Even thousands of years later the world of Ancient Egypt seems mysterious and enigmatic, so much so that even in our days we are still inspired by this ancient culture and civilization and tremble before them. From mythology to mesmerizing art and symbolism, ancient Egyptian culture will probably never cease to amaze and inspire us.
This explains why Egyptian tattoos are so popular all over the world. Ancient symbolism, motifs, Egyptian hieroglyphs and deities serve as an endless source of inspiration for various Egyptian tattoo concepts. It seems that even ancient Egyptian tattoos are coming back to our time.
So if you want to get an Egyptian tattoo, you have come to the right place. In the following paragraphs, we will look at popular Egyptian symbols and motifs and how they can be used in a tattoo design. So, let's get started!
Peculiarity of the Egyptian tattoos
The indigenous inhabitants of the Sinai peninsula many centuries ago learned to thread tattoos. At first, this art mastered the female half of the population. Then the fashion caught up with the men.
The first Egyptian tattoos were lines and dots. They had a sacred meaning. So were denoted energy flows. Later began to put drawings of animals, birds, various objects and so on on on the body. Among them are recognizable portraits of pharaohs, mummies, various deities. It is necessary to note also a special style of graphics.
Places of application
Anubis is a universal tattoo, it can be applied to any part of the body.
On the chest, you can make a large image of the god with some attributes and other representatives of ancient Egyptian mythology. For example, Anubis can be depicted with Upuat, the god who helped lead people to heaven, or with Kebhut. She is the goddess of embalming, pure water, and the daughter of Anubis. Kebhut protected the bodies of the dead from decay. A tattoo of her image would protect the person from mutilation and strengthen the influence of Anubis.
If there is no desire to add detail to the drawing of the god, then the tattoo can be applied to the shoulder. The minimalist version will look great there. On the arms and legs, such a tattoo will also look good. You can completely score the entire forearm or shin, making a sleeve with a lot of small details.
Depicted with scales in his hands Anubis will strengthen the protection of the owner. You can also add drawings of mummies, pyramids, any ancient Egyptian funerary attributes.
The back of the neck and the solar plexus area are energetically strong areas. If a tattoo is placed there, its meaning will be amplified.
What do Egyptian tattoos mean?
Like any tattoo, Egyptian-themed tattoos should provide aesthetic pleasure. The sacred meaning of ancient Egyptian symbols is covered in the dust of the ages. Even the presence of their descendants in that area is questionable. Though it is possible to admit, as a variant, a confrontation with classical world religions.
People with a delicate psyche and esoteric inclinations may choose Egyptian tattoos as amulets.
Most often customers stop at the drawings of the rulers of ancient Egypt. Especially successful is the young pharaoh Tutankhamen. As the most beautiful representatives of the clan of rulers, Cleopatra and Nefertiti are also in demand.
How to choose a salon and a master
The savvy tattoo parlors are determined by the following criteria:
- observance of cleanliness and hygienic norms at the place of execution;
- Use of gloves, masks and disposable materials;
- presence of sterilization equipment;
- Readiness of specialists to answer all questions of clients.
Ideal cleanliness should always reign in a tattoo salon. Its workers must themselves and on demand inform clients about the methods of sterilization of instruments and their subsequent storage.
In order to choose a good tattoo master, you will need:
- Familiarity with his portfolio and customer reviews;
- Evaluating the qualifications and level of skill;
- Determination of the specialist's experience under the desired style;
- Getting acquainted with whether the master is in demand at all.
A specialist in tattooing must always be on hand examples of their own work. On samples usually choose appropriate and interesting sketches.
When reviewing the works in the portfolio carefully consider them:
- quality;
- clarity and brightness;
- proportions;
- expressiveness;
- color palette;
- volume.
A real tattoo artist finds an individual approach for each client. He is able to discuss all the nuances of his work and understand the wishes of the visitor of the salon. With such a specialist, clients are guaranteed to receive original and unique tattoos and always remain satisfied.
They are also not stingy with reviews about the master and his work. Similar information is usually posted at thematic forums. With portfolio of masters are met not only by means of a world wide web, but also on a place of execution of their works, in tattoo salons. Real examples will tell about professional level of the expert and in what direction he works more.
Goddesses of Egypt in a tattoo culture
There are no shortage of different deities in the country's history. In tattoo culture, Egyptian gods are also very much in demand. As frequently used can be named:
- Isis. This is the mother goddess. She is responsible for the welfare of the family, the birth and preservation of children
- Ra is the sun god. The tattoo of this deity is chosen by leaders, successful people.
- God Seth. God of war, loss. He is depicted in the form of a reptile.
- The goddess Bastet looks like a cat. The Egyptian cat tattoo is meant to represent femininity, beauty, and love.
- God Anubis. He is drawn in the image of a man with a jackal's head. The meaning of the image is associated with the embalming and burial of the deceased.
The origins of the beliefs of the ancient Egyptians
The life of the peoples in the Nile delta depended on the forces of nature: the flooding river provided a fertile layer of soil, the sun could both warm its rays and burn the heat of the crops, wild beasts regularly attacked livestock and sometimes even people. Gradually, the elements and their power became personified, that is, they took on the features of sentient beings. This is how the first gods in the ancient Egyptian pantheon appeared.
In parallel, the doctrine of the soul, which, according to the ancient Egyptians, consisted of 9 parts, developed. To provide the parts of the soul with a comfortable transition to the afterlife and a happy life after death, the Egyptians created a set of special funerary rituals. The most famous of them is mummification, i.e. preservation of the body with the help of embalming agents and layers of cloth.
In all, there were about 700 deities in the pantheon of the peoples of ancient Egypt, but many of them had only local significance. The key characters of the mythology were about 20, the most significant of which we will discuss below.
Sun God Ra
Ra is the creator god and head of the pantheon, the fighter against the armies of darkness. The Egyptian sun god is depicted as a human figure with the head of a falcon or falcon - so draw Ra and on the sketches of the tattoo. The sun god is also known as Amon Ra. Amon is the deity of light among the inhabitants of Thebes. As is often the case, two cults merged into one, and Ancient Egypt got a deity with a double name. In tattoo designs, the image of the god Ra is often given the meaning of the victory of light over darkness, but this is not necessary: you can score yourself a tattoo just because you liked this character.
Goddess Bast
Bast (Bastet)-goddess of the home, female attractiveness, love and prosperity. The ancient Egyptians drew her in the form of a girl with a cat's head. An interesting fact: before the cat was domesticated, Bast had the head of a lioness. The goddess's mascot was the musical instrument sistr. In honor of the cult of Bast, festivals were held where Egyptians sailed in boats to music, having fun and dancing. In tattoo art, the Egyptian goddess Bastet is depicted as a woman with a cat's head or simply as a graceful and majestic cat. Some of the holders of the Bastet tattoo give it the meaning of a talisman, while others simply express in the Egyptian tattoo their love for cats as the most mysterious and wildest of pets.
God Osiris.
Lord of the afterlife, judge of the dead. He was portrayed as a mummy with green skin and wearing white robes. Osiris's attributes were a scepter (hekhet) and a chain (nekhehu) - symbols of monarchic power. Osiris' head is crowned with a crown of reeds, the same material was used to make his boat for travel.
The goddess Isis.
One of the major female deities, consort of the god Osiris and mother of Horus. A symbol of maternal and marital love, compassion and mercy. Isis was depicted with a crown in the form of a throne - a sign of state power, she was considered one of the heavenly patronesses of the pharaoh.
Isis could also be painted as a woman with bird's wings, as one of the legends tells of her transformation into a bird. The symbols of the Egyptian goddess are the throne and the amulet tiet, also called the knot of Isis - in tattoo designs they are often depicted next to her.
The falcon god Gore
The God Horus is one of the most popular Egyptian-style tattoo characters. The son of Isis and Osiris, he was depicted as a young man with the head of a falcon and wearing a royal headdress. His name translates as "high, unattainable." In one legend, he gives up his eye to save his father, the god Osiris, so the eye of Horus, or uajet, is one of Egypt's recognizable symbols in the tattoo.
God Anubis
Anubis, depicted as a man with the head of a jackal, is a guide deity to the afterlife and patron of funerary rituals. Many owners of tattoos with Anubis consider him the Egyptian god of death, but this is wrong, and even a superficial study of Egyptian mythology will confirm it. Although the theme of death puts its own imprint on the image of this hero.
The God of Death Seth
It is Seth, the antagonist in the myths of Osiris and Horus, who is the Egyptian god of destruction and death, which is worth considering when getting a tattoo of him. He is depicted with the head of a pipe-toothed donkey and with a staff of uas in his hand. Also one of the symbols of Seth is the ankh, the key of life, also known as the Coptic cross.
Pyramids and mummies in tattoo art
The mystery of the pyramids is still unsolved. The phenomena occurring inside these structures defy comprehension. Cases of sudden recovery of patients, inadequate behavior of people and animals, changes in equipment operation (spontaneous discharging/charging of batteries) are described. All these inexplicable phenomena excite the mind. Egyptian tattoo sketches with majestic structures are always in fashion.
Tattoos of mummies are often chosen by exalted people. There is no special meaning in them. The meaning of the Egyptian tattoo should be interpreted as a death-hungry zombie.
