A tattoo can tell a lot about its wearer. But understanding, for example, what a “Bear” tattoo on the shoulder of a man or woman means is not always easy. This drawing has many meanings, which are given by mythology, literature, children's fairy tales, esoteric, ethnic and popular culture. Let's figure out what a tattoo with a brown or polar bear can mean, who this design is suitable for and in what styles it can be performed.
What does the Bear as a symbol mean?
A bear tattoo can represent virtually any quality that people endow or have ever endowed with this animal. The most obvious meanings are
- force;
- courage in battle;
- rage and aggression;
- success in hunting;
- resurrection and the cyclical nature of life;
- protection;
- protection of offspring, protection of children (then the bear is stuffed);
- the ability to survive in difficult conditions;
- patriotism (if we perceive the bear as the Russian national animal);
- high social status (king of the forest);
- good luck in battle (bear's paw, according to the ancient tradition of pagan magical views, it brought good luck in military affairs to the owner) and the like.
History of the bear sign
All of the above meanings are conclusions from our ancestors, based on their cultural and religious traditions. The image of a bear has always been shrouded in many legends and myths, and each nation has endowed it with its own unique symbolism.
For example:
- The Chinese consider the bear to be the personification of masculinity, masculinity and strength.
- The Japanese idolize him as a very fair and wise beast. For them, this is a symbol of good deeds and great patience for the actions of others.
- The Celts, unlike the Chinese, believed that the bear was a symbol of the beginning of femininity, motherhood and fertility. When going on military campaigns, they painted the image of the beast on their weapons and clothes in order to enlist the invisible support of the clan along the female line.
- The natives of America believed that bears were very kind and friendly. They believed that this beast was able to influence the weather, so they turned to its spirits when they sought to bring rain and end the drought.
- In ancient Egypt, the bear symbolized power, so tattoos depicting the beast were worn by pharaohs and people who occupied the highest positions in the state.
- The Romans and Greeks in their myths made the bear a beast that always accompanied the warlike goddess of fertility and hunting.
- But everyone who honors the Koran considers the ferocious beast the personification of evil, the darkest magic, as well as anger, aggression, and cruelty.
- In our country, bears are respected; there are many legends, traditions and fairy tales in which the animal plays the role of the main character. He is an example of a brave hunter, a brave warrior.
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The meaning of Bear tattoo for men
Men often get such a tattoo to declare their strength, courage, courage, and patriotism. But in this meaning, the tattoo can no longer be called exclusively masculine.
Girls who value these qualities also get such tattoos.
The original and traditionally masculine meanings of this tattoo are those associated with professional activities or hobbies.
Military personnel and people working in law enforcement agencies, as well as any men whose profession involves fighting and manifestations of brute force, are happy to put such a design on themselves. Therefore, they often return with a “bear” on their skin after serving in the army.
Hunters can also get a tattoo as a tribute to the “master of the forest” and to attract good luck in their business.
Tattoos of the Lost in Prison
Most often, “lowered” tattoos are humiliating in nature and are located on the back, face, lower back and buttocks.
For removing tattoos on their own and helping other “roosters” they are severely punished.
- Camp and prison “mashkas”, “roosters”, “daisies” walk around with crowns and card suits tattooed on their bodies , they are called “kings of all stripes”.
- A five-pointed crown with a heart (white inside) and the signature “daisy” on the back denotes a homosexual, if the heart is painted over with black paint - a person capable of all forms of sexual contact, a crown with the signature T.A.V.D.A. between the five ends of the crown and “Orpheus” in place of the heart below defines the authority in the circle of the “lowered” (he can be called the “chief rooster”).
- There may also be a small dot or “sight” in the corner of the mouth or in the area of the eye .
- Thus, those who do not observe personal hygiene are impaled on a pig; the most common are impaling on roosters and rodents (the so-called “rats”).
- Passive homosexuals are required to get a tattoo of a naked woman entwined with a snake. Any “descended” person can receive a similar mark. Sometimes they themselves agree to have it injected into them (although otherwise no one would ask them about it). This tattoo should be located on the back.
To be more informative, such drawings are often accompanied by short comments indicating the color of the owner of the tattoo, or an article of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation under which the person was convicted (for example, of rape) is added.
Attention! A tattoo is a “passport”. For a person knowledgeable about the prison alphabet, this is more eloquent than any biography.
So-called “rings” are common in prisons. They can serve to indicate a person's religion, place of service, prison status, etc.
There are several “rings” intended for those who are “lowered.”
- A ring divided into two parts horizontally (from left to right) . The upper part is black, the lower part is white. In the 90s, such a tattoo was forcibly applied to card debtors who did not have time to pay. After release, the person painted over the white part and the meaning of the tattoo was changed to “time served” (served without parole).
- Inside the black ring there is a diagonal white stripe with three black dots inside . This is the so-called homosexual “rooster” ring. This tattoo belongs to the caste of the downtrodden and offended in prison.
Several omitted tattoo options:
Other types of rooster tattoos
Let's look at a few more types of tattoos:
- Tattoos can also be on the buttocks, mostly hearts and roses (symbols of femininity). A heart means that a person has already had sexual contact with a man in the zone, and a rose implies the expression “good in bed.” It is common that in the lower part of the back the eyes or a Soviet toy are depicted (two bears on different buttocks, which “play” plates when walking).
- Another tattoo - the devil undressing a woman, on the back, can serve as a mark of “lowered”, this is due to the fact that the devil has always been associated with lust.
- A tattoo on the back depicting a handshake and a flower sandwiched between hands indicates that its owner is a passive homosexual.
- There are times when one tattoo can contain many different elements that indicate the “omitted”. In the zone they don’t like criminals imprisoned under Article 131 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, so sometimes when they appear, they get a tattoo of the following nature: in the foreground - the penis between the devil and the girl, in the background - four card aces, the lower frame is represented by a humiliating signature.
- A girl holding a dress with a fishing rod has a tattoo on her left forearm, which is usually given to rapists.
- The dark male fireman was a common tattoo. It was applied to the buttocks and meant that the person was convicted of sodomy.
- In some places there is a kind of tradition of tattooing an ace on the buttocks of a passive homosexual, “lowered”, after each sexual intercourse with fellow inmates. There are “lowered” buttocks with aces stuffed “to the eyeballs”. Smaller tattoos located in the same place include bees, little devils and stokers.
- A boar in profile, which has a characteristic inscription on its face “Art. 131 part 3 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation,” was stuffed on the backs of pedophile rapists.
The meaning of the Bear tattoo for girls
In addition to the standard strength, courage and patriotism, which can also be the ideals of women, there is also a tattoo that is traditionally feminine. More precisely, this is a tattoo with a bear and cubs.
Almost everyone knows how important her offspring are for a bear and that she will fight for the life of her cub, even when seriously wounded, to the last drop of blood. Therefore, in this form, a tattoo with bears will symbolize caring for the family, love for children and the ability to fight for one’s happiness.
Meaning of Bear Grin Tattoo
The bear is an animal that can also symbolize good-natured tolerance of the world, the almost holy hermitism of the forest dweller. This totem animal, like all totems, has a dark and light face. So, the image of a bear’s grin is an image of its dark side. The grinning bear is
- the warrior's path;
- the ability to fight (literally or figuratively);
- aggression;
- the need for an enemy to defeat.
This tattoo is suitable only for very temperamental individuals with pronounced masculinity.
Although the designations of tattoos are very conventional, and a person may have an individual perception of the symbols, others will always perceive a grin as an aggressive statement of one’s strength.
Popular places
When choosing a design for a Bear tattoo, think about which area the image will be tattooed on. So, for small drawings, wrists, ankles, calves, a place on the neck or behind the ear are suitable. Large, eye-catching images are made on the back, chest, shoulders, and hips. To fill the sleeve, the composition is built vertically, trying to fill the space with large elements.
How does your family feel about your tattoos?
The meaning of the Bear tattoo in the zone
The symbolism of prison tattoos lies a little away from the generally accepted symbolism of tattoos. The image of a bear on a person serving time will indicate that he is serving a sentence for theft. Moreover, the theft is specific, involving breaking into safes. This ironically plays on the fact that a thief who opens safes is called a safecracker in prison slang.
We must admit that in some ways the clumsy bear and the bugbear are exactly alike - if they want to take something, it will be problematic to stop them.
In conclusion, we can say that applying such a characteristic, strong tattoo requires the owner to at least strive to comply, otherwise it simply loses its sacred meaning.
Different forms - different understanding
It is customary to apply the design to the chest, shoulder, back and arms. It is convenient to depict the animal in “full growth” on the sternum and back; the result will be a very three-dimensional picture. The image can sometimes be seen on the shoulder or arm of a person passing by. The design on the shoulder is clearly visible; you don’t have to open your shirt to show it to others. When you are offered sketches, you will notice that the choice of bears is very wide: from simple brown bears to grizzlies and residents of the far north. They are slightly different in meaning.
- The brown bear is a traditional image of strength, confidence in victory, power and authority. The grizzly bear represents approximately the same qualities.
- A panda or koala is the embodiment of kindness.
- The polar bear is a reminder of the harshness of the icy region. Life among the snow is lonely and hungry. And yet, despite the trials he faced, the polar bear survives and remains king.
- A beast with a grin means great fortitude, determination, determination and ferocity. This drawing looks like a warning to those who are rash.
- The skull usually carries a negative load and has a ritual and mystical interpretation. In everyday life, it is worn by those who want to stand out from the crowd by any means or create an intimidating aura around themselves.
A bear tattoo is suitable for a man like no other design. If you want to show everyone your strength and determination, this is a suitable symbol.
