Coat of arms tattoos?

[scotswelshrunner]

As a tattoo and ink lover, I decided last year to have my family crest done up on my leg. It included the Clan Ross coat surrounded by flags of the countries my family heralds from. Anyone else have tattoos of their ancestry or heraldry?


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[Dughlas mor]

I`m not a tattoo guy, but I sure like that one. The artist did a great job on the flags. Nice!

[Pipenplumber]

On my 40th birthday I got bifocals and a large back tattoo of my family crest. Since then I have added a few more pieces of art!

[S.S.Muldoon]

I have the arms associated with my family name inked on my arm.

I figured that if I ever got my arm ripped off in some industrial accident, it would be easier to make sure they were sewing the correct one back on me!

[Elf]

That is a very creative use of the flags. At least I'd not noted it before, but want to remember it now. Thank you.

[Hawk]

As they say here on XMTS, photos, photos people, without them it never happened.....

Hawk

[Mike_Oettle]

While I am not mad about tattoos, especially since my daughter and her husband have them all over their bodies, that one is actually quite nice.
A point of terminology, though: the emblem wreathed by flags is not a crest, nor is it a coat of arms. It is a clan crest badge: that is to say, it incorporates a plain metal rendition of the clan chief’s crest placed within a plain metal strap and buckle.
In armorial usage, the crest is the device that is displayed on top of the helmet. It is usually separated from the helmet by a wreath of twisted silk (also called a torse), although there are crests without torses – my clan chief’s crest emerges from a crest-coronet.
A crest (including the torse, crest-coronet or whatever else it might appear with) is often used as a badge, especially in Scottish tradition. It symbolises allegiance to the owner of the coat of arms to which the crest belongs.
This is especially the case when the chief’s crest is worn in a strap and buckle as a bonnet badge.
When a crest is worn in a plain circlet (that is, not a strap and buckle) it signifies that the crest is the property of the wearer.
A clan chief will wear such a badge with three eagle feathers (and the circlet will have a coronet at the top if the chief is a peer). A chieftain will wear one with two eagle feathers.
Since I have a coat of arms, I can (if I wish) wear a badge of my own crest within a circlet. I plan to have one made if and when I can afford to. I would wear it with a single eagle feather.
However, because my arms are registered in South Africa and hence not recognised by the Lord Lyon, I would avoid doing this if I were to visit Scotland.
Regards,
Mike