A symbol of profound wisdom and the other world: the meaning of the owl tattoo for men and women

Tattoo of an owl

Tattoo of an owl

Tattoo with an owl Often prefer to do as men and women. Especially beautiful and effective looks such a tattoo in the styles of oldskul and watercolor.

Tattoo of an owl

Tattoo with an owl

Tattoo with an image of an owl can be read in different ways. Often such a natal image do mysterious, enigmatic personality. As the owl leads a nocturnal lifestyle, it will be an ideal option for such people. In addition, a mental image in the form of an owl can mean wisdom and thoroughness of its owner.

Tattoo of an owl on the wrist

Tattoo of an owl on the wrist

Tattoo of an owl on your wrist

Tattoo with a small owl on the wrist

Tattoo of an owl and moon in color

Tattoo with owl and moon in color

Tattoo of an owl on a man's shoulder

Tattoo of an owl on a man's shoulder

Tattoo of an owl on his neck

Tattoo of an owl on the neck

Much in the meaning of an owl tattoo will depend on the chosen place of application. Tattoo with an owl on the left leg will tell about what the owner is prone to introspection. If the tattoo is depicted on the right leg, then, most likely, a person has already chosen his own path in life and is ready to go on it. Also, tattooed owl in girls can tell about the fact that the owner of the tattoo tends to mysticism and seeks knowledge. Tattoo in the form of an owl on the wrist will serve as a personal amulet for its owner.

Meaning of the Tattoo of the Owl

The owl has several meanings: wisdom, thirst for knowledge, striving for new horizons. In Greece, this bird was a symbol of the goddess Athena.

The ability to see in the dark for owls is common, but it is not under the power of people. "Seeing in the dark" for a person means understanding something more than others, having a wealth of knowledge, navigating difficult situations as in the familiar elements.

Tattoo of an Owl - Meaning and Sketches of Tattoo of an Owl

For his cries and nightlife in some cultures, owls are associated with otherworldly forces. In Hinduism, the owl is a guide for souls to other worlds. Despite the macabre interpretation, many people choose the owl tattoo precisely because of this meaning.

Tattoo of an Owl - Meaning and Sketches of Tattoo of an Owl - Tattoo of an Owl

History of the tattoo

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The owl is a nocturnal predator. Hence, in many folklore it was associated with the messenger of night and death. For most peoples, it was a symbol of the afterlife and dark magic. Owls were often companions of witches and sorcerers.
However, such views of the bird did not exist everywhere. In ancient Greece, the owl was considered a symbol of wisdom, it accompanied Athena Pallada, into which the goddess could also transform herself. Since Europe is the successor of ancient Greek culture, in its folklore the owl always appears as a concentration of wisdom and prudence.

Despite this exception, many other countries have developed a negative perception of this bird. In China, they were harbingers of death and crime, in the Celts it is a corpse bird associated with black magic. In India and Egypt the owl was attributed the ability to transfer the dead from the world of the living to the world of the dead.

Modern culture seems to discard all previous preconceptions about the bird. In our world, the owl is associated with the same wisdom, knowledge, vitality, high intelligence, but also the loneliness to which one deliberately condemns oneself.

Popular Places and Plots for Tattooing an Owl

Owl Tattoo on Back

A large drawing of a flying bird is most often placed on the back. The wings of the bird often create the illusion of the presence of wings in a person.

Tattoo of an Owl - Meaning and Sketches of Tattoo with an Owl

Tattoo of an Owl on the Arm

The arm is a universal place to apply an owl sketch. If the drawing is large, it would be better to place it on the shoulder. Small tattoos can be placed on the forearm or wrist.

Tattoo of the Owl on the Neck

Tattoos on the neck are rare, but it is an owl that is often chosen for this location. These birds have the ability to see in all directions around themselves. So the owl on the neck becomes the talisman and helper of its owner and protects him from dangers from any side.

Tattoo of an Owl on the Leg

In the classic version, girls choose the thigh, and men give preference to the tattoo on the shin. Although each sketch is individual and its location can be absolutely any.

Tattoo of an Owl - Meaning and Sketches of Tattoo of an Owl

Tattoo of an Owl on the Chest

The owl tattoo on the chest is chosen by both men and girls. Spectacular drawings of the bird of prey on the chest is the best way to emphasize your individuality.

Tattoo of an Owl with a Key

Tattoo of an owl with a key means gaining new knowledge. The owl flies in the dark, but it is an excellent hunter who navigates the world much better than other birds. The key, which the bird carries, opens the secret knowledge and for people.

Tattoo of an Owl - Tattoo of an Owl with a Key - Tattoo of an Owl with a Key

Compositions with other elements

The image of an owl can be conditionally divided into two categories of images. Live (realistic) bird, usually captured in flight or during the hunt and schematic, flat, drawn, in most cases consisting of patterns, sitting and symbolizing with all its appearance boundless wisdom.

To enhance the significance in tattoos, the feathered owl is not only decorated with flowers or a background in the form of a tree, branches and night space, but also combined with other common symbols and objects that are suitable in meaning.

The clock is usually mechanical, or rather its dial is placed either in the clutches of the bird, or the background near the head, especially if the head is depicted close-up. Such compositions have been known for a very long time and were even at one time a popular theme in the Oldschool style.

From whence came the clock came the combination with the skull, which is the canonical image of the old-school style. The skull is placed below the bird, putting the owl as the dominant element. Sometimes the skull is placed inside the bird, it acts as its body, merging into one multifaceted symbol.

A forest with an owl indicates an area of its habitat, hunting and personal space. It is usually a strip of mostly coniferous trees below the bird. The forest is able to create an atmosphere of mystery and silence.

Books, another generalized symbol of knowledge and skills gained through learning, capable of indicating, together with the wise bird, the intellectual preferences of the tattoo owner or owner. A book (open or closed) or a stack of books is applied under the owl.

The key, the keyhole, the lock lead to the context that erases all barriers to obtaining the truth. Owl thirsts for knowledge and nothing will stop her, what is closed - sooner or later will be open and will be known to all.

Tattoo of an Owl for Girls - Female Tattoo of an Owl

Owl tattoos are among the most unisex tattoos. Girls as well as men choose both large full back tattoos and works in black and white style. One major difference is the cute cartoon owl tattoos. Exclusively female, colored tattoos with owls do not indicate that their owner seeks secret knowledge, but simply likes to stay up late and get up late. We should not forget about this, more simple, but important for many people meanings.

The main meaning in the countries and religions

The main meaning of the tattoo is a predilection for darkness and the time of night, because it is predominantly a nocturnal inhabitant.

One of the most common meanings given to tattoos of owls, by right, is considered wisdom and prudence. Such a tattoo will serve as a talisman against evil forces and malicious intent. Characteristic for people, educated and logical, based its decision on the voice of reason.

In China, such a tattoo carries the meaning of death and misfortune. This is due to the fact that the basis of Chinese legend is the belief that newborn owls are able to peck their mothers' eyes in moments of powerlessness and illness. Another meaning, also not cheerful, is that of cannibalism, for they are capable of killing their own kind.

Orthodoxy puts its own meaning in owl tattoos - atheism. Indian tattoos mean immortality, as Indians believe in the rebirth of owls after death into another creature.

Owl Tattoo for Men - Men's Owl Tattoos

The most popular location of men's owl tattoos is the chest. A flying wild bird with outspread wings looks majestic and sometimes even frightening. Tattoos with owls are close to introverts, people who prefer solitude and are prone to reflection.

Choice of design and technique

In many ways, the choice of the sketch and technique of tattooing depends on what you want to see on your body and what symbols for this elect. Sketches in the cartoon style are always bright and noticeable. Realism in color allows you to emphasize the smallest details. Engraving or Dotwork direction is characterized by brevity and crispness of lines. In such monochrome drawings there are no unnecessary details and pathos. Sketches in the technique of Polynesia or ethnics underline interest in esoteric wisdom and exotic cultures. The image of an owl can be supplemented with various ornaments, backgrounds of the night sky, a clock, a key, a variety of vegetation, arrows, skulls or dream catchers.

Any tattoo can tell a lot about its owner. Therefore always refer to this question very seriously and carefully, so as not to accidentally "tell" yourself a little too much, especially when it comes to the tattoo with an owl. If you just like this majestic and noble bird - feel free to decorate your body with such a picture, but do not forget about the ambiguous and controversial symbolism of this image.

For guys

Young men are trying to choose more serious tattoo designs. In this case, the meaning of the tattoo can be very different in nature.

  • On the right hand owl tattoo is located as a sign of wisdom and determination.
  • On the games of the legs and on the feet sketches mean renunciation of pain.
  • Black and white sketches are a symbol of calm, wisdom and determination. Bright colors on the tattoo indicate a guy's cheerful and reckless lifestyle.
  • The owl, depicted in its usual appearance, means power and love of life. Birds drawn with unusual flaws or with unrealistically large parts of their own body indicate a renunciation of the usual hustle and bustle of life.

Nature

For women

For Men