15 literary tattoos that will inspire book lovers to get more ink

The fellowship from The Lord of the Rings

J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings  is a classic fantasy story, and it’s one that paved the way for so many series that came after it. Throughout the trilogy, Tolkien paints many gorgeous images for readers to absorb—in fact, he’s known for his vivid descriptions of scenery and detailed world building.

Tolkien’s provided plenty of inspiration for bookish tattoos, especially with all the symbols and landscapes from Middle-earth. There are so many options for Tolkien fans to choose from when donning his world on their skin, but this one’s one of our favorites.

This tattoo is based on the fellowship that forms during the first installment of Tolkien’s series, The Fellowship of the Ring. It depicts the group of people who agree to accompany Frodo on his quest to deliver the ring to Mordor, and to protect him and the ring at all costs. Included in this group of nine are Frodo, Sam, Merry, Pippin, Gandalf, Aragorn, Boromir, Legolas, and Gimli.

The tattoo shows the silhouettes of these characters’ as they journey toward Mordor, with a mountainous landscape in the background. Those images alone are gorgeous, but the Elvish writing surrounding them — the text that is on the One Ring at the heart of the story — really gives this tattoo a unique touch.