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Blog posts of '2015' 'June'

Unicorn Tattoos and Tattoo Designs

Unicorns are mythical creatures popularly depicted as a horse with a single horn growing from its head. Traditional unicorns also show a billy-goat beard, a lion's tail and cloven hooves. It is the only fantastic creature that does not seem to be a product of man's fears. They are the mythical counterpart to the western dragon myths. In mythical lore, only virgin maidens could tame a unicorn. There is a story in the Christian Bible that upon seeing the Virgin Mary, the unicorn laid its head in her lap. 

Unicorns symbolize beauty, mystery, nobility and strength. They also are associated with virgins and chastity. They are also said to be representatives of Utopian like peace, magic and spiritual mysticism. The unicorn tattoo was popularized in the late sixties and throughout the seventies during a time of turmoil. Its symbol of peace and Utopia made it a world ideal. The unicorn experienced resurgence in current times after an increase in fantasy culture, like the Lord of the Rings Trilogy and the Narnia. Tattoos with unicorns often incorporate other magical elements, like wizards and witches.

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Mermaid Tattoos and Tattoo Designs

A mermaid is a mythological aquatic creature that is half-human, half-aquatic creature (e.g. a fish or dolphin). Various cultures throughout the world have similar figures. (The word is a compound of mere, the Old English word for "sea," and maid, which has retained its original sense.)
Mermaids would sometimes sing to sailors and enchant them, distracting them from their work and causing them to walk off the deck or cause shipwrecks. Other stories would have them squeeze the life out of drowning men while trying to rescue them. They are also said to take them down to their underwater kingdoms. Some stories say that they forget that humans cannot breathe underwater, while others say they drown men out of spite.

Tales of mermaids are nearly universal. The first known mermaid stories appeared in Assyria, ca. 1000 BC. Atargatis, the mother of Assyrian queen Semiramis, was a goddess who loved a mortal shepherd and in the process killed him. Ashamed, she jumped into a lake to take the form of a fish, but the waters would not conceal her divine beauty. Thereafter, she took the form of a mermaid human above the waist, fish below though the earliest representations of Atargatis showed her as being a fish with a human head and legs.

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Mermaids were noted in British folklore as unlucky omens - both foretelling disaster and provoking it Several variants of the ballad Sir Patrick Spens depict a mermaid speaking to the doomed ships; in some, she tells them they will never see land again, and in others, she claims they are near shore, which they are wise enough to know means the same thing. They can also be a sign of rough weather.

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In Greek Mythology, Mermaid-like creatures were often the results of unions between Gods and sea creatures, such as Zeus and Poseidon, and they were identified with the Greek Goddess Aphrodite, who was born from the sea, and who symbolized erotic love to the Greeks. Aphrodite was also the Goddess of Fertility, and goddess of fair sailing, along with her companion the sacred dolphin. 

Mermaids are said to be known for their vanity, but also for their innocence. They often fall in love with human men, and are willing to go to great extents to prove their love with humans. Unfortunately, especially with younger mermaids, they tend to forget humans cannot breathe underwater. Their male counterparts, mermen, are rarely interested in human issues, but in the Finnish mythology, mermen are able to grant wishes, heal sickness, lift curses and brew magic potions.

Mermaid tattoos represent beauty and a love of the sea or water activities. You will find mermaid tattoos on sailors, divers or swimmers.

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Feather Tattoos and Tattoo Designs

Although we associate feathers with birds, there is a theory that says that they evolved from reptilian scales. In fact, some non-flying dinosaurs had feathers on their limbs and were used to for insulation. Today we use feathers for a number of different uses. They are sometimes used in high-class bedding, like pillows and mattresses. The feathers of goose and eiders are also used in winter clothing because they have a great ability to expand from being compressed and trap large amounts of air for insulation. Bird feathers can used for fletching arrow or to decorate fishing lures. 

Feathers are important in many cultures. Eagle feathers have huge cultural and spiritual value to the Native American as a religious object. They are seen as sacred and powerful symbols of power and knowledge. Feathers also decorated their battle dress, shields and weapons. Man has long envied the bird's ability to fly and used feathers in an effort to reach the sky. In Greek mythology, Daedelus the inventor and his son Icarus tried to escape prison by attaching feathers to his shoulders with wax but ultimately failed. In SouthAmerica, the locals brew a drink made from the feathers of Condors and used in traditional medicine. And Indians traditional use the feathers of the Indian Peacock in medicine for snakebites, infertility and coughs. 

Feather tattoos often incorporate the use of birds, wings or Native American element in them. A single feather may represent the ability to take flight, either spiritually or creatively. There are some feathers, like the Ostrich plume, the Peacock and the Eagle, that are very distinctive. These feathers in a tattoo symbolize the characteristics of the bird the feather comes from.

Color Feather Tattoo Designs 

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Black & Gray Feather Tattoo Designs

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Indian Feather Tattoo Designs

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Feathers & Flower Tattoo Designs

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Frog Tattoos and Tattoo Designs

Frogs are amphibians characterized by long hind legs, a short body without a tail and webbed fingers or toes. They are able to absorb water and oxygen directly through their skin, especially around the pelvic area. Frogs are also known for jumping as their mode of transportation. They lay their eggs in aquatic environments and the eggs hatch into tadpoles that slowly lose their tails and grow legs. The growth of a tadpole to frog is very important in that it likely how sea creatures evolved into land creatures. Frogs catch and eat insects with the aid of their long tongues and have a very distinctive call, especially in mating season. 

Frogs are commonly featured element in folklore, fairy tales and pop cultures. In many stories, they are portrayed as ugly, clumsy, benign creatures with extraordinary hidden talents. The famous fairy tale, the frog prince was royalty in disguise. The Moche, an ancient Peruvian tribe, worshipped frogs and often incorporated them in their art. In many cultures, the frog is representative of the ability to jump from one state of consciousness to another. Egyptians worshiped a frog goddess named Heket. Ancient shamans also prized the frog for his sensitive skin that allows both oxygen and water to pass through it. They considered it magical.

Frog tattoos are a very popular tattoo subject, partly because of their popularity as collectibles. Frog tattoos can symbolize good luck, transformation or magical properties. It can also represent the wearer's feelings of being unappreciated on the outside, but possessing extraordinary talents.

Color Frog Tattoo Designs

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Black & Gray Frog Tattoo Designs

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