Caladdagh Ring Symbolism

The symbolism behind a heart is simple: eternal friendship, unconditional love, or passionate adoration. When included in a tattoo, however, the symbolism behind a heart branches into a wide range of topics, from love to death, a passion for music to Christ’s Passion.

While many associate the origin of the heart symbol with certain aspects of the female body, other theories suggest that the heart symbol originates from ancient medical practices. Ancient civilizations once utilized the Silphium plant as a means of contraception. The heart-shaped seeds or fruits of the Silphium plant are reminiscent of the traditional heart shape we are familiar with today.

While the origins of the traditional heart symbol find their roots in ancient medicine,

Now, tattoos with a heart symbol have come to mean more than a tribute to mothers everywhere.

The Claddagh Ring

An Irish symbol, the Claddagh includes an image of two hands holding a heart, topped by a crown. While the hands signify friendship, the heart and the crown represent love and loyalty, respectively.

Musical Hearts

Musical hearts involve an inverted treble clef joined with a bass clef to form a heart. These tattoos often appear on musicians or those who simply consider music as an important part of

This tattoo design is common in the medical industry. In general, the heartbeat tattoo symbolizes both life and love. Additional details provide more insight into the true nature of the tattoo. Artists can form the EKG line into names, dates, or, in some cases, city skylines to indicate loved ones, important times, or hometowns.

Anatomically Correct Hearts

Realistic heart tattoos are growing in popularity since they have the power to represent love and passion without the romanticized nature of the typical heart symbol. If placed on the chest, this tattoo is representative of the wearer bearing his or her heart on his or her sleeves. Occasionally, these tattoos include a pair of hands holding the anatomically correct heart. This variation shows that the wearer’s heart is in the hands of another.

Small Hearts

Small heart tattoos are a common choice for those who desire a tattoo, but also wish to keep it hidden on a regular basis. Small heart tattoos may fit behind the wearer’s ear or on fingers, ankles, neck, and more. This is a highly versatile variation of the heart tattoo.

Matching Heart