any way they wanted. So, it's quite obvious that their tattoos need to be a bit more grandiose.
Most Viking tattoos have a lot of patterns in them and are hardly discrete. So, the best position for a Viking tattoo is any place that offers some space such as the back or the thigh.
Conclusion
Although this may sound quite bitter to most people of this generation, we quickly succumb to defeat. Whenever something bad happens to our lives, we don’t appear to be strong in the face of trouble. Rather we give ourselves up.
This is the complete opposite of the Viking spirit. Even in the face of death, Vikings are known to smile. Whatever is thrown at them, they fight till their death. This generation has a lot to learn from them. The Viking tattoo can always remind us to keep on fighting no matter how odd the stakes are.