50 Simple Tribal Tattoo Ideas
When most people consider the prospect of a tribal tattoo, the idea of large scale, highly detailed and elaborate body art immediately comes to mind, and for good reason.
However, there are a lot of tribal tattoo ideas that factor in simple black ink tattoos, or small-scale designs made to fit contemporary locations like the wrist, hands, and neck.
The following collection of top 50 best simple tribal tattoo ideas showcase that you can achieve versatility and variety in black ink designs. These examples provide inspiration for you if considering a tribal style tattoo piece.
1. Simple Tribal Tattoo Ideas for the Ankle
2. Simple Upper Arm Tribal Tattoos
3. Simple Tribal Back Tattoo Ideas
4. Simple Tribal Tattoo Ideas for the Chest and Side
5. Forearm Tribal Tattoo Ideas
6. Simple Tribal Tattoo Ideas for the Hand
7. Simple Leg Tribal Tattoo Ideas
8. Simple Tribal Tattoo Ideas for the Neck
9. Simple Shoulder Tribal Tattoo Ideas
10. Small Simple Tribal Tattoo Ideas
11. Simple Tribal Wrist Tattoo Ideas
Simple Tribal Tattoo FAQs
Many patterns in tribal tattoo style are drawn from nature, with the layered designs referencing the fishing, hunting and warrior lifestyle that sustained island peoples for thousands of years.
These different patterns are also associated with strength, good luck, feats of physical strength and spiritual guardians.
These tattoos tell the wearer’s story as well as working to bring them good luck and keep them safe in battle, although in modern times this deeper significance is not always as clear.
Simple tribal tattoos show insight into contemporary tattoo ideas, and how they’re changing tastes for all different styles of ink.
No longer do collectors look solely for large scale symbolic pieces, the interest can lie in doing smaller scale ink in more interesting places than traditional spots like the chest, thigh, upper arm, or calf.
By getting a small simple tribal tattoo it can be placed in areas such as the hands, fingers, on the neck or face (like the traditional Maori Ta Moko).
Getting tattoos specifically linked to rites of passage or culturally significant events is usually not the type of thing you could get done if not naturally part of that culture, as it’s policed within the cultural and tattoo community.
For example, the Maori Ta Moko tattoo is strictly done by Maori only for Maori, however there are different tattoo art designs within the medium called kirituhi which are just as rich in tradition and meaning for non Maori.
