In order to properly select a Gothic tattoo, it helps to understand what goth really is and where you fit in within this fascinating subculture.
The goth subculture started in the United Kingdom during the early 80s and has grown popular as well as diversified throughout the world ever since. The original Goths were actually a tribe of people from Eastern Germany with pagan backgrounds and their own unique cultures going back to the medieval times.
Some elements of this diverse subculture today include deathrock/punk music, medieval/renaissance/Victorian clothing, make up, hair, tattoos and more. Since the goth subculture is quite diverse, one would typically see at least one or a combination of several of these possible elements depending on individual expression and the sub-style of goth.
Many goths have the types of tattoos that non-goths may have as well, and use them to complement their other goth expressions. These are great as they allow flexibility as one may not want to look goth 100% of the time. The example below contain tattoo designs that can pass as gothic while not exclusively gothic by nature.
Other tattoos are considered almost exclusively Gothic due to the nature of the tattoo designs. Gothic tattoos often contain images of graveyards, ghosts, angels, nightmares, ruined castles or churches, vampires, mystical and or dark themes. This type of imagery most likely came from gothic novels from the 18th century which often told mystically dark stories with such elements.
Here’s an example of this type of gothic tattoo. Notice the medieval castle and horse.
Whether you are into the goth subculture and looking for a tattoo to complement your style, or simply looking for cool gothic tattoos with dark gothic themes, you need to browse through an adequate selection of tattoo designs before you can decide what design to use or to base your tattoo upon.
One of the best ways to start that process is to do a research at a reputable online tattoo gallery where you can carefully browse through thousands of high quality designs including a huge selection of gothic tattoos!
