The triskelion is a powerful symbol that remains popular with tattoo lovers on every continent, despite being central to Celtic beliefs and pre-Christian religions.

The triskelion symbol – a trio of interlocked spirals radiating out from a central point – is associated with concepts of continuous motion and movement; life, death, rebirth, and eternal life; the mind, body, and spirit; and the past, present, and future.

These days the Ancient Celtic symbol is also used in tribal tattoo designs by the tattoo enthusiast looking for ink with symbolic meanings tied to their heritage.

The following article details the triskelion tattoo design’s deep meaning in relation to other images from Celtic mythology, while also examining popular ways body art lovers create individually different Celtic tattoos.

1. Triskelion Tattoo Meaning

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The different concepts you can ascribe to triskelion tattoo art are wide and varied and are generally based on what the subject most relates to, for that particular tattoo enthusiast.

Interpretations of the triskelion symbol include:

• The spiritual meaning of life, death, and rebirth (eternal life)
• The mind, body, and spirit
• The past, present, and future
• Principles of numerology
• Continuous motion (like time and tides)

It’s a popular tattoo design idea surrounding concepts and symbols that revolve around three objects, ideas, or states, and is known as well for its aesthetic beauty as part of geometric iconography. 

2. The Triskele in Ancient Culture

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The word triskelion comes from the Greek language and means “three-legged,” but the symbol of three interlocking spirals moving outward from a center point is much older than that recorded in language.

The triskele is most commonly associated with Celtic culture, but the image is widespread amongst the ancient tribes of Europe.