27 Impressive Thistle Tattoo Ideas

27 Impressive Thistle Tattoo Ideas

The thistle is a plant with rough appearance and many symbolic meanings in different cultures, making a remarkable design for tattoos. A thistle tattoo can be a symbol of pride, determination, tenacity, and toughness in the face of great hardship.

The thorny plant is crowned with a beautiful purple flower, a color long associated in Europe with royalty and nobility. In most places, the thistle might be considered a nuisance and a weed but for Scotland, it represents the national emblem.

The thistle was adopted as a symbol of Scotland following a legend which says that in the 9th century, the Scots were alerted by an imminent attack by the Danes when one of the Scandinavian barefoot fighters stepped on a thistle and cried out for pain. As a result, the invaders were successfully put to flight.

In modern times, many Scottish Associations and sports organizations feature the thistle in their team logos, as a point of Scottish pride and as a symbol of toughness.

A thistle tattoo speaks of the pride in being Scottish, but you do not have to be Scots to get a thistle tattoo; you can wear it as a talisman against the evil eye, damage, others’ bad thoughts or as a symbol of great hardships you passed on.

#1 Blackwork Thistle Tattoo on FootBlackwork Thistle Tattoo on Foot by michael.pecherle Photo: michael.pecherle

#2 Delicate Side PieceDelicate Thistle Tattoo by nandotattooer Photo: nandotattooer

#3 Beautiful Colored Design on LegColored Thistle Tattoo by sashaunisex Photo: sashaunisex

#4 Negative Thistle Tattoo on Inner Forearm
Negative Thistle Tattoo by tsviyah Photo: tsviyah

#5 Gorgeous Thistle on SpineGorgeous Thistle on Spine by morganhabe Photo: morganhabe

#6 Matching Scottish Thistle Tattoos  Matching Scottish Thistle Tattoos by adrianlamingtattoo Photo: adrianlamingtattoo

#7 Blackwork Thistle on Forearm Blackwork Thistle Tattoo by marlonmtoney Photo: marlonmtoney

#8 Watercolor Thistle Tattoo on Shoulder
Watercolor Thistle Tattoo by color_impact Photo: color_impact

#9 Lovely Colored Design on FootLovely Thistle Tattoo by locusttattooslcPhoto: locusttattooslc

#10 Black Ink Thistle on TricepBlack Ink Thistle Tattoo by liana_joyPhoto: liana_joy

#11 Super Spikey Watercolor Thistle Tattoo
Super Spikey Watercolor Thistle Tattoo by amyemeraldink Photo: amyemeraldink

#12 Thistle Plants and Morning Glory Flowers on CalfThistle Plants and Morning Glory Flowers on Calf by suhoustontattoos Photo: suhoustontattoos

#13 Dotwork Thistle Tattoo DesignDotwork Thistle Tattoo by nadel.tante Photo: nadel.tante

#14 Black and Grey Thistle Tattoo Black and Grey Thistle Tattoo by xlxvxr Photo: xlxvxr

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Up Next:

Vibrant Watercolor Tattoos by Koray Karagozler

Vibrant Watercolor Tattoos by Koray Karagozler