Snake tattoos are found in all forms of classic tattooing. That’s because since the dawn of man, the snake has had significant religious and symbolic meaning. So, it’s no wonder that the snake tattoo has always been a popular design choice. The concept of the snake as a symbol of wisdom and knowledge goes back a long way. Legends from the most ancient civilizations tell of the snake or serpent bringing about the creation of the planets. Indeed, the myth of Ouroboros which emerged in 1600 years BC in Egypt, features an enormous serpent devouring its own tail, surviving by devouring itself, symbolizing an unending, eternal cycle of renewal. This idea of a cycle without end is an echo of the concept of infinity. And in Greek mythology, the serpent was associated with the goddess of the moon. As a female symbol, it brings knowledge to mankind, while in other cultures it is portrayed as a goddess of mystery, birth and death. In the Americas, there are many myths that tell of snake people living underground, both as guardians of the next world, and of helpers of humans still living in on this earthly realm. Many of these myths are grounded in the observations that many snakes hibernate underground and seem to be renewed by shedding their skins on a regular basis. Thus, like the frog, a snake tattoo can be symbol of regeneration and rebirth. Of course, it can also be seen as a symbol of death and danger. It all depends on the bearer’s perspective of what the snake tattoo means to him or her.
In this picture we are looking at two versions of the same snake tattoo at two different times of it being put on this persons leg. It is impossible to tell what kind of snake it is meant to be but certainly the fangs tell us that it is meant to be a poisonous snake. Meaning deadly. It is no accident that snake tattoos are so popular. As one of the oldest symbols in existence, drawings of snakes have been found long before any form of the written word appeared. In many cultures snakes represented life and death and also many times represented the Underworld.
The snake tattoos as symbols of wisdom and knowledge go back a long way. Legends from the most ancient civilizations tell of the snake or serpent bringing about the creation of the planets. Indeed, a myth from ancient Egypt suggests that there was an enormous serpent devouring its own tail and literally surviving by devouring itself, symbolizing an eternal cycle of renewal. This idea of a cycle without end is the concept of eternal life and infinity which brings us right back to the old yin yang thing once again. Needless to say snake tattoos can say an awful lot if you need them to.
