8 Inca Tattoo Designs And Their Meanings
Gorgeous symbols from the ancient highlands and valley cultures.
Lucas Cummins is an Ohio-based tattoo artist who has been making his mark on the tattoo industry for the past 2 years. With a keen eye for detail and a passion for vibrant expression, Lucas specializes in neo-traditional, color, and abstract style tattoos.
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Recently been to the Inca ruins and wish to honor your travels with a beautiful Inca tattoo? You can count on us as we help you relive your memorable journey through iconic tattoo designs that show beautiful landscapes from the Inca trail or intriguing art from artifacts unearthed from the site. To the untrained eye, the Inca ruins are just like any other ruins, skeletal remains of a history lost to time, with a distorted version of it carried over several centuries to show for it today. However, to a history buff, a hodophile who is constantly awed by what the world has to offer, or any person hopelessly in love with the idea of humanity across the ages, the Inca trail is a treasure trove of wonders. If you are one of those and wish to have illustrations related to the rich culture and stories of the Inca civilization sites, continue reading this article for impressive and stunning design ideas and tips.
In This Article
Meaning Of Inca Tattoos
Inca tattoos are inspired by and depict landscapes, art, and objects related to the Inca civilization. The Inca civilization is documented to be the largest empire in South America in the pre-Columbian era. Its geographical location is traced to the Peruvian highlands with the Machu Pichu ruins being one of its most popular sites. The imagery coming out of these sites, from old temples, and stone engravings, has inspired the art of various literary and cinematic productions, stirring the imagination and evoking admiration in their audiences. Many Inca tattoos feature specific symbols and iconography that represent the daily life and spiritual practices of the Inca people who comprised various ethnic groups that were governed under the Inca, or the king.
Some common elements and related symbolisms of Inca tattoos are:
- Celestial objects signifying the spiritual connections and beliefs of the Inca people.
- Stepped landscapes depicting the ruins of the Inca empire.
- Special iconography inspired by nature, depicting the lifestyle, spirituality, or cultural practices of the Inca people.
- Distinct flowing spirals, lines, and interlocking designs, specific to the Inca region.
The wearer may use these symbols or realistic illustrations of the panoramic views from the Inca trail, to express their love and admiration for the experience gained on this trail. Continue on to the next section for some inspiring visual examples of Inca tattoo designs.
8 Breathtaking Inca Tattoo Designs And Their Meanings
The special Peruvian highlands, their memorable greenery, the glimmering stone ruins, and the humble people descended from the Inca tribes, have a way of leaving their marks in one’s memories. The following tattoo ideas provide a wholesome solution to eternalize these memories through clever illustrations etched on the skin. Check them out.
1. Inca Pachamama Tattoo
As per Inca mythology, Pachamama is a beloved ever-present goddess who is responsible for sustaining life on earth and represents fertility, harvest, and nature. She is hailed as the protector of mountains and govern earthquakes and harvest seasons. She may be depicted in illustrations as a feminine figure with mountains above her and rivers under her with other natural elements. Or, as the image above shows, there is a special spiral symbol that represents the goddess, signifying the interconnectedness of all things in the universe and the inward and outward flow of life force.
2. Inca Warrior Tattoo
Inca warriors were a strong military force employed by the king of the empire to extend their lands and defend their territory. They were fierce, great warriors until the Spanish invasion and the arrival of various diseases. Documented texts and illustrations show the warriors who decorated their bodies with their special iconography and also wore elaborate headdresses, adorned in feathers, beads, and sewn in patterns. These intricate decorative details can be beautifully executed on placements like the upper arm, thigh, or back which allows wider canvas space for larger tattoos.
3. Inca Cross Tattoo
The Inca cross, or Chakana, is an important symbol of the Inca civilization. Its basic structure is of a stepped cross with each of its corners having three steps representing the three realms in Inca cosmology; the upper realm of the Gods, the middle realm of humans, and the lower realm or underworld of the dead. This symbol can be a simplistic outline or silhouette, or it can be an intricate network of patterns as shown above. Various stone carving designs can also be implemented within the corners for multilayered symbolism.
4. Peruvian Inca Tattoo
The best Inca tattoos that capture the essence of the Peruvian highlands would perhaps be something removed from the cultural symbols that can hide codified messages but may not be very relatable or recognizable. Take your pick from impressive and awe-inspiring scenes from the Inca trail hiking route. Stepped hills, or stone ruins are the most easily recognizable depictions of the Inca trail that set them apart from other native American-inspired elements and allow you to dive into the deep end of the memories of your travels to the site.
5. Inca Eagle Tattoo
The bird motif on Inca tattoos is often misinterpreted to be an eagle due to their highly similar physical characteristics, with the eagle being the more commonly referred to bird. However, the bird is actually a condor, a type of vulture. The name is derived from the Quechua tribal term for the bird; kuntur. This bird, in Inca cosmology, refers to the upper realm, or the Hanan Pacha, where the Gods and sacred spirits reside. The above back tattoo shows the bird as a stone engraving with striking and realistic details, making for an arresting tattoo design.
6. Forearm Inca Tattoo
The tattoo above features a warm and refreshing tattoo of a llama. Llamas are gentle, friendly creatures native to the Andes mountain regions in South America and are domesticated by the locals. Along the Inca trial, you would find them in herds, even freely grazing around the ruins. They are pack animals and symbolize community and gentle endurance. Depict a cutesy portrait of a llama for your forearm Inca tattoo, decorated with native art patterns, for a wholesome and lively piece of body art.
7. Inca Trilogy Tattoo
The Inca trilogy refers to the sacred Inca cosmology symbols. The condor represents the upper realm (Hanan Pacha), the puma represents the middle realm (Kay Pacha), and the snake represents the underworld (Uku Pacha). These three animals can be illustrated in a number of ways to represent the Inca trilogy. They can be simple outlines of the heads of each animal for a minimalist design, or they can be shown as a totem pole made of stones for a more intricately detailed design.
8. Inti Inca Tattoo
In Inca mythology and religion, Inti is the sun God. It is believed that the Incas have descended from him. He was a highly revered figure and apparently his worship was widespread and imposed on all cultures in the Inca empire. He was illustrated in human form with a gold disc face with rays or flames emanating from all sides. The tattoo above shows the sun God in glorious detail, also surrounded by fresh, white flowers, representing purity, divinity, and spirituality, surrounding it.
An Inca tattoo can feature anything from its ancient art and illustration patterns studied at the Inca ruins or the modified versions of artworks practiced by the Inca descendants today, to the vast, dazzling views from the ruin sites. The Peruvian highlands are a feast to the eyes and your tattoos representing the rich culture nestled atop and around them can do the same with just a pinch of creativity and mindful planning. In fact, even your photographs from your travels to the trails, or taken off the internet can serve as the perfect blueprint for these tattoos. If all else fails, the charm of the stone carvings with intriguing iconography and special depictions is surely unmatched. Give our ideas a thought, sit with them, experiment with them, and you shall certainly come up with an artistic Inca tattoo masterpiece of your own.
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