Tattoos

The modern Gaelic word for a tattoo was borrowed from the modern English word, first used in 1769. But what if the medieval Gaels had practiced tattooing 1000 years earlier? What would it have been called then? I interview Gaelic scholar Dr. Sharon Arbuthot to find out.

I interview linguist Dr. Conor Quinn about the Ogham alphabet, how it relates to Irish & Gaelic, and what to be aware of if you’re using it in a tattoo.

Many things can go wrong if you decide to get a Scottish Gaelic tattoo when you don’t speak the language. I’ll suggest the best ways to ensure that you get a good Gaelic tattoo, if you still have your heart absolutely set on getting one despite all of my warnings in Part 1.

So you want to get a tattoo — in Scottish Gaelic. You want to honor a family member, or your Scottish heritage, or you just think the Gaelic language is cool, but you don’t speak Gaelic yourself. What should you do?