Tattoo Meanings

Tattoo Meanings

 Over the years tattoos have become little more than decaling the human skin. Most people get a tattoo and spent there whole life never knowing the true meaning. Others are confused on the meanings of tattoos and get something that might have a completely different definition. Tattooing has been a part of every culture known to date, and each culture has its own meanings for different images. Here is a list of tattoo images that have meanings you may be surprised of. There are so many images to choose from, I am forced to pick but a few of thousands. When you offer a tattoo to a client, or choosing one for yourself, you should always research the true meaning.

Apple- An apple seems like a tattoo a teacher would get, but it really is a symbol recognizing the easily tempted nature of man. It is a symbol that is brought to us by the story of Adam and Eve in the Christian Bible. The story is the down fall of man was brought on by the eating of the forbidden fruit.

 Arm Band- Arm band tattoo just seem like a nice decoration for any one, but they are a symbol of slavery and imprisonment. The tribal arm bands you see today are reminiscent of the identification markings between African tribes,while barbed wire is a symbol of spending time in prison or being a slave.


Birds- Birds are colorful animals that fly everywhere they go, most
would ay they are a symbol of freedom. They are in fact a symbol sailor used to
signify coming home due to the migratory patterns of most birds. The best
depiction of this is the swallow or sparrow. Often you will see sparrow and
swallows tattooed holding or with stars. This is a symbol of finding your way in
the dark, since most sailors spent months at sea and the night was the most
dangerous time to sail due to not being able to see any obstructions in the
water.

The Cat- A tattoo of a cat can be for a female that loves her pet, and a
symbol of attention. For the Egyptians the cat was a symbol of death. Though
to be a sacred animal, the cat was believed to be able to cross from the land of
the living to the land of the dead. Many past cultures see the cat as a
messenger from the dead to the living.

Daggers- A dagger can symbolize many things such as revenge or getting
stabbed in the back, but the true meaning of a dagger is from the Japanese
culture. When a Samurai warrior failed his king on a task too small to commit
Hari-Kari (honorable suicide) they would be required to remove the tip of a
finger to show sympathy for the failure, thus making a dagger a sign of loyalty.

Dragon- The American dragon is a symbol of strength, but the Japanese dragon
is a symbol of wisdom and intelligence, often depicted with a tiger along side it
to symbolize wisdom and beauty.

Eye- The tattooed image of an eye would seem to be a symbol of awareness,
though it can be, it was first tattooed on prisoners by other prisoners on there
backs against their will. The meaning of which is to show that the tattooed
prisoner was an informant and also symbolized they have been sexually
assaulted by another prisoner.

Fairy-The fairy is a mystical creature most use as a symbol of their childhood.
The oldest meaning behind a fairy tattoo is that fairies would often grant
wishes to the ones that could catch them making all the captors dreams come
true while causing more problems then they helped. The Irish later referred to
them as leprechauns.

Fans- Most think that a tattoo of an oriental fan is a sign of beauty due to the
geisha that never leaves hers behind, but in fact it is a tool to ward off evilspirits.

Fish- Fish tattoos are often viewed as a sign of fertility, this is not entirely
wrong. The Celtic Salmon of wisdom might say other wise though. In the
Japanese culture, the Koi fish is a symbol of strength and beauty. The Koi was a
plain fish till the Japanese bread them to be bright colors, and the legend of
the Koi is that every Japanese dragon started as a Koi fish that had to jump
over a rainbow to change into a dragon.

Flags- Flags today are a symbol of patriotism, getting an American flag tattoo
supports your country. In the past, other cultures would get a flag tattooed of a
rival country to show disrespect and that the country the flag belonged to was
an enemy.
Fleur de Lis- The Fleur de Lis might be the same symbol we use for the boy
scouts, but it really is a sign of the French Monarchy, and so represents liberty.

Ganesh- Ganesh is the Hindu god that has a head of the elephant. The
meaning of her as a tattoo is that of Protection and righteousness.

Gecko Lizard- The gecko lizard is a sign of regrowth and survival instinct do to
its ability to loose its tail and later re-grow it in order to distract an enemy to
save its own life.

Grapes- Grapes are a symbol of the Greek goddess of wine named Dionysus.
When you see someone sporting a grape vine up there leg thinking it means
growth, they are really telling you they are a drunk.

Griffin- A griffin is a mythological animal passed on from the Middle Eastern
religion called Zoroastrianism, but was later used by the Christian church as a
symbol of the two sides of Christ.

The Eye of Horus- Horus was an Egyptian god whose symbol is the left eye.
Horus is the god of war and protection. Any one thought to have the symbol
tattoo was believed to be protected by Horus himself during combat.

The Eye of Rah- Rah is the Egyptian god of the sun symbolized by the right
eye or opposite the eye of Horus. The symbol of Rah means you warship life or
creation of life.

Kokopelli- The Kokopelli is thought by most cultures to be a messenger ofyou is the most of the actual depictions of the Kokopelli is adorned with very
large male genitailia. It's actually an Indian sign of fertility.

Lotus Flower- The lotus flower is often mistaken for a sign of beauty. The
lotus flower is a very pretty flower that grows in mercky and muddy water; it is
a sign of spiritual purity through advertisement.

Nautical Star- The "Nautical Star" that you see on every teenager is one of the
oldest tattooed symbols. It symbolizes the North Star and means that the one
adorning such a tattoo is looking for there way.

Spider Web- Some say the spider web on the elbow is a symbol of taking a
life. The true meaning of the spider web tattoo is more for the bikers, it's a
symbol of crashing a motor cycle in hopes that the spider webs will catch them
the next time to keep the rider out of harm, figuratively that is.
Those are some of the image meanings I thought you would be surprised
about. There are just so many images to name, I can't even think of a fourth of
them. Here are some more standard tattoo meanings for images we see every
day. Hopefully you will get a few ideas of be able to use this to better assist
your clients on finding the tattoo for them.

Anchor- Safety, hope and salvation, planting ones own roots such as having a
family.
Angel - Protection, guardians, keepers of dreams
Bat - Longevity, happiness, mystery
Bear- Good nature, good luck, also ignorance
Bull - Fertility, power and strength
Butterfly - Spiritual immortality, temporary element of life
Centaur - Knowledge and nature, spirit of womanhood
Chain - If broken it means freedom. If intact-slavery
Clown - Laughter, tears, uncertainties

Clover - Good luck or a sign of Irish nationality; Feminine power
Cross - Sacrifice, love and salvation, Christian Symbol for faith
Crow - Revival, Gods messenger, Return From the dead
Devil - Mischievousness, urgent desire for sex
Dog - Man’s best friend, loyalty, trustworthiness
Dove - Universal symbol of peace
Dragonfly - Affinity with the Spiritual Life. Illusion
Feather - Creativity, rebirth and spiritual elevation
Frog – Positive symbol of pregnancy, Also a symbol of change in ones own life
Hawk - Self-discipline
Heart - Love, provided it is neither bloody nor torn into pieces
Horse - Friend to man, kingship
Leaf - Joy, rebirth
Lion - Might, awareness, immortality, bravery
Mermaid - Temptation, seduction, materialism
Monkey - Wisdom, knowledge, or evil powers
Moon - Varied rhythms of life
Phoenix - Rebirth, Rising from ones own ashes
Reaper - Death or one has faced death
Rose - Fertility, pagan sign for womanhood
Scarab - Strength and rebirth
Skull - Courage, Death, Poison

Snake - Temptation, Adaptive ness, knowledge, and wisdom
Spider - Creativity
Sun - Sacredness of life. Warmth, nurturing
Sword - Represents justice, honor, energy
Tiger - Fierceness, strength and power
Turtle - Fertility, long life
Unicorn - Chastity and purity; unattainable
Wolf - On the hunt, One's own wild side
YinYang - Harmony and totality versus Evil and chaos, also is a symbol of
balance