Cool Animal Tattoos

Foo Dog Tattoos

By Animal Tattoo|2010-10-12T09:28:52+00:00December 2nd, 2010|

Fu or Foo dog tattoos are talismanic emblems designed to protect the wearer from evil influences or people with wicked intentions. Sometimes known as the lion dog (because lions are sacred in Buddhism), or the celestial dog, these regal creatures guarded the ancient Buddhist temples of the Orient. Their features are a combination of both feline and canine and they are usually depicted in an aggressive stance, with teeth bared and claws at the ready, always on guard to attack and rid their celestial manor of marauding demons. Often the female of the pair has her mouth closed in order to keep good spirits in. She is usually drawn playing with a cub which is reclining upside-down in a typical feline position of trust, and which also represents grounding and the earth or the ‘cycle of life’, while the male holds a globe, or ‘tama’, which is a Buddhist jewel, in its paws to symbolise heaven and the Buddhist law or ‘flower of life’.

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Flying Butterfly Tattoos: Designs of Freedom

By Animal Tattoo|2010-10-12T09:08:35+00:00November 29th, 2010|

Flying butterfly tattoos are undeniably the most popular designs requested by women all over the world. If you have ever seen a lepidopterist’s display cabinets you might begin to understand why these beautiful creatures hold so much fascination for so many. For one thing, there are over twenty thousand known species of butterfly throughout the world, which engrosses collectors, and means over twenty thousand unique designs to choose from if you want to replicate the real thing. And if you want something more whimsical, you can choose your own colours and patterns and claim you have discovered a new species!

It is true that most women choose flying butterfly tattoos because they are so elegant and beautiful, but they also have such enormous cultural significance all over the world that these creatures cannot help but captivate the imagination. You only have to watch a butterfly in flight as it flutters gracefully from flower to flower in search of nectar, to understand how easily myths and stories sprung up around this little creature. With their fairy-like gossamer wings, they were considered to be deities in some parts of the world.

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Elegant Butterfly Tattoos- Enhanced With Flower Designs

By Animal Tattoo|2010-10-12T08:55:27+00:00November 26th, 2010|

Colourful flower designs – with or without embellishments of elegant butterfly tattoos – account for the majority of tattoos favoured by women and it hardly takes the brain of a would-be Einstein to understand why. Butterflies are beautiful, graceful and colourful creatures that are rich in symbolic meaning. In the natural world, butterflies and flowers complement each other perfectly, so placing them together in a tattoo design represents all that is harmonious in nature.

Both butterflies and flowers are symbolic of youth and awakening as both appear and flourish in spring time when the year casts off its dark winter mantle and takes on the lighter and brighter hues of its summer attire.

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Meanings of Dolphin Tattoo Designs

By Animal Tattoo|2010-10-12T08:28:02+00:00November 23rd, 2010|

Dolphins have always had a wide appeal for people and it is, therefore, unsurprising that dolphin tattoo designs have grown in popularity over the years. If you are considering a dolphin tattoo yourself, you might well want to look into the symbolic meanings behind these amazing creatures, and which might also explain their universal appeal, before deciding on the exact design for you.

With almost forty species of dolphins, in existence all over the world, it is hardly surprising that these graceful and talented creatures are the subject of so many myths, legends and folklore. Early Christian symbolism connects dolphins with the resurrection which gives them spiritual qualities and in many cultures and mythologies they are linked with stories of creation.

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Ideas Surrounding Colourful Bird Tattoos

By Animal Tattoo|2010-10-12T08:04:47+00:00November 20th, 2010|

If you want to introduce a splash of colour into your lives, what better way to do so than by colourful bird tattoos? These have always been amongst the most popular of tattoo designs. After all, what more colourful creatures has nature given us than birds; and what creatures more rich in symbolic meaning? From the mythological Greek or Japanese phoenix to the modern American eagle, the history of tattooing can almost be traced through bird designs. And it is not very difficult to understand why.

Throughout history, the entire world over, birds have represented the full spectrum of human emotions and every culture has its myths and legends concerning them. Bird imagery has long been part of the language of some cultures – from mother hens to old crows, chicks, doves, birds (and love birds), and these usually refer to women. Shakespeare drew heavily on the similarity between taming a wild bird and changing a shrewish woman into an ideal wife in one of his plays. But bird tattoos have always been popular with both genders.

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Drawing a Meaningful Chinese Dragon Tattoo

By Animal Tattoo|2010-10-12T07:49:41+00:00November 17th, 2010|

Dragons are possibly the most popular creatures of legends and, for centuries the Chinese dragons have symbolised power and mystery, making the Chinese dragon tattoo one of the most popular designs ever requested. In legends, myths and folklore from all corners of the globe, dragons have struck fear in the heart of the bravest warrior, but they are also creatures of respect and worship.

Although in medieval Europe, the dragon was a ferocious blood-thirsty giant, breathing fire and malice on the terrified mortals, in Asia, this mythical beast has been long-celebrated for its benevolence, intelligence and kindness. The Chinese dragon is a symbol of identity for Far Eastern cultures.

The different perceptions of dragons can be seen in their depictions in artwork and tattoos. The Chinese dragon tattoo is quite different to western and Japanese dragon designs not least because of its colour. Whilst Japanese favour red dragons, the Chinese prefer green and the design usually contains more detail reflecting its oriental origins. Western tattoos might depict their ideas about dragons being terrifying, destructive creatures and the enemy of all men, but the Chinese dragon will depict the opposite, reflecting their belief in the dragon as the bringer of luck and wealth.

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Creating Creative Butterfly Tattoo Designs

By Animal Tattoo|2010-10-12T07:31:08+00:00November 14th, 2010|

Butterfly tattoos are extremely versatile and lend themselves to any colour combination, from monochrome to multi-coloured and, with their increasing popularity amongst young women and girls, some highly creative butterfly tattoo designs are now available. Butterfly tattoos allow for a great deal of experimentation, not just with colour but also with shape and design, as well as size. A butterfly tattoo does not have to be big to be beautiful and striking. Butterfly tattoos can imitate the real creature in nature or something imaginary. Some of the more popular and creative butterfly tattoo designs incorporate the butterflies in with other symbols, such as flowers, leaves, fire and fairies. Some women choose to have butterfly wings on a fairy or angel to create a more original appearance.

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Considering All Panther Tattoos

By Animal Tattoo|2010-10-12T07:08:05+00:00November 11th, 2010|

Panthers are members of the felidae family, or feline genus of big cats, along with lions, tigers, leopard and jaguars and the black variety are the most popular subjects for tattoos, though not all panther tattoos are black. Panthers are symbols of power, courage and strength and there is much mysticism surrounding the black variety and because it is closely linked to the leopard and jaguar, it shares much of the symbolism attributed to them.

There are many different reasons why people choose the panther as the subject of their tattoos. Early Christians believed it symbolised chastity, whilst others linked it to the moon and night and attributed to it feminine qualities of beauty and the fierce protection a mother shows her young.

In pagan times it symbolised power and aggression and the Latin Americans associated it with the sun and supremacy. The panther has also had spiritual connotations and links with the psychic and artistic sides of nature, which encourage self-awareness through deeper understanding of the world around them.

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Various Meanings of Wild Boar Tattoos

By Animal Tattoo|2010-10-12T05:54:47+00:00November 8th, 2010|

If a young man wears a wild boar tattoo, he is probably wearing it as a symbol of his courage. As such it can be traced back to the Borneo ritual of a young boy’s first successful hunt in which he manages to kill a wild boar, to mark his rite of passage from boyhood to manhood. In many parts of the world, hunting wild boar was a popular sport. Boars are uncastrated male pigs with razor-sharp tusks known for their ferocity and courage – they will fight to the death to defend their territory if cornered and so made redoubtable opponents for hunters. Because of its great strength and speed, it was chosen by King Richard III as his heraldic symbol.

Wild boars and pigs have been the subject of myths and legends throughout history. Capturing the Erymanthian boar – a ferocious giant of a creature – was the fourth labour of Heracles (or Hercules). The fearless goddess Artemis (or the Roman huntress, Diana) sent her raging boars to ravage farmers’ fields when a country offended her in some way. According to another myth, Artemis sent a wild boar to kill Adonis when he insulted her pride by boasting he was the better hunter.

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Immortal Unicorn Tattoos

By Animal Tattoo|2010-10-12T05:44:16+00:00November 5th, 2010|

Anyone who has ever loved fantasy will have been enthralled with stories about unicorns and people wearing unicorn tattoos must always have a ready following of interested questioners. What does a unicorn conjure up in your mind? For me it’s childhood tales of fantasy or magical realism and I am always happy to recapture some of this magic every year at Christmas by unwrapping a tiny, crystal and silver unicorn, cherished since early childhood, and placing it on the Christmas tree. But I suddenly wonder why I restrict myself to these fond associations for only a few weeks every year, when a unicorn tattoo would afford that pleasure every day! Before I rush off to the tattoo parlour, I would like to share with you some ideas about unicorns.

Since ancient times, unicorns have been described as being hybrids of several different animals, but they are more famously depicted with graceful, horse-like features (usually white) and, of course, the single horn which is reputed to be the source of the unicorn’s magic.

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