No More Bad Irish Tattoos!
Tri-colour pre-St. Patrick’s Day ad for The Irish Gaelic Tattoo Handbook and The Scottish Gaelic Tattoo Handbook from Bradan Press, Nova Scotia, Canada.
It’s hard to believe it, but after all the time and planning, we’re in the editing homestretch for The Irish Gaelic Tattoo Handbook! Copy edits are pretty much done, the index has been compiled, the glossary will soon be on its way to two professional Irish-speaking proofreaders, and we’re looking at a publication date of May 1 (Lá Bealtaine).
With tomorrow being St. Patrick’s Day (a day when I normally go into hiding, because one can only take so many green beers, “begorrahs” (no, the Irish really don’t say that) and requests to sing “Danny Boy” in a lifetime without going insane), I thought I’d take this opportunity to answer some questions people have been asking me about the book.
What, exactly, is a “tattoo handbook”?
Put simply, The Irish Gaelic Tattoo Handbook is a guide for people who want to incorporate the Irish language into a tattoo design.
In the 13+ years that I’ve been studying Irish, I’ve seen thousands of requests for tattoo translations. I’ve also seen an awful lot of really, really bad Irish tattoos.
Most of these “tattoo fails” have come about because people didn’t understand just how complicated translations between languages can be, or because they trusted the wrong sources. The aim of this book is to give you the resources you need to get a tattoo you can be proud of.
The handbook consists of three basic parts. The center section is the “meat” of the book: a glossary of more than 400 Irish words, phrases, mottoes, and proverbs commonly requested for tattoo designs. The glossary is organized into categories, such as “Family and Relationships” “Religion and Spirituality,” and “Traditional Irish Proverbs.”
The glossary is also indexed by keyword. So, for example, if you know you want a particular phrase, or a quote built around a particular concept, but don’t know what category it would fall under, you could look up the words in the index, which would guide you to the listing or listings in the glossary.
And, as I mentioned above, the glossary is being proofed for accuracy by two professional Irish-speaking editors.
The section preceding the glossary provides you with the kind of background you need to make a sound tattoo decision (and to have fun sharing your tattoo with family and friends!)
This section includes chapters on the language itself (its history, its status in Ireland today, its relationship with other Celtic languages, and some of its more interesting features, such as the lack of words for “yes” and “no”), as well as on traditional Irish writing and authentic symbols.
For example, this is an authentic Irish symbol:
This, on the other hand, is not:
(If you want to know more, you’ll need to read the book!)
It also talks about tattoo “fails,” using real-life tattoo mistakes to illustrate exactly what can go wrong if you try to translate into Irish without knowing what you’re doing. It describes the translation process, and gives you some very important advice on what to do if the translation you want isn’t in the glossary, or if you want to adapt something in the glossary to make it more personal.
The third section of the book is a directory that offers listings for everything from finding a professional translator to learning how to pronounce the words of your translation, and even information to help you begin learning Irish yourself!
People give various reasons for wanting tattoos in Irish, but the majority boil down to pride, either in one’s own Irish heritage or a loved one’s.
Doesn’t this, well…cheapen the language, somehow?
Not the way I see it, no. Any good example of Irish out there in the world helps support the language (and, just as important, bad examples do it nothing but harm).
Tattoos are an extremely popular form of self-expression. People are going to get tattoos in Irish regardless of what anyone else may say or think. My goal is to support the language by helping them to get it right (and if doing so also encourages them to explore learning the language, so much the better!)
OK, but what if I don’t want to get a tattoo?
The nice thing about this book is that it’s useful for just about anything for which you may want an Irish translation.
As it happens, many of the most common tattoo requests are also frequently requested for other purposes: engravings for gifts, wedding bands, or (yes) headstones; T-shirts for family reunions; to be incorporated into other forms of artwork; etc.
The advice for getting accurate tattoo translations applies for other kinds of translations as well. If you ever need a good translation from English to Irish, you will find it extremely useful.
Will it be available on Amazon?
Yes! You’ll find it on Amazon, both as a paperback and for the Kindle. It will also be available in all different DRM-free ebook formats from Smashwords, and through Apple iTunes ebooks, as well as for Kobo, Nook, etc.
What about my local bookstore or library?
I certainly hope so! If you can’t find it, you can ask your local bookseller and/or library to stock it. They can order it directly from Ingram.
In fact, here’s a link to a sell sheet with all the information they’ll need that you can print out and give to them:
The Irish Gaelic Tattoo Handbook Sell Sheet
How will I know for sure when the book is available?
If you’d like to be among the first to know when The Irish Gaelic Tattoo Handbook is available for purchase, the best way is to subscribe to Bradan Press’s email list:
The publisher will also be doing a paperback and e-book giveaway via a random drawing of list members, so there are definite perks for joining!
Bradan Press is a small, independent press that specializes in Celtic-themed publications, so if this is an interest of yours, I strongly recommend signing up for the list. You’ll be supporting a small business and keeping yourself abreast of new offerings. Win win!
My cousin’s an Outlander fan. Is there something like this for Scottish Gaelic?
Yes, there is! The Scottish Gaelic Tattoo Handbook (see the picture at the top of this post) is already out and available for purchase from the same places that will carry the Irish book: Amazon, Ingram, etc. Check it out here:
http://www.bradanpress.com/gaelic-tattoo-handbook/
Lá Fhéile Pádraig Sona Daoibh!
Well, for now I’m off to spend some quality time with my harps (Turlough O’Carolan is calling my name!). I’ve been neglecting them shamefully while I’ve been working in writer mode!
Have a wonderful St. Patrick’s Day, all you who celebrate!
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