Cross Tattoos

The popularity of cross tattoos in today's culture is astounding. Not only for the religious, but for the symbol itself. The cross tattoo has many different meanings to different cultures and even different meanings in different parts of the world.
There is no more widespread symbol in the world as the cross. It seems to have significance in just about any culture in any part of the world. The styling and shape of the cross may be different, but all have one thing in common. They all have two lines intersecting at some point. In some ancient cultures, the cross with a circle around it is representative of the sun. These "solar" or "wheel" crosses can be seen as far back as the petroglyphs in ancient Europe. This symbol was not only found in Europe, but in almost every ancient culture. Each culture had its own spin on the cross, but is was represented none the less.
Within each culture, the cross had different significance. In some cultures, the four ends symbolized North, South, East and West, all with the commonality of the center. In some cultures, the four points represented the elements. In many cultures the cross symbolizes fertility, immortality, or the relationship between the earth and the heavens. In ancient Egypt the cross can be seen in hieroglyphics. The cross was called the ankh, which was a cross with a loop on the top. This symbol is still used today as a common symbol of the female sex.
So as you can see, there are many different meanings of the cross symbol, with the most widespread being the Christian symbol representing God. Even within the Christian community, different denominations have differing meanings for the cross.
All that said, lets take a look at some of the most popular cross tattoo symbols. First there is the Maltese Cross. Originating in Malta, this cross symbolizes bravery.