{"id":4651,"date":"2020-12-30T10:34:32","date_gmt":"2023-01-09T16:47:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.saved-tattoo.com\/?p=4651"},"modified":"2024-01-10T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"2024-01-10T00:00:00","slug":"dragon-tattoo","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.saved-tattoo.com\/dragon-tattoo\/","title":{"rendered":"14 Best Dragon Tattoo Designs: Mesopotamian, East Asia Or Europe?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Somewhere, dragons are the signs of terror, chaos, fear, and death, but not in all cultures. In other places, dragon tattoos can manifest power, courage, and confidence, and a lot of people want them as their tattoo, sometimes even when they\u2019re getting a tattoo for the first time. That\u2019s why dragon tattoo is quite popular and a great choice regardless of the tattoo studio you pick in.<\/p>\n

However, not everyone knows everything about dragon tattoos before they get them, like how difficult it is to make, what designs are out there, and does tattooing a dragon represents something in terms of its meaning.<\/p>\n

A lot of people make tattoos because they reflect on an event from life or want to highlight their personality traits.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s why a lot of people tattoo special dates, for example. The same goes with dragon tattoos, but if you want them to represent an event or something else from your life it\u2019s important to know what is the true meaning of a dragon tattoo.<\/p>\n

Where Does The Dragon Origin From?<\/h2>\n
\"Where
Image Source: Saved Tattoo<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Not surprisingly, dragons have a rich history and origin, mainly because the tales of dragons appear for thousands of years. However, depending on the culture that they root in, dragons have either been a symbol of admiration or awe, terror and fear.<\/p>\n

The word \u201cdragon\u201d can be derived from both Latin and ancient Greek language. In Latin, the dragon was marked with the word \u201cdracones\u201d while the Greek counterpart was spelled as \u201cderekein.\u201d Both words, however, have different meanings. In Latin, dracone meant someone who is sharp-sighted and can see sharply. On the other hand, \u201cderekein\u201d was used in Greek languages to mark snakes and other reptiles.<\/p>\n

Another word used to define dragons in ancient times was \u201cDraco\u201d which is defined as a \u201cgiant serpent.\u201d<\/p>\n

Dragons are popular in both Eastern and Western cultures. However, while the Eastern culture worships dragons as benevolent and creatures of good fortune, the Western culture and history sees dragon as the source of all terror and chaos.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s important to note that the appearance of a dragon in Western culture is significantly different than the perception of the East Asian civilizations.<\/p>\n

Regardless of civilization or origin, dragons were mythical and legendary creatures, which many used to define certain characteristics and included them in the tales throughout history. However, it\u2019s clear where was the term dragon first used in history.<\/p>\n

Mesopotamian Dragons<\/h3>\n
\"Mosaic
Image Source: Saved Tattoo<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Some stories from Mesopotamia give a hint that dragons were first mentioned there. Mesopotamia was the home of the Sumerian people who built both Mesopotamia and Babylon. Today, Mesopotamian territory spans to Iran and Iraq. A lot of other civilizations mention dragons early in history, such as Babylonians who dared to compare their might and power to that of the Gods.<\/p>\n

They used dragons in tales to mark guardians of important historical treasures. However, most of the historical tales displayed dragons as evil and vicious, rather than wise and intelligent.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019ve ever read the Epic of Gilgamesh then you may also know that one of his quests included slaying a dragon called Humbab, which protected the city of Uruk from intruders. The Sumerian culture also mentions the dragon named Zu who captured law tablets that belonged to the God Enil. Lastly, another dragon from the Sumerian culture also includes Gandareva who protected other dragons.<\/p>\n

Dragons In East Asia<\/h3>\n
\"Dragons
Image Source: Saved Tattoo<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Dragons were celebrated in China, Vietnam, and Japanese cultures. However, the dragons they celebrated weren\u2019t the same. The determining number included the number of claws on each foot depending on the folklore from which the dragon originated from.<\/p>\n

The dragons from China had five claws, while Japanese and Vietnamese dragons had four and three claws respectively. In Ancient China, the dragon was one of the most worshipped mythical beasts, often believed to be real and one of the highlight symbols of the civilizations.<\/p>\n

There are even holidays dedicated to the dragons marked with glorious celebrations for centuries, which originally came from the Song Dynasty that ruled from 960 to 1279 AD. The Azure Dragon of The East is one of the most popular from ancient China, and the belief in him descended into other cultures too.<\/p>\n

In Japan, ancient civilizations and many generations afterward also worshipped dragons, with one of the most popular dragons being Ryujin, also known as the Dragon King. The Dragon King habituated a palace located under the ocean, together with his wife and daughter.<\/p>\n

Dragons also appear in the Korean culture, where they symbolize benevolence. They are the epitome of harmony, balance, water, and agriculture.<\/p>\n

Finally, The Vietnamese also believed in dragons and wrote plentiful tales that worship them. Interestingly, the Dragon King appears in the Vietnamese culture and is documented in the tale of a fisherman Slowcoach who used a magic fishhook.<\/p>\n

After using it for fishing, the daughter of the Dragon King showed up to him and told him he used the fishhook and captured her father\u2019s mouth. After visiting the underwater palace and removing the fishhook from the Dragon King\u2019s mouth, he was rewarded with the hand of the Dragon King\u2019s daughter.<\/p>\n

\"Dragon
Saved Tattoo<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Dragons In India<\/h3>\n

In India, dragons were also considering Gods, one of them being called Vitra who was the guardian of the winter. Another Hindu story describes a dragon named Apalala who became Buddhist thanks to Buddha. That ultimately resulted in him being rejected by other dragons in the Hindu culture.<\/p>\n

Dragons In Europe<\/h3>\n
\"Dragons
Image Source: Saved Tattoo<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Unlike the Asian civilizations that worshipped dragons as the Gods, Europe had a much darker history with dragons. They are depicted as vicious, evil, and cruel, and when it comes to the fairytales, they were often considered the main villains and antagonists.<\/p>\n

In many stories, a prince has to save a princess from a dragon that captured her and kept her captive in a cave or a castle of his own. Many fantasy stories descended this belief in dragons, which is the opposite of what Asian dragons were considered.<\/p>\n

One of the most important dragon-involving tales in the history of Europe is the legend of Saint George and The Dragon. The story revolves around a village Cappadocia that was attacked and terrorized by a dragon that captured a princess maiden. Saint George decided to go on a journey to tame and slay the dragon and save the princess.<\/p>\n

This story is one of the most popular stories about European dragons, other than the fairytales that came much later. It\u2019s often depicted through art in the Orthodox culture. Interestingly, even the Beowulf poem has an alternative ending where the hero kills three dragons.<\/p>\n

A Celtic culture that was also prominent in Europe regarded dragons with respect and compared them to Gods. In Celtic paintings and other artwork, dragons are often crowned and decorated with tribal<\/a> and forest symbols<\/a>, to mark their power. The dragons also existed in the Fae culture.<\/p>\n

What Is The Meaning Of Dragon Tattoo?<\/h2>\n

Tattoos have been popular among human civilizations for as long as 10,000 years. So, it definitely wouldn\u2019t surprise us if someone has tattooed a dragon throughout that time. After all, given the rich history and origin of dragons and the culture, many people had a reason to tattoo a certain mythical dragon or an event that depicts a dragon.<\/p>\n

But, before you make a tattoo of a magnificent and majestic dragon, you should first know the meaning that the dragon tattoos can entail. You probably don\u2019t, but to avoid embarrassment when someone asks you about the meaning of your tattoo, you should probably know what it means.<\/p>\n

So, as mentioned earlier, dragons had a different set of meanings depending on the culture they come from. If they originate from the western culture they were usually marked as vicious, dangerous, threatening, and evil. We doubt that you want to be seen that way just because of the tattoo, so we\u2019ll detail other meanings of the dragons.<\/p>\n

\n

Power<\/strong>: If you\u2019re tattooing a dragon on any part of the body, you want to highlight that you used your experience and caution to get through challenging situations in life. They can be a sign of power. If you make a detailed dragon tattoo, with stripes, claws, fangs, or even fire, you want to showcase your success and the hardworking steps you take to be where you\u2019re today.<\/p>\n

Wisdom<\/strong>: Wisdom marks that you\u2019ve come to the age where you can be straightforward and make decisions driven by your experience that will make you even wiser in the process.<\/p>\n

Courage<\/strong>: The courage seen in dragons can reflect on how you face certain situations and hardships in life. Many people choose to make a tattoo of a dragon on a prominent part of their body to highlight that they came out stronger from their difficulties. Additionally, it can highlight that you weren\u2019t afraid of taking risks in certain stressful and risky situations.<\/p>\n

Self-assurance<\/strong>: That said, the meaning of the dragon tattoo doesn\u2019t always have to be connected to chaos, and threatening symbolism. It can showcase their mythical and legendary existence throughout various cultures and combined with other symbols to make the tattoo more creative and authentic.<\/p>\n

Healing<\/strong>: Finally, a lot of people may tattoo a dragon to mark that they came out stronger from an illness or an injury and that they are stronger and braver than ever before.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n

In addition to the cultural meanings of the dragons, you should also look into the colors of dragons and see whether that can be useful for your tattoo idea.<\/p>\n