Have you recently been to the Inca ruins and want to honor your trip with a beautiful Inca tattoo? We’ve got you covered as we help you relive your memorable journey with iconic tattoo designs that showcase the beautiful landscapes of the Inca trail or intriguing art from artifacts unearthed at the site. To the untrained eye, the Inca ruins are just like any other ruins, skeletal remains of a history lost in time, with a distorted version of it carried through the ages to show up today. However, for a history buff, a hodophile who is constantly in awe of what the world has to offer, or someone who is hopelessly in love with the idea of humanity throughout the ages, the Inca trail is a treasure trove of wonders. If you are one of them and want to have artwork that ties into the rich culture and stories of the Inca civilization sites, read on for some impressive and stunning design ideas and tips.
Meaning of Inca tattoos
Inca tattoos are inspired by and depict landscapes, art, and objects associated with the Inca civilization. The Inca civilization is documented as the largest empire in South America during the pre-Columbian era. Their geographic location can be traced back to the Peruvian highlands, with the ruins of Machu Picchu being one of the most popular locations. The imagery that comes from these locations, from ancient temples and stone carvings, has inspired the art of various literary and cinematic productions, capturing the imagination and admiring their audiences. Many Inca tattoos incorporate specific symbols and iconography that represent the daily life and spiritual practices of the Inca people, who were made up of several ethnic groups that were ruled under the Inca, or king.
Some common elements and associated symbolism of Inca tattoos include:
Celestial objects symbolizing the spiritual connections and beliefs of the Incas. Stepped landscapes depicting the ruins of the Inca Empire. Special iconography inspired by nature, depicting the lifestyle, spirituality or cultural practices of the Incas. Clear flowing spirals, lines and interlocking designs, specific to the Inca region.
The wearer can use these symbols or realistic illustrations of the panoramic views from the Inca Trail to express their love and admiration for the experience they gained on this trail. Continue to the next section for some inspiring visual examples of Inca tattoo designs.
8 Breathtaking Inca Tattoo Designs and Their Meanings
The unique Peruvian highlands, their memorable greenery, the glistening stone ruins and the humble people descended from the Inca tribes, have a way of leaving their mark on one’s memories. The following tattoo ideas offer a healthy solution to immortalize these memories through clever illustrations etched on the skin. Check them out.
1. Inca Pachamama Tattoo
Image: Dall·E/StyleCraze Design Team
According to Inca mythology, Pachamama is a beloved, ever-present goddess responsible for sustaining life on Earth and representing fertility, harvest, and nature. She is praised as the protector of mountains and rules over earthquakes and harvest seasons. She may be depicted in artwork as a female figure with mountains above her and rivers below her with other natural elements. Or, as the image above shows, there is a special spiral symbol representing the goddess, which represents the interconnectedness of all things in the universe and the inner and outer flow of life force.
2. Inca warrior tattoo
Image: Stable Diffusion/StyleCraze Design Team
Inca warriors were a powerful military force employed by the king of the empire to expand their lands and defend their territory. They were fierce, formidable warriors until the Spanish invasion and the arrival of various diseases. Documented texts and artwork show the warriors adorning their bodies with their special iconography and also wearing elaborate headdresses decorated with feathers, beads, and sewn patterns. These intricate decorative details can be beautifully executed on areas such as the upper arm, thigh, or back, which allows more space for larger tattoos.
3. Inca Cross Tattoo
Image: Dall·E/StyleCraze Design Team
The Inca Cross, or Chakana, is an important symbol of the Inca civilization. The basic structure is a stepped cross with each of the corners having three steps representing the three realms in Inca cosmology; the upper realm of the gods, the middle realm of the humans, and the lower realm or underworld of the dead. This symbol can be a simplistic outline or silhouette, or it can be an intricate network of patterns as shown above. Various stone carving designs can also be implemented into the corners for layered symbolism.
4. Peruvian Inca Tattoo
Image: Dall·E/StyleCraze Design Team
The best Inca tattoos that capture the essence of the Peruvian highlands would perhaps be something that stands apart from the cultural symbols that can hide codified messages but may not be very recognizable or recognizable. Choose from impressive and awe-inspiring scenes of the Inca trail. Stepped hills or stone ruins are the most recognizable images of the Inca trail that set them apart from other Native American inspired elements and allow you to dive into the deep of the memories of your travels to the site.
5. Inca Eagle Tattoo
Image: Dall·E/StyleCraze Design Team
The bird motif on Inca tattoos is often misinterpreted as an eagle due to their very similar physical features, with the eagle being the most common bird. However, the bird is actually a condor, a type of vulture. The name is derived from the Quechua tribal term for the bird; kuntur. This bird in Inca cosmology refers to the upper realm, or Hanan Pacha, where the gods and sacred spirits reside. The above back tattoo depicts the bird as a stone carving with striking and realistic details, making for a striking tattoo design.
6. Inca tattoo on forearm
Image: Dall·E/StyleCraze Design Team
The tattoo above shows a warm and refreshing llama tattoo. Llamas are gentle, friendly creatures native to the Andes Mountains of South America and are domesticated by the locals. Along the Inca Trail, you would find them in herds, even grazing freely around the ruins. They are beasts of burden and symbolize community and gentle endurance. Draw a cute llama portrait for your Inca forearm tattoo, decorated with native art patterns, for a healthy and vibrant piece of body art.
7. Inca Trilogy Tattoo
Image: Dall·E/StyleCraze Design Team
The Inca Trilogy refers to the sacred Inca cosmology symbols. The condor represents the upper realm (Hanan Pacha), the puma represents the middle realm (Kay Pacha), and the snake represents the underworld (Uku Pacha). These three animals can be depicted in different ways to represent the Inca Trilogy. They can be simple outlines of each animal’s head for a minimalist design, or they can be depicted as a totem pole made of stones for a more intricate detailed design.
8. Inti Inca Tattoo
Image: Dall·E/StyleCraze Design Team
In Inca mythology and religion, Inti is the sun god. It is believed that the Incas are descended from him. He was a highly revered figure and apparently his worship was widespread and imposed upon all cultures within the Inca empire. He was depicted in human form with a golden disk face with rays or flames coming from all sides. The tattoo above shows the sun god in glorious detail, also surrounded by fresh white flowers, representing purity, divinity and spirituality, that surround him.
An Inca tattoo can incorporate anything from the ancient art and illustration patterns studied at the Inca ruins or the modified versions of artwork practiced by the Inca descendants today, to the expansive, dazzling views from the ruins. The Peruvian highlands are a sight to behold, and your tattoos that represent the rich culture that resides atop and around them can do the same with just a pinch of creativity and deliberate planning. In fact, even your photos from your travels to the trails, or those culled from the internet, can serve as the perfect blueprint for these tattoos. If all else fails, the charm of the stone carvings with intriguing iconography and special images is undoubtedly unparalleled. Think about our ideas, sit down with them, experiment with them, and you are sure to come up with an artistic Inca tattoo masterpiece of your own.
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Lucas Cummins is an Ohio-based tattoo artist who has been making his mark on the tattoo industry for the past 2 years. With a keen eye for detail and a passion for vibrant expression, Lucas specializes in neo-traditional, colorful, and abstract style tattoos.
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Joyce Joyson is a beauty and lifestyle writer with over a year of experience in creating short-form content for the beauty, fashion and lifestyle niches. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in History, Political Science and Geography from IIS University and a Master’s degree in Mass Communication and Journalism from Kristu Jayanti College.
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