Meanings of tattoos

The meaning of an owl tattoo design

Here you will learn all the most interesting about the meaning of the owl tattoo design, you will learn about the features of the drawing, the meaning, interpretation and history in the art of tattooing, read interesting facts, you can see an impressive collection of tattoo drawings with an owl in the photo and interesting sketches for an owl tattoo.

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Photo of owl tattoo
Sketches of the owl tattoo

The meaning of an owl tattoo design: interesting facts and photos of owl tattoos

The culture of applying drawings on the skin has been familiar to mankind since ancient times. During excavations of ancient pyramids, mummified remains with traces of a tattoo were found, the approximate age of the drawing is 4 thousand years. The word “Tattooing” came to us from the Polynesian languages, where “tatau” literally means “drawing on human skin.” Scars covered the body to capture the importance of the event. Tattoos indicated status and position in society, served as protection from dark forces. In ancient times, tattoos were common among peoples with fair skin, and dark-skinned people used scarring for the same purposes..

But if in ancient times tattoos were used as magical protection and a symbol of belonging to a certain social stratum, today it is a way of self-expression, body art. People carefully choose a drawing that will be imprinted on their body. Often, tattoos contain rich symbols that have a certain meaning, sometimes even several. Sometimes a lot can be said about a person’s personality only by tattoos. This article proposes to consider the meaning of an owl tattoo.

The meaning of the owl symbol

Since ancient times, owls have been surrounded by legends. The unusual appearance of this bird, its ability to fly silently, turn its head 180 and 270 degrees and sharp eyesight caused conflicting feelings in people, which was reflected in myths and beliefs. On the one hand, the owl symbolized wisdom, the power of knowledge, but on the other hand, it was associated with death and the underworld..

So, among the ancient Greeks, an owl is a symbol of the owl goddess Athena, who sometimes surpassed even Zeus in her wisdom. The owl was depicted on the four drachma coin. Owls were guarded, they were allowed to live in the Acropolis.
Maya Indians have owls as intermediaries between the worlds..
For the ancient Sumerians, an owl is a symbol of sadness, grief, despondency and sadness..
Gorapollo, the author of an essay on Egyptian hieroglyphs, associated an owl with death, because a night owl attacks ravens as suddenly as death comes to a person.
In South India, the owl was revered as a soothsayer. When the owl flew by, they counted the cries. By the number of cries, they determined what awaited them in the future: success or failure, the birth of a child or death..
Minerva, the Roman goddess of wisdom, was portrayed with an owl sitting at her feet.
Thanks to the English artist William Blake, the owl became an attribute of Hecate, the goddess of moonlight, hell, magic and witchcraft. Here such a quality of an owl as keen eyesight, the ability to see in the dark, to see hidden.
In Russian Art Nouveau, the image of an owl is associated with night, cold, passivity. An owl on the facades of some St. Petersburg buildings gives an atmosphere of mystery and enigma.

The meaning of an owl tattoo

An owl tattoo can have several meanings. Usually, the image of this bird means a person’s ability to go his own way in life, wisdom, knowledge, as well as a craving for everything mysterious, otherworldly.

Depending on the sketch, the meaning of the tattoo may also change:

An owl with spread wings means independence and free thinking.
The owl with the moon personifies strong intuition, mystery and sensitivity of nature..
Dreamcatcher with an owl. A dreamcatcher protects from nightmares, and an owl with its sharp eyes helps to find the right direction in a dream.
Owl with a clock. Such a tattoo seems to say: time is the main value, it heals, makes people wiser, experience comes over time.
Owl with a key. The key is what opens or locks the doors, and the owl here is a symbol of wisdom and knowledge. Such a tattoo is a symbol of openness to new experience, the need for knowledge. But it can also mean secret knowledge, an important secret that needs to be kept..

Choosing a place for a tattoo

To make the tattoo look beautiful, you need to find the right place for it. An owl with spread wings will look organic on the back or chest.

Small birds are usually painted on the fingers, neck, or behind the ear. For small tattoos, it is best to choose a style with clear lines so that the tattoo does not smudge or blur in the future. Medium-sized owl tattoos look best on the thigh, shoulder or forearm, most often owls of this size are painted in a geometric or watercolor style..

An owl tattoo on the arm means prudence, calmness, wisdom.

The image of an owl on the right hand means courage, determination, rapacity. On the left hand – nightlife, mystery, craving for mysticism.

A tattoo with an owl on the leg means integrity, firmness..

Owl tattoo for girls

An owl tattoo on the wrist of girls indicates the mystery, wisdom and rich life experience of a woman..

A space-style owl speaks of an energetic and cheerful nature

Owls in colorful colors indicate an easy-going girl who is open to communication and new meetings..

A tattoo with a bird on the back speaks of the firmness of a woman’s character, as well as stealth..

The owl on the chest personifies the rejection of the usual norms, solid principles, dedication, obstinacy. Such a girl has her own opinion on all issues..

A tattoo on the neck means calmness and prudence of its wearer, sometimes it is stuffed as a talisman.

Colored tattoos most often talk about bright, cheerful girls, and tattoos in black and white style – about serious, mysterious, sane women..

Owl tattoo for men

A colored tattoo of an owl in men speaks of charm, an easy attitude to life. A tattoo done in dark colors indicates a tendency to introversion..

The most popular tattoo arrangement for men is the chest. At this point, she means a desire for life, resilience, optimism..

A tattoo with a bird on the palm indicates a free personality with a strong will.

A tattoo on the back speaks of the strength of the spirit and the ability to overcome all life obstacles..

Owl tattoos on thighs are done by confident men who are always true to themselves.

An owl on a shoulder blade speaks of loyalty and devotion.

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So, the owl tattoo has several meanings, so it is interesting. It can have different meanings depending on the place of application and the style of the tattoo..

Photo examples of drawings of a tattoo with an owl from 02/15/2021 (1290 photos)