Archive for Free Tattoo Ideas
An Overview of Butterfly Tattoos
Posted by: | CommentsToday tattoos have become more popular than at any other time in recent history. More than 30% of people between the ages of 18 to 25, and 40 percent of those ages 26 to 40, have a tattoo and in many cases more than one. (Wong, 2003) With all of these tattoos being performed, does it seem strange that butterflies are the most common tattoo found on women? Not really, if you look into the history of the butterfly symbol and its importance in human history.
There have been many variations of the story of butterflies in human mythology. Some cultures believed that each time a butterfly left its cocoon, a human soul was formed. Other cultures see butterflies as the souls of the dead waiting in purgatory while other cultures show butterflies as symbols of joy and happiness. Many Native American tribes had specific ideas about the butterfly symbol. They believed that they symbolized everlasting life and considered them to be the transformers or changers of life. (Michilak, 2010)
The butterfly symbol is primarily used by women in today’s modern society but that has not always been true. Augustus, an emperor of Rome, used the butterfly to symbolize his power, and the male priests of Mayan culture also used the butterfly on their clothes to symbolize their sacred fire. (Hemingson, 2010)
The reasons why butterflies have become a more feminine symbol in today’s society are not known but considering modern society’s obsession with beauty, it seems to make sense. Butterflies symbolize beauty just like they did in the past yet they are still considered a symbol of change or metamorphosis. (Hemingson, 2010) So, if a woman is trying to decide what picture she wants to have put on her body for the rest of her life, it makes sense she would want something that was once a horrible ugly bug but became a beautiful butterfly. The woman who has this tattoo may feel that she will be metamorphosed after she gets her butterfly tattoo.
The idea has been purported that because the butterfly is known to symbolize death and rebirth that perhaps women choose the butterfly tattoos when they feel like things are too tough. The idea of bad things ending and starting over could be something you want to keep on your body for the rest of your life. Most likely a butterfly just symbolizes something beautiful to many women and they choose it solely for aesthetic reasons.
The butterfly has also been chosen as the symbol for the transgender community and has become the logo for the Butterfly Coalition International. The idea that the butterfly symbolizes metamorphosis for many people was the reasoning behind their choice. (Coalition, 2010) Obviously women and men choose butterfly tattoos for all sorts of reasons. But, whatever the reason, the placement of these tattoos can be as important as the tattoo design itself. The most popular area seems to be the lower back with the ankle coming in a close second. The shoulder area is also popular. Selection of these areas probably means that, more than likely, the person wants other people to see their tattoo. In some cases, a person will choose a hidden place because the meaning of their tattoo is for their loved ones as well as themselves.
There is no best way to find a butterfly tattoo but visiting as many possible tattoo design sites on the internet as well as real life tattoo shops is a great start. The designs range in size, color, and shape which makes the choice difficult but allows for so much more individuality for the seeker of a butterfly tattoo.
Works Cited
Coalition, B. (2010). Home. Retrieved March 27th, 2010, from Butterfly Coalition International: butterflyco.org
Hemingson, V. (2010).Ttattoo Designs and Symbols. Retrieved March 25, 2010, from the vanishing tattoo: vanishingtattoo.com/tattoos_designs_symbols.htm
Michilak, J. (2010). Need To Know. Retrieved March 24, 2010, from Butterfly tatoo: tattoos.lovetoknow.com/Butterfly_Tattoos
Wong, N. (2003). Think Before You Ink. Retrieved March 24, 2010, from tattoo facts and statistics: tattoos.lovetoknow.com/Butterfly_Tattoosvanishingtattoo.com/tattoo_facts.htm
Overview of Tribal Tattoos
Posted by: | CommentsTribal tattoos have been used for as long as people have needed to identify themselves and they are the “in” thing at the moment. This trend began in the nineties and has only increased as time has passed. The tribal tattoo has had many purposes in human history but they originated mainly to identify a clan or group. Some groups would use the tattoos to identify distant relatives from far away tribes or to find each other after they passed away and were wandering the heavens looking for their tribe members. The tribal tattoo was also used to depict important events that occurred in a tribe or clan, almost like keeping a recorded history of events. (Syrkiewicz, 2008) Naturally a tribal tattoo has a different use today but in the end the modern tribal tattoo is still a form of identification.
Today in many instances the person getting a tribal tattoo wants the tattoo to illustrate something about them, almost like a tattoo of self identification. They are a way for a person to make a statement about themselves for other people to see and interpret. However, the tribal tattoo today is used not to group people into the same tribe but to express personality and individuality. (Hemingson, 1999-2009)
Oftentimes gangs, clubs, and military members will use a tattoo to identify themselves to others. This type of usage for a tattoo is similar to the use of tattoos five thousand years ago when the tribal tattoo art form is believed to have originated. (Syrkiewicz, 2008) Members of different gangs or military groups can identify each other by using a specific tattoo. They often form a bond around a particular symbol almost like a brotherhood. For gang members, the tattoo is used to define their members and lets them know who is friendly or not. All cultures have used tattoos as some form of identification and the trend is back in fashion today.
A tattoo magazine titled Tattoo Times, founded in 1982 by Don Ed Hardy and Leo Zulueta, started a new fascination with the tribal tattoo. (Tebi, 2004-2008) They called their first article “New Tribalism” and it featured tribal designs from the South Pacific, tattoos that had lost favor many years before. (Tebi, 2004-2008) Tattoo artistry itself had been going through problems with negative feelings from society at the time so an article illustrating these wonderful tribal designs helped alleviate some of the negative feelings people had about these tattoos. It actually had the effect of re-popularizing the ancient art form.
The tribal designs seen most commonly today are similar to designs used by the Polynesians for thousands of years. They often have a geometric silhouette pattern that may be considered too easy to do by many tattoo artists. Since these are not considered challenging, some artists do not like to do them. (Tebi, 2004-2008)
Celtic tribal patterns are also popular today. They were distributed by sailors hundreds of years ago as they traveled from Europe. Actually, sailors can be thanked for causing the original popularity of tattoo artistry in the modern western world. The word tattoo comes from the Tahitian word, ‘ta-taw’, which was thought to be the sound a person would hear when the tattooing instruments were used. When the sailors returned to Europe with tattoos that illustrated their adventures, people were fascinated and many wanted to have their own. (Tebi, 2004-2008)
The type and location of a tribal tattoo is a limitless as the unique personality of the person who wants it. Some examples are tribal armband, Celtic tattoo, tribal wolf tattoo, tribal shoulder tattoo, tribal scorpion, butterfly dragon, dog, bird, bull, tiger and many, many more. There are also tribal sleeve tattoos, lower back tribal tattoos, and tribal star tattoos. (Hemingson, 1999-2009) As with all artistic mediums and cultural developments, the art form of tribal tattoos is continually changing. But, the art form is always going to reflect the depth and potential of the person who wants the tattoo as well as the artist’s interpretation of the tribal design.
Works Cited
Hemingson, V. (1999-2009). Tribal tattoo design. Retrieved December 7, 2009, from The Vanishing Tattoo: http://www.vanishingtattoo.com/tribal_tattoos.htm
Syrkiewicz, J. (2008, October 8). History and Social Impact of Tatoos. Retrieved December 7, 2009, from Suite101.com: http://cultural-anthropology.suite101.com/article.cfm/the_history_and_social_impact_of_tattoos
Tebi, D. B. (2004-2008). TatooJoy.com. Retrieved December 7, 2009, from History of Tribal Tattoos: http://tattoojoy.com/tattoo_articles/the_meaning_of_tribal_tattoos.htm
The Symbolism Behind Libra Tattoos
Posted by: | CommentsWhen someone has a Libra as their zodiac sign, they found that there are three different ways that they can display their sign as a tattoo. Here are the three libra tattoos that people use.
Libra Zodiac Symbol
This is often known as the glyph and it’s the best known of the three libra tattoos available. It’s known to be representative of the sun going down, and it symbolizes a new day. it’s also known to show Libra’s nature for staying in the road’s middle. The middle of the symbol, which is a rising bump, demonstrates that Libras stay have a balance on an issues sides without hurting the other side. One last interpretation of this symbol is a symbol that looks like the equal sign. The rising bump that is on the first line shows the justice that the Libra has.
Scales
Another common of the libra tattoos is the scales. The symbol is because of the balanced nature of Libra. A lot of Libra tattos feature the scales as equal and not usually unbalanced. This is due to the fact that most Libras are concerned with balance. They want to make sure that their daily life is balanced at both scale ends. The libra tattoos help to remind the Libras to look for harmony in their life each and every day.
Libra Constellation
The final of the libra tattoos that Libras often get is the Libra constellation. There are four stars that make up the Libra constellation.
• Sigma Librae
• Gamma Librae
• Beta Librae(which is the constellation’s brightest star)
• Alpha Librae
Due to the constellation’s shape, there are a couple of theories about why the constellation shows Libra’s balance.
• Alpha and Beta are the scale’s two sides and the arms which are strutting out from the sides are the scale’s pans.
• A theory that H.A. Ray came up with is the fact that Beta is the top tier, Alpha and Gamma are the second, and the three other Librae stars make the third tier. This is a theory that makes a layer system that is more balanced.
For those people who are interested in getting libra tattoos, there are some ideas about what you can get.
• Libra glyph tattoos are great small tattoos, worn on the wrist’s inside, between a person’s shoulder blades, and on the lower back.
• Libra scales are a nice addition for ankle, back, or foreceps. They are good to combine with things like celestial bodies.
Libra tattoos are wonderful for people who are Libras or who just believe in balance and equality in the world. They are something that is very versatile in the size that a person wants in their tattoo and where they want it to be on their bodies. They can also be put together with other tattoos to make a more complete tattoo. Libra tattoos are something that are unique and something that can show everyone what the person with the tattoo believes in.
