What do deer in the paintings mean? The meaning, history and significance of the deer tattoo
Today, tattoos are considered one of the most popular body decorations. Some people, when choosing a design, are guided by their tastes and preferences. For others, each tattoo has certain meaning. In any case, drawing a picture on the body is now not considered something terrible and shameful. Applying patterns to the body can be called art.
What does a deer mean: tattoo
Before getting any design on the body, many people are interested in what exactly it symbolizes. Currently, the deer is a symbol of purity, kindness, loyalty and beauty.
This animal is also a symbol of masculinity. After all, in real life a stag may engage in mortal combat simply for the sake of being a guide for several stags.
Deer tattoo for men
Currently you can find a large number of people who chose such a noble animal for their tattoo. The deer, whose meaning lies in masculinity and determination, has conquered many men's hearts. Large antlers also symbolize the sexuality of the partner.
Why do creative people choose deer?
Pay attention to the person creative profession. Most often he is refined, graceful and somewhat timid. This is exactly how one can characterize a deer. Such people have unique soul and a unique worldview. Their goal is to give beauty to this world.
The same can be said about such noble and beautiful animals. Therefore, a deer is a tattoo that reflects creative potential person.
Deer tattoo for a girl
Deer is a tattoo that is especially popular among the fairer sex. Girls who paint a deer on their body are trying to symbolize purity, beauty and wisdom. This pattern also characterizes peace of mind and positive energy.
Tattoo: deer in a triangle
Very often such an image of an animal can be found among young people who consider themselves hipsters. In this case, a portrait of a deer, taken in a triangle, is drawn on the body. This symbol speaks of the uniqueness of a certain group of people.
Where is the best place to apply an image of a deer?
In fact, such a tattoo will look great on any part of the body. Most often, deer can be found on the legs, arms, torso or back. Some girls make a small design in the neck area. Here you can express your imagination as you please.
Deer in different cultures
Deer - a tattoo that is interpreted differently among different nations peace. Let's look at the most popular values:
Among the Celtic peoples, a design in the form of a deer symbolizes longevity;
Europeans most often use this symbol to express sexuality and masculinity;
According to Scandinavian mythology, the image of a deer on the body is special sign, saying that the person who has it is a messenger from heaven and must serve humanity;
- the peoples of the North believe that the deer is a symbol of wisdom, energy and vitality;
The Chinese who wear a deer tattoo believe that this sign will bring them good luck and financial well-being. And here is an animal painted in White color- is a symbol of purity, longevity and intelligence.
Execution Methods
On this moment can be found great amount designs for a deer tattoo or come up with your own sketch. In this case, imagination can be limitless. In this case, the drawing can be made either in black and white or in color.
A deer tattoo is a great choice for both women and men. Using this symbol, you will not only decorate your body, but also give it special energy. The main thing is to believe in it, and the deer will bring you happiness.
The deer is an auspicious symbol associated with the Sun, sunrise, light, purity, renewal, rebirth, creation and spirituality. Due to the resemblance of deer antlers to branches, the image of a deer is associated with the Tree of Life. In addition, deer antlers symbolize Sun rays, fertility. An adult male deer is a solar emblem of abundance.
Like the eagle and the lion, the deer is the eternal enemy of the snake; symbolically it is associated with the sky and light, while the snake is associated with the night and life underground. A deer in a fight with a snake symbolizes the conflict between positive and negative, light and darkness.
Like the eagle and the horse, the deer is a mediator between heaven and earth, a messenger of the gods. Hittite, Sumerian-Semitic and Shinto deities rode on deer; deer were harnessed to the carts of Time and Christmas.
Most characteristic features deer - swiftness, grace and beauty; Maybe that's why deer are associated with poetry and music.
IN medieval art in the West, the deer symbolized solitude and purity, and in Japanese poetry- loneliness and love languor.
U Chinese means happiness and longevity, the white male deer symbolizes Shou-Xin, the god of longevity. In addition, deer is associated with wealth and good fortune; the word “deer” in China is consonant with the word “abundance.”
Ancient Mayans called themselves Ah-Maya, “people of the Deer.” This animal was considered the main tribal ancestor and therefore a sacred animal. The Mayan constellation Deer (Capricorn) was associated with the new year, the next stage in life. This month it was recommended to focus only on earthly concerns. It was believed that as soon as one manages to live through the month of active Deer, it will be like this for the whole year. It was believed that those born this month are distinguished, on the one hand, by their connection with traditions, and on the other, by the desire for something new, to improve the existing. During this month, the ancient Mayans turned to priests for predictions or engaged in divination themselves.
U Celts deer is a symbol of the Sun, fertility and vitality, dignity, masculinity, speed, a mediator between the world of the gods and the world of people. The Celts believed that the deer was the main animal in the magical herds of the gods. Deer antlers were considered a symbolic representation of tree branches. The branches of the horns, like branches and leaves on trees, were considered symbols of rebirth and reproduction. The Celtic god Cernunnos, associated with the cycles of death and rebirth of nature, was depicted with branched stag antlers or with a stag and a bull standing at his feet. The legends feature a white deer, which for the Celts was a mystical animal that came to earth from the Other World and possessed the gift of wisdom and omniscience.
IN German-Scandinavian mythology four deer pluck the leaves of the world tree Yggdrasil. In addition, the deer Eiktürmir (“oak-tipped horns”) and the goat Heidrun eat its leaves while standing on the roof of Valhalla.
IN Greco-Roman tradition deer is an attribute of Artemis (Diana). Enraged by Artemis, the hunter Actaeon was turned into a deer because he saw her bathing.
IN Christian symbolism the deer represents religious enthusiasm and zeal, as the converts thirsted for knowledge "...as a deer longs to reach a cool stream to drink." It is in this meaning that the deer is depicted on baptismal fonts, as well as in religious painting- drinking at the foot of the cross. In Christian iconography, a deer trampling a snake is the emblem of a Christian fighting evil. Some saints are depicted with a deer as their attribute, for example a deer with a crucifix between its antlers is the emblem of St. Hubert.
IN alchemy the deer together with the unicorn signify the dual nature of Mercury, philosophical mercury. Alchemists see in ancient myth about the hunter Actaeon, transformed by the goddess Artemis into a deer, proof of the possibility of transforming metals.
U Slavs the deer was considered the personification of ancestors. According to legend, he knew how to create various miracles, speak human voice. In ancient carols, deer, like horses, carry the souls of the dead to other world. The deer was considered a royal animal: it rules over all horned animals.
Deer often appears in heraldic images where “means grace and moderation.”
Words are tormenting trumpets,
thundering in the deep forest, -
watching, calling to each other rudely,
Where will I carry the flame?
But what do I care about the greedy barking of Diana,
do you catch stomping and flying?
My soul is a huge deer -
The maddened dogs will be shaken off!
Will shake off - and along the burning path
will rush with its horns wide open,
through the black thickets of the night
to the fiery shores!
Vladimir Nabokov
At all times, deer have delighted people with their strength and beauty. The image of a deer can often be found in the culture and myths of different peoples. The deer tattoo is traditionally considered masculine, but girls also choose it quite often. The only difference is that the fair half of humanity prefers to depict fawns, which retains the meaning of the tattoo, but looks more gentle and cute.
The meaning of a deer tattoo is freedom, nobility, loneliness, strength and beauty. In addition, the deer is a kind of symbol of wanderers and travelers. The sketch is done both in color and in black and white. Often the tattoo is placed on the chest, shoulder or thigh.
The northern peoples of Russia identify the deer with vital energy and the fertility of the race. They associate luxurious branched deer antlers with the tree of powerful life and the sun's rays.
Eastern peoples correlated the deer with the rising of the sun, worldwide awakening and renewal of human spirituality.
In Japanese culture, a deer is often depicted on a snake that it has killed. A tattoo with such a design in Japan means the triumph of good over evil, the victory of spirit over matter. For the Japanese, the white deer symbolizes wisdom and longevity.
The Chinese consider the deer a symbol of wealth and success in all endeavors. In the Middle Kingdom, the word “deer” sounds exactly the same as the word “abundance”.
The American Indians considered the deer to be the embodiment of Life itself and a symbol of courage, loneliness, justice and passion.
IN artistic arts deer wounded by arrows, or with a bunch medicinal herbs is the personification of love, passionate longing and jealousy.
The Christian religion reveres a deer with a cross between its antlers, considering it the embodiment and sign of God. The image of a deer often adorns baptismal fonts as a symbol of divine reverence.
Among the ancient Greeks and Romans, deer was an integral companion and attribute of the goddess of hunting Artemis (Diana), and the Scandinavians worshiped reindeer as a symbol of the Great Mother Isa.
The deer has unsurpassed grace and elegance, exemplary attentiveness and caution. A deer tattoo typically symbolizes purity and strength. An exception is a tattoo with a deer skull, bearing negative meaning forces of evil and lack of spirituality.
Deer tattoo – good companion in the path of life, expressing the confidence and calm of its owner.
Deer tattoo video
In the video, the artist creates gradients for a deer tattoo in the new school style.
And remember: no matter what the deer tattoo design is, the main thing is that it is unique! And below are photos of tattoos with the image of a deer from different masters for your inspiration.
In tattoo art, a deer is always a kind, positive symbol. Since ancient times, these wonderful animals have aroused admiration and respect among people of different nations, striking with their beauty and strength.
The meaning of a deer tattoo often expresses and symbolizes male strength, noble loneliness, is a characteristic sign of wanderers and travelers.
The deer tattoo also has some mystical basis. It is often identified with the Tree of Life, and if depicted in battle with a snake, it symbolizes the forces of good in the eternal struggle of opposites. A deer trampling a snake with its feet symbolizes the victory of good over evil, the triumph of spirit over matter. In myths and stories, the deer was very often a good messenger of the gods. Even in the Christian religion there is a story about a deer with a cross between its antlers, which was the embodiment and sign of God. In the Bible there are analogies between deer thirsty for water and human souls, thirsty for the light of truth, God's enlightenment. A male deer is often depicted on baptismal fonts as a symbol of divine reverence. Cultural tattoo American Indians interprets the branched antlers of a deer in sacred tree Life, naming this beast a symbol of the sun and the cyclical nature of life. Deer, no doubt good symbol, He associated with feelings of love and pity, helps heal wounds and find your true love.
In ancient Greek and Roman cultural traditions the deer was a symbol and attribute of Artemis (Diana). Among the Scandinavian peoples, deer skin was often necessary for sacred shamanic rituals. And rare reindeer for the Scandinavians - a symbol of the Great Mother Isa. In the culture of the mysterious Mayan tribes, the deer was the prototype of the god Tahil, who patronized hunting and large-scale and cruel sacrifices were dedicated to him.
In the traditional tattoo of the ancient Celts, the deer was considered one of the most ancient animals on earth, so it signified longevity and rebirth. IN medieval Europe it was a sign of strength and justice. In China, there has historically been an attitude towards the deer as a symbol of abundance; it brings wealth and good luck. For the Japanese, the white deer is a symbol of longevity and wisdom. . The deer has a rare grace and beauty, which is perhaps why it is often associated with poetry, music and the arts, much like the meaning of the pegasus tattoo. The keen hearing and attentiveness of this beast made him a model of caution and self-confidence. And the periodic change of antlers of a deer is identified with rebirth and rebirth .
A tattoo with the image of a deer can be a good guide, (as in myths) life path. Express calmness and self-confidence of the wearer, betray his image originality. More suitable for men, but women also often choose a female deer as a means of personal expression.
