Hawaiian Tattoo Designs - Cool Tattoo Ideas

Aloha! Hawaiian tattoo designs and body arts have a long history of more than a thousand years. But, it wasn't until the 1990's and when celebrities started bearing them, only then these tattoo designs started coming back into fads.

In the Hawaiian culture, getting a tattoo is looked upon as a very important ritual. It was such an important part of their life to the extent that the Hawaiians even pray to a tattoo god each time someone in the community gets a tattoo.

And not so much for fashion purpose or simply to look cool, Hawaiians only get tattoo for a few purposes:

- Mourning For A Loved One - For remembrance of a love one lost
- Talisman For Protection - To protect and ward off evil spirits or enemy
- Personal Identifications - Identify themselves as a community or group

Therefore, most Hawaiian tattoos have a certain meaning or significance behind it.

Comparing to their neighbors from other islands within the Polynesian chain like Maori and Samoan, Hawaiian tattoo designs tend to be larger and bolder in size and colours. Few common Hawaiian tattoo designs are:

- Arrows
- Flowers
- Dolphins
- Lizards (Hawaiians have great respect for lizards)
- Sea Turtle

Besides these traditional tattoo art works, there are the much "cooler" Hawaiian band tattoo designs. The Hawaiian band tattoo design is very popular amongst tattoo lovers today because of the "modern" yet traditional look that it has.

Tattoos of Flowers - For Both Men and Women

Tattoos of Flowers


Hawaiian Flower Tattoo
The majority of individuals both men and women love "flower tattoos". There are certainly a few men out there that may not consider a flower tattoo as a design, but there are some that do. Besides what is there not to like about a flower tattoo? Flowers are beautiful and very pretty, flowers can symbolize many things in life.

Lily Tattoo



Foot Flower Tattoo
People who love flower tattoos commonly have a spiritual bond with nature. They are not only aware of the beauty that surrounds them but can also see that simple things can lead to happiness just as well. Sometimes you just have to open your eyes to realize, the pleasures of life you been searching for all this time, has always surrounded you.

Waves and Flowers Tattoo


Designs of flowers as tattoo
If you want to express love or something significant in your life flower tattoos can represent these things. Although mostly women get tattoos of flowers, a few men has found the design very meaningful as well. Tattoos of a flower are not set to be tattooed by only one gender, it is a gift from mother earth, a beautiful natural ornament, that is to be shared by both men and women.

Hawaiian Rune Tattoos

Like many other Polynesian-descended cultures, the native Hawaiians practiced tattooing. The most heavily tattooed members of the tribe would be the royal family, followed by other court officials and persons who were in the royal family by marriage.

Hawaiian Tattoos

The designs were monochromatic, tattooed in black against brown skin. The patterns and layout were strongly geometric and there were many shapes and symbols which represented the natural island world: stones, waves, fish, sharks, turtles, rain, sun, birds.

Hawaiian Rune Tattoos

Tattoos were traditionally created by using a tool much like a sharpened rake to prick the designs. The tattoo tool would be hit by another stick to make the punctures. Assistants helped by stretching the skin for the tattoo artist and by wiping away the blood.

Hawaiian Rune Tattoo

Hawaiian Rune Tattoos

Like many other Polynesian-descended cultures, the native Hawaiians practiced tattooing. The most heavily tattooed members of the tribe would be the royal family, followed by other court officials and persons who were in the royal family by marriage.

Hawaiian Tattoos

The designs were monochromatic, tattooed in black against brown skin. The patterns and layout were strongly geometric and there were many shapes and symbols which represented the natural island world: stones, waves, fish, sharks, turtles, rain, sun, birds.

Hawaiian Rune Tattoos

Tattoos were traditionally created by using a tool much like a sharpened rake to prick the designs. The tattoo tool would be hit by another stick to make the punctures. Assistants helped by stretching the skin for the tattoo artist and by wiping away the blood.

Hawaiian Rune Tattoo

Hawaiian Rune Tattoos

Like many other Polynesian-descended cultures, the native Hawaiians practiced tattooing. The most heavily tattooed members of the tribe would be the royal family, followed by other court officials and persons who were in the royal family by marriage.

Hawaiian Tattoos

The designs were monochromatic, tattooed in black against brown skin. The patterns and layout were strongly geometric and there were many shapes and symbols which represented the natural island world: stones, waves, fish, sharks, turtles, rain, sun, birds.

Hawaiian Rune Tattoos

Tattoos were traditionally created by using a tool much like a sharpened rake to prick the designs. The tattoo tool would be hit by another stick to make the punctures. Assistants helped by stretching the skin for the tattoo artist and by wiping away the blood.

Hawaiian Rune Tattoo