18 Incredible Viking Tattoos (Norse Tattoo Ideas) for Men & Women in 2024
Vikings are extremely popular, especially in this day and age. If people aren’t appreciating the style or embracing their inner Viking, they’re getting awesome tattoos that symbolize Norse Viking mythology. If you’re looking to fulfill your inner Viking needs, then you’ve come to the right place.
But before you go and get your own Norse Viking tattoo, let us help guide you in choosing the perfect piece of ink. Below we’ll show you the greatest, most outstanding, and most attractive Norse Viking tattoo ideas for 2024. You’ll surely be inspired with the perfect idea of which tattoo style to get, as well as where to get tattooed on your body.
With that said, let’s begin.
Fineline Odin's Ravens and Nordic Symbol Calf Tattoo
Huginn (thought) and Muninn (memory) are the two ravens Odin would send to fly over the world and bring him information. Here we’ve got a really cool rendition of the two messengers flying in opposite directions. The shading in this tattoo is extremely soft and smooth, but what’s even more impressive is the consistency of the linework; the thinner the line, the easier it is to mess up.
IG: takacs_miklos
Incredible Fineline Odin Tattoo On Man’s Calf
Welcome to another list of tattoos to inspire you. Today’s focus is on Norse Viking tattoos and wow, do we have some beautiful pieces just for you?
First up we have this amazing Fineline black and gray Odin piece on the calf. What’s standing out the most is the use of white ink in his eye. The tiny details in the helmet and his beard add a great amount of character to this tattoo. I like how it fits perfectly on the calf and doesn’t wrap around to the front of his leg.
IG: nika.engel
Black and Gray Lord of the Vikings Leg Tattoo
I don’t even know where to begin with this piece, there’s so much to love about it and not enough words to express appreciation for how well it’s been done. Firstly the artist, Pablo Cerezo Melgares, specializes in realism and you can tell he knows exactly what he’s doing with a machine. The details in the fur and beard, as well as the way he uses shading to define certain areas of Odin’s face, are spectacular. Secondly, the design itself is perfectly composed, I love the way the two images morph into each other.
IG: cheese_tattoo
Amazing Realistic Norse Viking Half-Sleeve Tattoo
Odin seems to be a popular subject for Nordic tattoos and for good reason, he makes for a super awesome design. Here we can see the artist uses a few varying symbols including raven wings and runes. I love how the artist did this piece in a way that almost looks like Odin is chiseled out of stone. How cool is the lightning coming from his eye? Absolutely stunning.
IG: narcissink
Blackwork Nordic-Themed Forearm Tattoo
The Nordic compass is the perfect tattoo for anyone wanting to get a compass without anyone knowing immediately that it’s a compass. I like the runes and varying symbols like the tree of life and Odin’s ravens. It has all the right elements to be considered a true Norse piece. Another awesome aspect of this tattoo is its placement; the forearm is a great area and the design fits the length and form nicely, good decision!
IG: vikings.neoblood
Gorgeous Norse Viking Compass Tattoo On Man’s Forearm
Another compass, this time it’s done in a more engraved-stone style and I’m loving it. To give the tattoo its depth, the artist adds very rough shading around the runes and arms of the compass, a brilliant touch to an already brilliant tattoo. One thing about this piece is that it’s not well-placed. The shape and size of the design are too round and wrap around the forearm. If it were made slightly smaller it would suit the area a lot better.
IG: leticiaalayon88
Incredible Bind Runes Nordic Full-Sleeve Arm Tattoo
I love how this tattoo is made up of runes, each coming together to create this awesome sleeve that adorns the arm beautifully. The lines are consistent and if you look closely, are all made up of dotwork. There’s clearly a meaning behind this amazing tattoo and I would love to know what it is. Outstanding work!
Outstanding Black and Gray Norse Viking Full-Arm Sleeve Tattoo
For those of you who love Black and Gray/Realism, here’s a gorgeous realistic Viking tattoo that will turn heads. The artist makes use of various techniques to bring this tattoo together. What I like the most is how the artist uses white ink and really packed it into this tattoo to add that extra pop. I love everything about this sleeve.
IG: rubensarttattoo
Perfect Nordic Compass Tattoo on Forearm
This tattoo is literal perfection. The line work is so incredibly clean and the finer lines have been done in a very rustic way, which complements the style and design. I like that the compass is not enclosed, therefore its rounded shape works well for the forearm area. Credit to the artist for doing such a great job.
Amazing Dotwork Black and Gray Odin Back of Leg Tattoo
This reminds me of Odin calling his subjects to Valhalla and I can’t get enough of it. The dotwork shading is very different from the average whip shading and makes this piece unique. I love the mandala added at the bottom and how it blends with the rest of the dotwork. Placement-wise this tattoo is made for the back of the leg. Kudos to this client for sitting for it; that area is definitely not for the faint of heart.
IG: markm_tatts
Massive Norse Viking-Inspired Blackwork Thigh Tattoo
Sleipnir is Odin’s mount and makes for a sick tattoo, especially the size and shape of it, and where it’s placed. The flow of the design accentuates the client’s body and the fact that it goes all the way up to her side is very sexy. I love how smooth the blackwork is and the way the artist leaves certain spaces open, they contrast nicely with the overall design. Clean linework and smooth shading make for a lovely tattoo, credit to the artist.
IG: artesobscurae
Black and Gray Viking Axe and Skull Chest Tattoo
This chest piece is gorgeous, and the symmetry is even better. I love the mix of blackwork and subtle shading; they complement each other in such a gentle way. As much as this is a masculine piece, I could definitely see a girl getting something similar. The line work is also phenomenal because there’s not a single inconsistency. I’m still in awe of the symmetry of this piece, what a beautiful tattoo.
IG: artesobscurae
Incredible Blackwork and Inverted Nordic Raven Forearm Tattoos
These two forearm tattoos are exceptionally done and what’s even cooler about them is they’re similar tattoos, just inverted. Odin’s ravens are another subject that’s often used in these styles of tattoo. I love the use of negative spacing and how the artist composed these two pieces; they flow so stunningly with the forearm.
IG: artesobscurae
Dotwork Sleipnir Half-Sleeve Arm Tattoo
Another awesome Sleipnir tattoo, this time it’s on the arm, and wow does it look absolutely amazing on her! Again we have a Nordic-style tattoo that utilizes both dotwork and solid linework creating an unusual blend of styles. I like the negative spacing used with the dotwork; they create a subtle contrast which works so well for this design.
IG: pradd_tattoo
Blackwork Raven and Bear Norse Mythology Forearm Tattoo
There’s a lot going on in this piece but you’re still able to differentiate between the various elements in the design. The overall flow of the piece is amazingly planned and how it fits the forearm is equally amazing. I love the mix of fine lines and bolder outlines, as well as the negative spacing. If you were wondering how this is a blackwork piece, you can tell by the use of solid black ink to shade it.
IG: leigh_tattoos
Nordic Mask of the Gods Full Back Tattoo
A whole back tattoo? Yes, please! Especially with how symmetrical the entire design is. I like how the artist adds blue to this piece, it breaks away from the black and gray, giving you something your eyes can follow. The dotwork shading is really smooth and consistent, amazing!
IG: bertltattoos
Magical Realistic Odin Full-Sleeve Arm Tattoo
Is this not the most magical Odin tattoo you’ve ever seen? I love it when an artist knows how to work with white ink. The smooth shading makes this tattoo so much better but what catches your eye is the sheer emotion captured on Odin’s face. Great job at creating contrast by using a frontal lighting source. This tattoo is too beautiful for words.
IG: edicontreras_
Stunning Black and Gray Fineline Valkyrie Tattoo
We’ve come to the end of our list and the final tattoo is a gorgeous Valkyrie. The linework is fine and velvety, and gives this piece a feminine touch. There are multiple shading techniques present that come together magically to give us this stunning deliverer of souls.
IG: lama_del_ray
We hope you found what you were looking for and had as much fun looking at these tattoos as we had writing about them. Until next time, happy inking!
