85 Meaningful Wolf Tattoo Ideas – Best Way to Define Your Personality and Attitude
Tattoo art has been embraced by many for centuries. This is a form of body embellishment that plays a key role in describing the attitude and personality of the wearer. Tattoos can be of different designs and can represent anything in the world, both tangible and abstract. Among the most famous is the animal tattoos, which involves making a tattoo of your favorite animal. The majestic, peaceful and sometimes aggressive nature of the wolf has intrigued many into getting a wolf tattoo.
This is an animal that likes to live in the pack or can be a freedom seeker who’s contended to live alone. It bears almost the same characteristics as the domestic dog – loyal and intelligent. Such traits make it an animal that is likable and much appreciated. Getting the wolf symbol is a big step for most people. It has become a popular symbol of late. And in case you’re planning to wear one, reading this article would be a great step to getting the design that will make you stand out.
Contents:
Historical Background
The tattoo has been used by humans since ancient civilization. It was worn as a form of adornment or to express one’s personal belief and attitudes. It’s a tattoo that was used differently in many cultures. The most common ones were the Native American and Indian Cultures. These cultures took the wolf to be of great significance. The animal was often used as symbolism to ancestors or spiritual guides. Other cultures started to adopt the tattoos, but with different meanings. This led to an increase in the number of those that wear the tattoo. Nowadays, anyone can sport the tattoo regardless of their culture.
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Symbolic Meanings of Wolf Tattoos
The wolf is a likable animal that is popular with tribal cultures, especially the Native American and Native Indian clans. These clans used them as totem symbols to represent the inner personality of people. But then, only those with intellectual and physical strength were worth enough to wear the symbol. The symbol was often awarded to young men during a transition to puberty.
The wolf is associated with both positive and negative traits. On the positive side, the animal is symbolic of power, protection, freedom, intelligence, generosity, and strength. Other positive representations of the wolf are survival instinct, family bonding, and compassion.
These traits are derived from the fact that the wolf likes to live in a pack protected by all members. It’s a fierce protector that has managed to thrive in the difficult conditions of the wild. The young and old are protected by the pack – a pack that can stand up to other large predators, such as lions, leopards, and hyenas.
The wolf is a loyal animal and for a reason. This is an animal that stays with one mate for a lifetime, a trait that is quite rare in the animal kingdom. The fierceness of a wolf is symbolic to a warrior and it’s something taken seriously by legends. In India, legend has it that the wolf is an ancestor to the famous Indian warrior Genghis Khan.
As stated earlier, the wolf is also symbolic to negative traits. While it bears a positive meaning to some cultures, others consider it negative. Some cultures associate it with satanism. But lately, there has been a new way of looking at the wolf as a strong creature and a descendant of man’s best friend – the domestic dog.
The wolf has diverse symbolic meanings to various cultures around the world. For instance, the Japanese take the wolf as a protector of human beings. In Eurasian cultures, the wolf is symbolic to a protector of secrets. The Siberian mythology associates the wolf with a safety of children and safe childbirth.
In other cultures, the wolf is symbolic of life and light. This is due to its ability to see clearly in total darkness. The wolf finds great significance among the Celtics. The animal is often taken as a representation of the power of the moon. In the Asian culture, the wolf represents the doorkeeper to the heavens.
The wolf is revered in Roman mythology. This ancient culture takes the wolf as the totem of the founders of Rome – Remus and Romulus. Christianity also has something for the wolf, which is quite a reverse of what other cultures believe. The animal is seen as a negative creature and often relate it with Satan.
Overall, the symbolism associated with the wolf is one of power, spirit, grace, and wonder. This tattoo is a popular choice today – a popularity that continues to increase with each passing day. The animal has been a consistent symbol, both in literature and songs. It’s considered a true survivor – an animal that can cope with the toughest conditions of the wild. It’s loyalty and leadership are unquestionable and are traits that make the wolf tattoo more desirable and popular worldwide. Sport one and pass your message across.
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Popular Designs
There may be dozens of reasons why you’re looking for a wolf tattoo design on the web. The good news is that there is a huge selection of designs to browse through. From generic to the more original designs, you surely won’t miss something to match your personality and attitude. Below are some of the most popular designs worth putting into consideration.
Moon and wolf: This tattoo sports a wolf that faces upwards howling at the moon. It’s sometimes referred to as the howling tattoo. Most often it’s the wolf’s head that appears in the tattoo. However, one has the option of including the entire body in the design. The Native American culture believes that the wolf is a creature belonging to the moon. It’s no wonder that they celebrate the wolf-moon – a celebration that represents transformation. This design is also symbolic of femininity and power.
Wolf Raven Tattoo: This is one of the most common tattoo designs. It’s specially designed to be put on the upper part of the arm. The design comprises a raven and a wolf. These two creatures have many things in common. Both are considered very intelligent. The creatures also tend to compete with each other in terms of the level of intelligence. They’re clever survivalists who make a special tattoo that holds lots of deep meanings.
Tribal Wolf: This design is a popular choice that is inclusive of the wolf’s head and neck. The design makes a perfect adornment tattoo. It’s decorated in special colors, most often green. Indigenous people used to decorate their bodies in this tattoo and believed that it gave them some super powers to do extraordinary things. That same meaning is still held today by those that wear this type of tattoo.
These are just but a few popular designs to select from. You can head over to your browser right now and get a bunch of cool tattoo designs. You just can’t miss to get something close to the quality you’re looking for. These are versatile designs that can be worn by anyone. They’re not gender specific. Therefore, in case you like one, feel free to go for it.
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Placement
Most animal tattoos come in realistic designs – designs that are framed in water colors. This type of tattoo is no exception. It comes in a large or medium size that needs to display intricate detailing. This makes it wise to put the tattoo on areas that provide a large canvas. The recommended areas to put your tattoo are the chest, shoulder, back, thigh, arm or legs.
Other tattoo experts can decide, upon your request, to shrink the tattoo to a smaller size. In such a case, the tattoo will fit smaller areas, such as the wrist, ankle, and even the finger. But be sure to find a professional tattoo artist that will do it right to avoid any regrets.
The wolf tattoo is among the most inspiring designs that is appreciated by most people across the world. It’s a cool animal tattoo that bears many symbolic meanings that vary from person to person and culture to culture.
This tattoo comes in many designs to explore, which means that you just can’t miss to get your match. It’s up to you to decide which variation of this mythological creature suits you best. But regardless of your choice, be sure that it will make you stand out.
