【Lion】 Tattoos and Meaning 🦁

Lion tattoo: meaning and photos

Tattoos are known to mankind since time immemorial. Depending on the historical period, tattoos carried in themselves (and still have) a special meaning: it can belong to a certain religious or social group, or a sign of identification of an individual with an idea or symbol. Among the latter, the animals totems, various geometric shapes and abstract outlines are the most used. Often you can also find tattoo phrases in living, dead, rare or common languages.

Leo: the history of the symbol

Thanks to the works of Freud and Jung, modern people know enough about the influence of symbols in everyday life and their connection with the subconscious. It would seem that someone has a simple drawing on their body, but, as you know, nothing is done without a reason, including the choice of a tattoo. Behind each drawing lies the cultural heritage of humanity, and it is noteworthy that it can differ significantly in different periods of history in different civilizations.

For example, animals symbolize certain qualities that people have endowed them with. As a rule, these qualities were attributed to the entire species. So, the use of the image of a lion it is inherent in folk religions, for example, in Buddhism it is seen as the personification of one of the sides of the Buddha - tranquility. In the Christian tetramorph, the image of a lion corresponds to Mark the Evangelist, responsible for God's power on earth and his resurrection from the dead.

Leo has an ability that couldn't go unnoticed: sleeping with his eyes open. Thanks to this ability, the image of a lion became associated with "guards" in Asia and the Middle East: in Egypt, India and Babylonia, the animal was erected on stones at the entrance to cities, this architectural tradition has passed into the modern europe. .

Also, many European countries use images of lions in heraldry; they are present on the coats of arms of modern Sweden, Great Britain, Spain and Bulgaria.

Also in fairy tales, myths and legends, the lion acts as a universal symbol of wisdom.

Philosophers are also not ignorant of the image of a lion. Nietzsche mentions it in the philosophical novel "Thus Spoke Zarathustra": "To free yourself from your love, you must become a lion", in Dante, the king of beasts, the lion acts as a negative hero, a symbol of pride and narcissism.

The meaning of a lion tattoo

It is obvious that a person, wearing a tattoo on his body, can have a personal opinion about the symbolism of the image. Often their presentation differs significantly both from the generally accepted meaning and from the specific interpretations of the image used for a tattoo in a narrow circle. Below we will try to figure out what the lion tattoo means in the broadest sense of the symbol.

Most people, when asked what the lion symbol carries, will answer that, first of all, it is power, nobility, aristocracy, strength, law and justice, as well as “royal blood”. A person who wears a tattoo lion is strong, self-confident, knowledgeable of people and knows exactly what he wants out of life. The general evaluation of the lion tattoo is very positive and does not generate controversy like, for example, the symbol of a snake for a tattoo.

It is noteworthy that the decoding of the symbol differs according to gender, as male and female lions have their own clear responsibilities in the pride (herd). The natural image of a lion on the body of a male representative basically characterizes a person as wanting to always be in the first place. He meaning of a lion tattoo for girls personifies love and the desire for success, career, vibrant public life, hence the phrase “socialite”. But at the same time, females often stuff lionesses before or after giving birth, as a symbol of devotion to the child and the family, by analogy with the functions of a lioness in a pride.

Besides, Leo is one of the signs of the zodiac. Leo is a fire sign associated with greatness and dignity. Consequently, such tattoos carry the semantic load of belonging to power, be it power in terms of social hierarchy, management of financial resources, or over oneself.

Importance in places not so distant

The meaning of tattoos with a lion in the area is twofold. First, it is a clear symbol of power, strength and aggressiveness. Secondly, it is a symbol of wisdom, calmness, poise - qualities inherent in a person, to whom you can turn for advice. In the zone of the image of a lion, his smile is important, the larger it is, the larger the teeth, the more aggressive the prisoner is considered.

Where on the body to place it?

Leo is a large animal, moreover, which symbolizes strength and power and is in no way associated with small size.. For this reason, most often you can see the animal on parts of the body with a large surface area - the back or the chest, he abdomen. Lions with their mouths open and roaring are placed on the shoulder in such a way that the pattern covers the floor of the hand, which carries a discreet note of aggression and nobility at the same time. In it body of one women, a lion / lioness carries an additional sexual charge, for example, a pattern on the hips with a transition to the belly emphasizes femininity, flexibility and grace.

I read as a sign of zodiac it's an abstract shape that doesn't take up much space with the ability to experiment with colors, especially background colors. In terms of localization, the beast "zodiacal» is often found in the doll, the bend of the elbow and the neck.

Tattoo with a lion in the company of others

The natural image of a lion blends perfectly with other elements of nature, including animals, plants, stones, as well as natural phenomena: sunrise and sunset, lightning.

In such tattoos, it is important that the accent does not disappear from the lion, that is, the image of a large animal or the open mouth of a lion partially loses its "energy" when surrounded by large elements. For example, if this is a sitting cross-legged Lion-Buddha - one of the types of modern cult tattoos among young people, then a wreath or a climbing plant will add completeness to the image.

In hipster culture, the lion is endowed with elements of humanity. Therefore, a variety of images with a man dressed as a lion's head are popular, while the lion is often depicted anthropomorphically, with a stylish beard and/or glasses.

Leo is a universal symbol

What does a lion tattoo mean? Everyone decides for himself. After all, a tattoo is your business and your personality. In addition, in the modern world, where classical symbols acquire new meanings, which are often not only far from the old, but also fundamentally negate them.

The image of the lion has always been popular in tattoos, and perhaps it is its meaning that will bring innovation to the culture of tattoo connoisseurs.