50+ Fantastic Fairy Tattoos

For centuries, folklore throughout Europe has spoken of fairies. Stories of fairies have populated Celtic, Slavic, German, English and French mythology, often depicting magical creatures with human-like features, wings and powers. They’re cast in both a positive and negative light, as some cultures associated fairies with trickery or bad luck. They were even blamed for sickness in several communities, suspected of causing tuberculosis and birth defects.

Fairies are featured prominently throughout literature, with one of the most prominent examples being William Shakespeare’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.” The play features four connecting plots, which are set in the realm of Fairyland. In this play, the fairies are shown to be quite mischievous, with a sprite named Puck using his magic to make two boys fall in love with the same girl and then going to play a trick on the fairy queen.

Another popular example of fairies in literature can be seen through author J.M. Barrie’s stories of Peter Pan. Peter Pan interacts with a number of magical beings while in Neverland, with one of the most notable being Tinker Bell. Tinker Bell first appeared in Barrie’s 1904 play, “Peter Pan,” then again in the 1911 novel “Peter and Wendy.” She was brought to the big screen in 1953’s “Peter Pan.” The animated version of this character was such a hit, Tink became the unofficial mascot of The Walt Disney Company—second only to Mickey Mouse.

In honor of all the fairy fanatics out there, take a peek at 53 tattoos from talented artists around the world. Then let us know your favorite fairy from popular culture in the comments section on social media.