Death tattoo: the Death's hourglass

Very often, various symbols of the relentless flow of time (like hourglasses, watches, sundials, old pendulum clocks, timepieces, horologes) are included in the Death tattoo designs. The presence of the time-related symbols is a reminder that the time is running out and the life is slipping away.

Among these, the most popular is the traditional symbol of mortality - the Hourglass.

The image of the hourglass, sometimes with the addition of metaphorical wings, is a symbol of the human life's fleeting, and that the "sands of time" will run out for every human life. The Hourglass also represents the belief that death is not the end, but rather the beginning of something new, as the hourglass can be turned to start over. The hourglass is also a symbol of the patience (the symbol of Death patiently waiting for every human being).

This design often uses the hourglass as the focal point in the tattoo. The hour glass design can be made to look almost as menacing as the Grim Reaper.

Death's hourglass tattoo / Grim Reaper's hourglass tattoo - if you like this image you can find it on my web site, seiza.ro

Death and the standing nude woman; reverse copy after Sebald Beham; Death as a winged skeleton standing behind a nude whole-length female figure in frontal view, grabbing her wrists; in the lower-right corner can be seen an hourglass.

Related posts:
Death tattoo - various elements which can occur in a Death tattoo
Death tattoos: the main depictions of the Grim Reaper
Death Tattoos / Grim Reaper Tattoos: themes and meanings

Death tattoo - various elements which can occur in a Death tattoo

A Grim Reaper tattoo design is often combined with a variety of other design elements in order to make a truly unique tattoo design. The number of these design-elements is very large (up to several hundreds) and for this reason even their mere enumeration is an extremely difficult task. In this post I will attempt a brief overview of the most popular elements which can be seen in a Death tattoo.

1. Skulls and skeletons are probably the most common elements which can occur in a Death tattoo; sometimes Death himself / herself is depicted as a skeleton carrying a scythe. Anyway, a skull tattoo can have a different meaning than a Grim Reaper tattoo: triumph, anarchy, white race supremacy, etc (read more here).

Grim Reaper holding a human skull

2. Symbols of the inexorable flow of time: hourglasses, watches, sundials, old pendulum clocks, timepieces, horologes, etc.

Death tattoo - Grim Reaper holding an watch - a symbol of the inexorable flow of time

3. Objects related to the culture of death: crosses (especially gothic and celtic crosses), candles, and tombstones.

4. Animals: the Death's horse, the Black Dog, Cerberus, venomous snakes, birds which are usually seen as bad omens that foretell of death like ravens and crows, some insects (especially the moths).

Death riding his / her horse

5. Weapons: the most common is, of course, the famous Grim Reaper scythe, but many other weapons appear as well: swords, spears, lances, javelins, knives, daggers and even modern guns

gangsta tattoo: Death holding a gun

6. Objects related to magic and alchimy: orbs, magic compasses, magic crystal ball (a reminder of the fact that Death can see every single corner of the world), the five pointed star, old magic books or papyruses.

Grim Reaper holding a magic orb

7. Latin maxims and aphorisms: Memento Mori (Remember your mortality, Remember you must die or Remember you will die), Sic Transit Gloria Mundi (Thus passes the glory of the world), Carpe Diem (Seize the day), Ubi sunt...? (Where are...?) or Ubi nunc...? (Where now...?) - both of them are shortened variants of the Ubi sunt qui ante nos fuerunt? Where are those who were before us?)

Dance of Death tattoo

8. Fate-symbols: dices, playing cards, Tarot cards

Death tattoo: Grim Reaper playing dices (probably the stake of the game is someone's life)

Death tattoo: Death depicted on a playing card. If yoy like this tattoo design you can find it in a larger format (600 x 500 px) on my website, www.seiza.ro

9. Symbols of power: thrones, highly decorated swords, chains, royal crowns, rings, lightning strokes

10. Nature elements (these elements occur especially in the large tattoos): dead trees (very common in a Death tattoo), the Moon, mist, clouds, dark waters, swamps, lightning strokes

dead trees are a very common element in the Grim Reaper tattoos

11. Elements associated with the Underworld / Hell: flames (the flames of Hell), thrones decorated with human skulls and bones, demons and monsters, the five pointed star. These elements occur very frequent in the so-called satanic tattoos

Grim Reaper - lord of the Underworld

12. Other elements: handlamps (used to see in the dark), flowers (the symbol of ephemerality), hearts, scales (as a symbol of equity, justice and impartiality, as well as a symbol of the divine will).

Death tattoo: the presence of the flowers is a symbol of the human life's ephemerality

Related posts:
Angel of Death tattoos: examples and ideas
Death tattoos: the main depictions of the Grim Reaper
Death Tattoos / Grim Reaper Tattoos: themes and meanings
Death tattoos: angels of death - themes and representations (1)
Death tattoos: angels of death (1)

Dragons tattoo 2

Hi, everyone.

In this post I'd like to show you several dragons tattoo designs available on my website, www.seiza.ro.

First, a black and white tiger and dragon tattoo design, combined with some tribal elements. I think that this design could be a good choice for a shoulder tattoo or for a back tattoo. If you like this image and want to see it in a larger format (600x500 px) you can find it on my website.

Next: a (relatively) symmetrical tribal tattoo, appropriate for a back tattoo (an upper-back tattoo or a lower back tattoo). If you like this image and want to see it in a larger format (600x500 px) you can find it on my website.

Next: a chinese dragon bracelet tattoo design. Read more about the Chinese dragons and about the main types of chinese dragons.

A tattoo design for the persons born in the Chinese year of the Dragon; the design combines some tribal elements, two Chinese dragons (in fact, is just one dragon mirrored) and the Chinese ideograms for the Year of the Dragon: 龙年; (pinyin: lóngnián).

The last image for today is a tattoo design which depicts two stylized dragons sitting back to back.

Aztec tattoos: Mictlantecuhtli, the lord of the dead

In the Aztec mythology Mictlantecuhtli was a god of the dead and the king of Mictlan (Chicunauhmictlan), the lowest and northernmost section of the underworld. He was one of the principal gods of the Aztecs and was the most prominent of several gods and goddesses of death and the underworld. The worship of Mictlantecuhtli sometimes involved ritual cannibalism, with human flesh being consumed in and around the temple.

His wife was Mictecacihuatl, and together they were said to dwell in a windowless house in Mictlan. Mictlantecuhtli was associated with spiders, owls, bats, the eleventh hour and the northern compass direction, known as Mictlampa, the region of death.

Mictlantecuhtli was depicted as a blood-spattered skeleton or a person wearing a toothy skull. Although his head was typically a skull, his eye sockets did contain eyeballs. His headdress was shown decorated with owl feathers and paper banners, and he wore a necklace of human eyeballs, while his earspools were made from human bones. He was not the only Aztec god to be depicted in this fashion, as numerous other deities had skulls for heads or else wore clothing or decorations that incorporated bones and skulls. In the Aztec world, skeletal imagery was a symbol of fertility, health and abundance, alluding to the close symbolic links between death and life.

His arms were frequently depicted raised in an aggressive gesture, showing that he was ready to tear apart the dead as they entered his presence. In the Aztec codices Mictlantecuhtli is often depicted with his skeletal jaw open to receive the stars that descend into him during the daytime.

Most of the tattoos depicting Mictlantecuhtli are inspired by the statues found in various archaeological sites, especially the Ceramic representation of Mictlantecuhtli exposed at the museum of the Templo Mayor in Mexico City and the statuette of Mictlantecuhtli exposed in the Museo de Antropología in Xalapa, Mexico

Ceramic representation of Mictlantecuhtli
recovered during excavations of the
House of Eagles in the Templo Mayor, now
exposed at the museum of the Templo Mayor
in Mexico City

Statuette of Mictlantecuhtli
exposed in the
Museo de Antropología
in Xalapa, Mexico

Dragons tattoos: designs and ideas

Hi, everyone.
In this post I'd like to present you the most recent tattoo gallery available on my website, www.seiza.ro: the Dragon tattoo designs gallery.

The first tattoo-design of this category is a tribal tattoo depicting two dragons forming a heart-shape. The text between the two dragons is written in Chinese and means "eternal love" or "everlasting love" (I think this text is quite appropriate for this tattoo-design, due to the fact that dragons were believed to be immortal creatures.

Next: a dragon coiled around a tribal heart. In the left side of the heart is I've written a japanese word: 智勇, which means "wisdom and courage" (in the ancient beliefs dragons were the symbol of both wisdom and courage).

The 3rd tattoo-design of this section is designed specifically for a lower-back tattoo. Between the two dragons is written a short text in Japanese: 龍の魂, which means "dragon's spirit" or "dragon's soul".

Next: A tattoo design which depicts two dragons facing each other and the symbol Yin Yang in the background.

The last image for today is a tattoo design which depicts two stylized dragons facing each other. Between the tho dragons is a slightly modified version of the Yin Yang symbol - instead of the two little inner circles I've written the Chinese word 龙年 - the Year of the Dragon.

Santa Muerte tattoos: several questions

Previous posts:
1. Death tattoos: Santa Muerte - origins and significations
2. Death tattoos: portrayals of the Santa Muerte
3. Santa Muerte tattoos: various elements which can occur in these tattoos

What could be the reason for getting a Santa Muerte tattoo? The first reason is the belief that Santa Muerte, being the saint of death, has the right to decide when one should die. By pleasing Santa Muerte, one can delay the moment of his / her death, can escape from deadly problems, etc. Besides, many of those who believe in Santa Muerte think that she can decide not only the moment of one's death but also the way in which a person will die and, consequently, a man need to gain her goodwill in order to receive a peaceful death.

Who are those willing to get a "Santa Muerte" tattoo? Initially, the Santa Muerte tattoos (just as the Santa Muerte worship) were popular only among thieves, drug-dealers, Mexican Mafia members, etc. For a stranger this might appear strange but most Mexicans and other Hispanic people, even though they are involved in gangs or other criminal activities, are deeply religious and rely on their Christian symbols to both identify and protect them. Moreover, they are exactly the people for whom the risk of death is always present and, quite obvious, they were the very first people willing to seek the Santa Muerte's protection. However, with the spread of the Santa Muerte worship, these tattoos ceased to be a symbol of the criminal underworld and nowadays there are hundreds or even thousands of ordinary Mexican Catholics who have an image of Santa Muerte tattooed on their bodies.

Are those tattoos "satanic tattoos"? On this issue, opinions are divided. The Roman Catholic Church has denounced the worship of Santa Muerte, considering it as a black magic and the Santa Muerte's followers as devil worshippers. On the other hand, many, if not all, of the Santa Muerte's followers consider themselves good Catholics. Santa Muerte figurines often stand near the statues of Jesus Christ or the Virgin of Guadalupe because the devotees to Santa Muerte do not see any contradiction between the Catholic faith and the worship of Santa Muerte. In many ways, a ritual dedicated to Santa Muerte is very similar to a Catholic rite, including procession and prayers for power healing, protection and favors.

Although there are many similarities between the two worships, Santa Muerte should not be confused with San la Muerte: San la Muerte is a "he" and is portrayed as a male skeleton, while Santa Muerte is a "she"; San la Muerte is venerated in the South America, not in Mexic; it seems that the San La Muerte cult is based on punishment and submission, etc. For more details about the San la Muerte cult visit this page: San La Muerte - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Santa Muerte tattoos: various elements which can occur in these tattoos

Previous posts:
1. Death tattoos: Santa Muerte - origins and significations
2. Death tattoos: portrayals of the Santa Muerte

The two most common objects that Santa Muerte carries are a scythe and a globe.

The scythe can symbolize the cutting of negative energies or influences. Also, as a harvesting tool, it can symbolize hope and prosperity. It can represent the moment of death, when a scythe is said to cut a silver thread. The scythe has a long handle, indicating that it can reach anywhere.

The globe represents Death’s dominion and can be seen as a kind of a tomb to which we all return. Having the world in her hand also symbolizes vast power.

The crown - the symbol of royalty.

The presence of this symbol may be explained in two ways: firstly, the cult of Santa Muerte was highly influenced by the aztec cult of Mictecacihuatl, the queen of the Mictlan; secondly, Santa Muerte is ofted portrayed as a skeleton version of the Virgin of Guadalupe - Queen of Mexico and Empress of the Americas.

Flowers (especially roses)

Just like in real life, where Santa Muerte's shrines are adorned with flowers, the Santa Muerte tattoos are usually highly decorated with beautiful flowers. Another explanation for the presence of the flowers in these tattoos could be that the ephemeral flowers are reminder of the ephemerality of the (human) life.

The halo

The halo (also known as a nimbus, aureole, glory, or gloriole) - being a catholic saint, the presence of a nimbus is mandatory. Usually, the entire body of the Holy Death (Santa Muerte) is surrounded by a halo, but there are situations where the halo surrounds only the saint's head (a well-known visual convention in the representations of the saints in the Christian iconography).

Beautiful coloured hearts

The presence of the hearts in a death tattoo can seem strange to someone who is not familiar with the cult of Santa Muerte. The explanation is quite simple: Santa Muerte is not feared but loved. Santa Muerte's worshipers send her requests for love, affection, luck, money and protection, as well as malicious requests regarding their enemies.

The hourglasses

An hourglass indicates the time of life on earth. It also represents the belief that death is not the end, but rather the beginning of something new, as the hourglass can be turned to start over. The hourglass is also a symbol of the patience.

Human skulls, human bones, skeletons

The presence of the human bones (skulls or skeletons) in the depictions of the Santa Muerte is another proof of the link between the Santa Muerte worship and the ancient Aztec cult of Mictecacihuatl. Unlike the Christian beliefs about Death (Grim Reaper, Angel of Death, etc), according to which the role of the Death is to separate the human soul from the body and to guide the deceased to the next world, the Aztec deity Mictecacihuatl was the queen of the Mictlan; according to the Aztec religion she was living among her subjects and was keeping watch over the bones of the dead.

The scales

The scales allude to equity, justice and impartiality, as well as divine will.

An owl

The owl symbolizes her ability to navigate the darkness and her wisdom. The owl is also said to act as a messenger.

Death tattoos: portrayals of the Santa Muerte

Previous posts:
1. Death tattoos: Santa Muerte - origins and significations

Depictions

Santa Muerte portrayed as Grim Reaper

Most of the Santa Muerte tattoos, especially those which are made by unskilled "artists" or those made under improper conditions (like prisons) are usually cheap depictions of the Grim Reaper: a skeleton dressed in a long hooded cloak, carrying a scythe.

Santa Muerte portrayed as a skeleton version of
the Virgin of Guadalupe, the patron saint of Mexico

More original images actually portray the feminine aspect of the character, and a look that often resembles a skeleton version of the Virgin of Guadalupe (the patron saint of Mexico, Patroness of the Americas, Empress of Latin America, and Protectress of Unborn Children).

If she's not portrayed as a skeleton version of the Virgin of Guadalupe, the Holy Death (Santa Muerte) is very often portrayed as a dead young woman. In this case, one can identify a Santa Muerte tattoo by the presence of certain elements: an aura around the head or around the entire body, the presence of the human skulls at the bottom of the tattoo, the praying hands, the presence of the flowers (Santa Muerte worshipers are supposed to offer her flowers along with food, tobacco, money, prayers, and, of course, their faith).

The clothes:

Usually, Santa Muerte is depicted wearing either a long robe or (less commonly) a long dress, covered from head to feet with only the face and hands showing. The color of the dress can be white, yellow, blue, black or red (in exchange for a peaceful death, the Aztecs used to offer blood to the king and the queen of the Mictlan - Mictlantecahtli and Mictecacihuatl; because blood offerings were considered of utmost importance the color red became intimately associated with the king and the queen of the Land of the Dead). However, due to the fact that coloured tattoos are quite expensive, very often the entire tattoo is made only with regular blue or black tattoo ink.

Death tattoos: Santa Muerte - origins and significations

Santa Muerte (literally Holy Death or Saint Death) tattoos are extremely popular among the Mexican people. Santa Muerte (also known as Santisima Muerte, Señora de las Sombras (Lady of the Shadows), Señora Blanca (White Lady), Señora Negra (Black Lady), Niña Santa (Holy Girl), La Flaca (The Skinny One), Santa Sebastienne, etc) is the beloved goddess of death who's origins date to the pre hispanic period of Mexico.

The origins of the myths of Santa Muerte aren't completely clear, but is quite obvious that the cult of Santa Muerte is a syncretism between Mesoamerican and Catholic beliefs. Mexican culture since the pre-Columbian era has maintained a certain reverence towards death, which can be seen in the widespread Mexican celebration of the Day of the Dead. Death became personified in Aztec and other cultures in the form of humans with half their flesh missing, symbolizing the duality of life and death.

In the pre-Columbian Aztec religion, the realm of the souls of the people who died from natural causes (of old age, diseases, etc) was Mictlan, the lowest and northernmost section of the underworld. Mictlan was ruled by a king, Mictlantecuhtli (Lord of the Underworld) and his wife, Mictecacihuatl (Lady of the Underworld).

Mictecacihuatl was not only the Queen of Mictlan, but was also the protector of the souls residing in the dark underworld (some legends claimed that she was the goddess in charge with the bones of the dead). She also presided over the ancient festivals of the dead, which evolved from Aztec traditions into the modern Day of the Dead (in spanish el Dia de los Muertos) - originally a holiday which fell at the end of the month of July and the beginning of August and was dedicated to the children and the dead.

The persons who died by natural causes were interred with grave goods, which they carried with them on the long and dangerous journey to the underworld. Upon arrival in Mictlan these goods were offered to Mictlantecuhtli and his wife, Mictecacihuatl. Many of the offerings given then are the same as those offered to Santa Muerte today.

Mictlantecuhtli (left) and Mictecacihuatl (right)

After the Spanish conquest of the Aztec Empire, the worship of death diminished but was never eradicated, and the Day of the Dead remained one of the most important mexican festivals. In contrast to the Day of the Dead, due to the fact that the Catholic Church has labeled Santa Muerta as a death cult, claiming it has ties to satanism, the worship of Santa Muerte remained hidden until the 19th century. When it surfaced, reaction was often harsh, requiring the burning of any image found.

The religion of Santa Muerte was born in the middle of the 20th century, and at the very beginning was clandestine and closely associated with crime. However, in the past decades, original Santa Muerte's followers (such as thieves, pickpockets and street drug dealers) have merged with thousands of ordinary Mexican Catholics who had become disillusioned with the rigid behaviour of the Catholic Church and its insufficient reflection of life in the modern Mexican society. The Santa Muerte veneration, offering a spiritual way out of hardship, has rapidly expanded. The number of believers has grown to approximately two million followers and the new religion has crossed the borders.

photos taken during the ritual of 'Santa Muerte'

Although the Roman Catholic Church has denounced the worship of Saint Death, considering it as a black magic and the Santa Muerte's followers as devil worshippers, the devotees have never given up their Catholic faith. Santa Muerte figurines often stand near the statues of Jesus Christ or the Virgin of Guadalupe because the devotees to Santa Muerte do not see any contradiction between the Catholic faith and the worship of Santa Muerte. In many ways, a ritual dedicated to Santa Muerte is very similar to a Catholic rite, including procession and prayers for power healing, protection and favors.

Some worshippers make the last part of the pilgrimage to the shrine on their bloodied knees and many of them smoke marijuana that has a strong relation to Saint Death. Before the rosary is prayed collectively at the end of the day, they leave offerings (money, candies, tabacco, flowers and candles) and make petitions to ‘La Santísima Muerte’, who is reputedly a very powerful saint and can make life-saving miracles.

To be continued...