Angel Tattoos

Angel & God Tattoos

Angel tattoos (as well as other religious tattoos) have been slowly but surely gaining popularity over the past few decades and it makes sense when you think about it – if you get an angel tattoo, it's like having your guardian angel with you all the time.

The word angel comes from the Latin word angelos, meaning messenger. They are a link between heaven and earth. Angels belong to Judaist, Christian and Islamic traditions.
According to the Bible and the Koran, angels have the following tasks:

1.Bring messages to the people, warn them or bring the word of God.

2.Worship God.

3.Angels serve and protect humans.

4.They fight evil.

5.They carry out God's orders (they do have a free will though, they can choose to obey or disobey, just like humans).

6.Angels guard heaven and hell.

7.They keep track of all deeds done by every human being.

Angel tattoo designs are usually pictured with wings, although the Bible doesn't mention angels that have wings. The confusion comes from another kind of supernatural beings mentioned in the bible, called cherubs. So the kind of angel tattoos that are so popular nowadays are actually cherub tattoos (see further).
Angel tattoos can be large or small, some designs are very large – covering the back for instance.
Often, angel tattoo designs are taken from classic art. There is a wealth of angel images in the art of the middle ages and Renaissance and these can be adapted to tattoo images by a skilled tattoo artist.
Angel tattoos can have the following meaning:

1.Peace
2.Beauty
3.Spirituality
4.Innocence
5.Purity
6.Love
7.Protection
8.Devotion
9.Faith
10.They express a personal relationship with God.

Sometimes people will get an angel tattoo to commemorate the death of a loved one. According to a common belief system, the dead become angels who protect us. Getting an angel tattoo in memory of someone is a way of having them with you for always.
Angel tattoos are often combined with designs of:

1.Trumpets
2.Harps
3.Swords
4.Banners
5.Halos
6.Bows
7.Clouds
8.The devil

Angel Wing Tattoos

Rather than a whole angel, some people opt for an angel wings tattoo. The wings can be quite large and ornate, covering the shoulders and or much of the back. Other angel tattoos depict the whole angel in a classic pose, either flying or at rest.
The most popular spot for angel wing tattoos is between the shoulders, the place where wings would naturally be if humans had them (I wish I had some!).
Angel wings are also nice stylized as tribal art tattoos. Here's an example:

Guardian Angel Tattoos

A guardian angel tattoo comes in different sizes and shapes, but its purpose is always the same – to protect the person wearing it. Guardian angels protect human beings in times of crisis. The advantage of having a guardian angel tattoo is that you have your guardian angel with you all the time!

Cherub Tattoos

As mentioned before, cherub tattoos are those that most people call angel tattoos. They have wings, look like a baby angel (usually male) and are sometimes pictured sitting on clouds with a trumper or bow in their hands. They are the bringers of love.
The best-known cherub is Cupid who makes people fall in love by shooting an arrow through their heart.
Speaking of hearts, heart tattoo designs are sometimes combined with 1 or 2 angel wings, like the one on this picture:

The Archangel Tattoo

Archangels are the angels with the highest rank (arch is Greek for chief), the angels that are the closest to god.
The most popular archangel tattoo is one of st. Michael, God's warrior angel. Another famous archangel is Lucifer, who became the fallen angel known as Satan.

The Fallen Angel Tattoo

A fallen angel is an angel that has been banished from heaven as a punishment for disobeying God. Angels have free will, so they can choose to do good or bad things, the fallen angels obviously have done something wrong.
The most famous fallen angels (aka demons or dark angels) are Satan, Leviathan and Beelzebub.
Typical fallen angel tattoos usually picture a angel with a menacing look, torn wings and sometimes horns.
Demon tattoos are popular Gothic or biker tattoos.

Angel Devil Tattoos






Of course, some people have a considerably less solemn take on angel tattoos. Some angel images are more cartoon-ish in appearance and can be accompanied by a devil image.
In fact, these angel devil tattoos have a special significance all their own – they represent the two parts of the human psyche, the good and the bad. An angel devil tattoo is an amusing way to acknowledge that both exist and that the best thing to do is to find a balance between them.
Angel devil tattoos symbolize temptation, the urge to give in to ones base desires (and don't we all love that?).

Celebrities With Angel Tattoos

Here's a list of celebrities with angel tattoos:
1.Melanie C: has the word ANGEL written on her abdomen.

2.Justin Timberlake: has a large angel tattoo combined with the word GUARDIAN on his back.

3.Drew Barrymore: has an angel tattoo on her back.
4.Beyonce: celebrity with a praying angel tattoo on her left thigh.
5.Fred Durst: has an angel on his back.

6.David Beckham: has a guardian angel tattoo on his back combined with the names of his children. He also has a winged cross tattoo design in his neck.