Kirkepiscatoid: Triquetra Tattoo Takes Top Ticket

Triquetra Tattoo Takes Top Ticket

Ok, it's no secret I was leaning towards a triquetra for my 2nd tattoo. Here it is (but it is still a little on the "raw" side so it's not in its perfect final healed form:

It's a good symbol on a lot of fronts. It has its roots in Scandinavian, Celtic, and early Christian symbolism. Obviously, in Christian symbolism, it represents the Trinity (often called the "Trinity knot"). In the ancient Celtic religion, it represents earth, sea, and sky. As the Celts converted to Christianity, the concept of "threes"was already a part of their religion and culture, so it was pretty easy for them to make the switch to understanding the Trinity. To the Vikings, it represented the power of Odin to bind or unbind the warrior's mind. It very likely was originally a Christian symbol first as no evidence of the symbol exists before 30 C.E. The equal size of the three "legs" of the symbol represents the equality of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; the intertwining of the arcs with the circle represents indivisibility.

Then again, I am old enough to remember when the symbol was on the Led Zeppelin album "Zoso" and that Jimmy Page considered it "his" symbol and all the fundamentalists who hated Led Zeppelin liked to claim it was a symbol for "666"...so maybe it will also give the fundies something to keep their tongues wagging and keep them away from me with their tracts and evangelizing...they might consider me a hopeless cause (Thanks be to God!)!!!!!

I chose to do it in shades of purple mostly because it is opposite of my other tattoo (both sides of my left ankle), which is purple. But one could make the argument that my favorite color, purple, is also the color of Lent, signifying penance, atonement, and a contrite heart. The secular meaning of purple is it is the universal color of "No Trespassing." In many states, (Missouri included), landowners often paint their corner fence posts purple as the wordless "No Trespassing" sign. It is roughly the size of the other tattoo (same height, a little wider) which leaves the possibility open that someday I may want to do some sort of design to connect the two, around my ankle.

I wonder at times if my love of the color purple has to do with my constant spiritual battle to become continually more contrite, to give up of "self", to try to be more attuned to God's voice and to let it lead me. But this symbol is certainly a good choice for me. In fact, it is exactly the same size as the triquetra on our church bulletin. (I actually used it for the tattoo artist to make his tracings!) So if you are clergy and reading this, you might not ever look at your artwork on the church bulletin quite the same ever again!

14 comments:

Wormwood's Doxy said... September 3, 2007 at 10:21:00 AM CDT: Cool tatoo! I don't think I'd ever have the courage to get one, but I like yours.

I caught your comments over at MadPriest's, and came here to find that you live in Kirksville, MO. How funny---I have family there! (Not from there myself, but they've been there for quite some time.)

Small world...
Kirkepiscatoid said... September 3, 2007 at 11:08:00 AM CDT: Wormwood...drop me an e-mail sometime and tell me who your relatives are. In a town of 17K, odds are decent that I might know them.
lauraj said... September 21, 2007 at 11:44:00 AM CDT: Love the tattoo and while I don't have one yet, this is the symbol I have thought I might get if I ever do. Freaky. Glad to have the extra meaning behind it -- I've liked the Celtic and trinitarian connections -- didn't know about the vikings.

Doxy, yet another thing we have in common: Missouri family.
alien129 said... January 16, 2008 at 8:28:00 AM CST: This comment has been removed by the author.
brankrys8602 said... April 17, 2008 at 12:59:00 PM CDT: Omg! I love your tattoo! I have the same one in black on my right shoulder blade! It was my very first tattoo! I love the symbol. I first saw it on the show Charmed! I felt drawn to it! I can't help but feel a sense of protection now that I have it on me. So I must say! Excellent choice for your 2nd tattoo!
Raedwulf said... June 11, 2008 at 7:35:00 PM CDT: It's John Paul Jones's. What do you think of mine? I'll post it here:

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=36221590&id=1815732
Raedwulf said... June 11, 2008 at 7:53:00 PM CDT: Also, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triquetra#Modern_use.
Raedwulf said... June 11, 2008 at 7:55:00 PM CDT: TO claify...It's JPJ's and NOT Jimmy Page's.
Anonymous said... August 13, 2008 at 7:23:00 AM CDT: Hi, my names Tracey and I live in Essex, UK, I hade the same style tat done some 5 yrs ago now on my back, its the coolest! The day i had it done i met a strange woman who told me to read 'white witchcraft for the lonesome witch' when i turned to thank her, she had gone?
Raedwulf said... August 13, 2008 at 9:09:00 AM CDT: Hi Tracey!
Was the tattoo enveloped in a circle? Or is it just the triquetra?
Funny thing about Essex.
Essex County in Massachussetts, USA, is where my great witch (my direct ancestor) is buried.
Ann Putnam Jr.
Look her up.
She's the only apologetic "afflicted" witch.
She's where I get MY witch's blood from.
Raedwulf said... August 13, 2008 at 9:10:00 AM CDT: She's one, if not the most prominent witch-girl fo the Salem 12 Circle Girls taught by Tituba.
Unknown said... March 21, 2011 at 1:27:00 PM CDT: How bizarre. Someone sent me a link to this image - I have that *exact* tattoo, on my left hip. Down to the color and shading.
Raedwulf said... March 21, 2011 at 2:19:00 PM CDT: Dawn? Interesting seeing you here, heh.
You have the triquetra? In blue?
Laser Washington DC said... September 25, 2012 at 11:25:00 PM CDT: I found this cool post here, thank you