Lily Tattoo: History, meaning, features

Lily is a fairly popular motif for tattoos, mostly female. Lily tattoo is primarily associated with the purity and purity of the owner, but in fact, this symbol is deeper and more versatile. Professionals assert that this motif came to us from the depths of centuries, and in times immemorial we loved many peoples.

The symbol of the lily in the Christian worldview

Since ancient times, Christians associated this flower with the image of the Virgin. Cleanliness, purity, innocence, tenderness, protection of the heavenly patroness - this is filled with the image of a lily for believing Christians. And despite the fact that in many denominations the very fact of drawing tattoos on the skin is considered sinful, some believers choose tattoos of lilies as personal amulets from the evils of the earth.

Pagan sign

In many pre-Christian cultures, the image of this flower was revered and loved. For example, the Greeks believed that the lilies were grown from the milk of the supreme goddess Hera. The Romans personified with the lily the hope of returning home, success in business, deliverance from danger. In Ancient Egypt, it symbolized fertility and women's health, so the tattoo of lilies was applied to the body by those who dreamed of the birth of children. The inhabitants of pre-Christian Northern Europe believed that elves live in lilies; It enveloped the flower with a halo of mystery and mysticism. Such a sign for the application on the skin could be chosen by people seeking to acquire secret knowledge, treasure seekers, fortune tellers. Sumerians also associated this flower with fertility, prosperity, healthy offspring.

Heraldry

Some noble families of Byzantium applied the lily to family crests. Much later in the Medieval France, the lily was decorated with the Bourbon emblem. The symbolism of the flower did not change - as before, the lily symbolized purity, noble origin, high feelings.

Traditions of the East

In the centuries-old cultures of the Far Eastern countries, flowers are given a special place. Value has not only the form, but also the color, size, degree of maturity. The most revered in the East is the lotus, and it was from time immemorial there that they were endowed with all the symbolism that Europeans attributed to lilies. And on the arms it could be found much more often. But the lily itself was not left without attention. For example, a pink flower symbolizes tenderness and youth. Yellow - disobedience and pride. Orange can be even a symbol of hatred. A noble white lily is often chosen as a symbol of the death of a loved one. The dark flowers of the lily in the East symbolize passion.

Alternative meaning

Many fans of Dumas's work will easily recall what the lily means. A tattoo or stigma with the image of this flower in some countries of Medieval Europe was applied to the shoulders of harlots. The image of the lily was on Milady's shoulder in the novel about the three musketeers. Other literary sources contain scrappy information that the lily could mean a woman's involvement in witchcraft, or her passion for alchemy.

Lily Tattoos these days

One can not call a lily one of the most popular motifs for a tattoo. But they use this image quite often in our time. The original meaning of it has survived to the present day, but, as a rule, anyone who decides to put on his body a picture-tattoo, puts in it a special, personal, sometimes even hidden from others meaning. With the improvement of technology and the craftsmanship of applying tattoos, the lily value can be very different from the generally accepted one. It is performed in a wide variety of techniques, from tribal to surrealism. And those who want to emphasize their affectionate nature, kindness toward the world, benevolence and openness, often choose this flower.