The Meaning Behind Common Halloween Tattoos

Here at Magnum Tattoo Supplies, we love Halloween and today we will be running through a list of common Halloween tattoo's and their meanings!

The association with death conjures up a whole range of imagery, particularly skeletons and ghosts. Graves and cemeteries, for example, are great subject matter for designing Halloween symbols since they are spooky and have a connection to death.

Jack-o-Lantern – On All Hallows' Eve, guisers traditionally carry it to scare off bad spirits. The jack-o'-lantern is linked with a popular Irish Christian folktale in which it is supposed to represent a "soul who has been refused admission into both paradise and hell."

Witch – Witches have existed for centuries and have long been considered to possess magical abilities, partially due to their ties to Satan or the spirit realm. Their most famous reunions were supposed to take place on April 30 and, of course, October 31.

The tattoo shown above is from one of our very talented sponsored artists, Liz Minelli. 

Bat – Much of this is to blame on vampire bats, who do suck blood, but just enough for survival without usually killing another animal, such as a cow. Bats have been a symbol of evil and all things ghoulish since most vampire stories suggest that these legendary monsters turn into bats for flying and easier access to locations.

Check out our sponsored artist's page, Charlotte Harris. 

Ghost – Halloween has long been associated with ghosts. Even at the Samhain holiday, when the barrier between the living and the dead was at its thinnest, the Celtic people thought spirits were around.

Black cat – Druids and Christians believed that evil humans could turn themselves into cats, which led the druids to lock the cats in cages and throw them into the sacred fires. So the black cat, with its piercing yellow eyes and arched back became the symbol of the spirit of Halloween.

Skeleton & Skulls – Skeletons and skulls are striking Halloween symbols because they are a stark reminder of death and human mortality. They remind us that Halloween has always been a holiday about the dead.

Scarecrow – Scarecrows are more than just Halloween symbols, they are a symbol of the autumn season and the harvest.

Owl – The cat and the owl are said to be a witch's friends on Halloween. The owl's shriek is said to sound like a witch's cackling. Owls were believed to be malevolent, or at the very least embodiments of evil, in Ancient Rome.

Spider – Because of their associations with witches and abandoned haunted houses, these arachnids have become part of Halloween imagery. They're frequently linked to the additional creepiness seen in the upper corners of decaying haunted houses or horrors. Not to add the legends around writing spiders. If a writing spider spins your name in its web, it is considered that you are doomed.

Which one of these is your favourite? Do you have any Halloween-themed tattoos? Let us know in the comments!

Blog inspiration: Tattoo Stylist

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