Sun Tattoos

When it comes to sun tattoos it is somewhat obvious why these tattoos are popular. After all the sun is universally known as a giver of life and that alone gives way to many meanings that can be attached to sun tattoos. Sun tattoos can be drawn in a great variety of styles and to be honest, even though I have seen thousands of sun tattoos, this is the first time I have seen one with an eagle in the center of it and I cannot be sure what the meaning behind that is.

Perhaps having the eagle in the center of the sun has something to do with adding some power and grace of movement to the already known meanings of the sun. Such as saying that the sun is a powerful giver of life. There’s no way to be sure without talking to the person who did it or who has it. But I have to admit that I do like this tattoo. It is very well done and the silhouette of the clutching eagle in its center is very intriguing indeed. While this tattoo is a bit tribal in appearance I am not at all certain that is what it is meant to be.

The sun tattoo is reflection of the Sun’s profound symbolic nature in most cultures around the world. The sun was worshipped as a personified, life-giving deity in Babylonian, Egyptian, Greek, Roman, and almost every other major civilizations of history. The most common symbol of the sun is a circle with the sun’s rays emanating from the perimeter. A dot or point in the center of a circle symbolizes the blending of male and female forces. The sun is usually seen as a masculine symbol and the moon and the earth as feminine symbols, hence you will often the Sun symbolically paired with the Moon or the Earth. For many millennia the Sun was believed to be at the center of the Universe, around which all other heavenly bodies radiated. The Sun was a symbol of both royal and divine powers, adopted by both secular and religious authorities. As a tattoo design and symbol, a Sun represents fertility, vitality, passion, courage and eternally renewed youth, light and knowledge. The Sun tattoo is such a pervasive symbol that many other tattoo symbols have a direct relation to it. The Sun was represented by the following; an Eagle, an Eagle with a Serpent, a Dragon, a falcon , phoenix, swan, lion, ram and bull.

Wing Tattoo

Most wings tattoos come off the shoulder blades and go down the back. but this wings tattoo is unique. It comes off a central hub, which happens to be a lock, and goes across the upper part of the back and wraps onto the shoulders. This design is not very common, especially with the lock. This design is obviously meant to be a more masculine tattoo, with a rougher look and a darker shading then the common wings tattoo design. The edges of the wings have a ruffled look to them, and the shading on the tips of the wings is more pronounced then usual. The wings in this design or more symmetrical then most wings tattoos are, and the artist even equaled out the shading on each wing. One really uncommon feature of this tattoo is the lock. Most wings tattoos are meant to look like they are sprouting out of the back, but this tattoo is showing that the wings are being held together with the lock. The shading on the lock even has a masculine look to it, with a darker shading. Though not the stereotypical wings tattoo, it is still a great design and a great piece of artwork.

When most people think of wing tattoos they think of designs that include angel or fairies. Or they thing of designs that include butterfly or dragonfly wing. But, really this is a limitation of the wing tattoo. The design is so versatile that almost anything can be incorporated into it. One of my favorite all time designs involved a wall clock that had wings sticking out from the side of it. Another design that I have seen recently involved a picture of a family pet with wings coming out of it’s sides. It was done really well and was used as a memorial for a deceased dog. But, the tattoo in the picture takes it all. It’s a Detroit Red Wings tattoo!! It was gotten by a die hard hockey fan who wanted to show his support of the team. It’s a really cool design but it gives me pause for a moment. What happens if the team changes it’s emblem or is sold to another team? Will the bearer of this wing tattoo still want to keep the logo on his skin? These are all important considerations that you need to make before getting any design inked into your skin. Logos and trademarks may seem cool at first but the longevity of the symbol may be limited.