Delphinium is a fabulous flower which has been used as a symbol of beauty, nobility, friendship and eternal love. It can be found on countless tattoos as well as in traditional paintings. The meaning of the delphinium flower tattoo is different from those three purposes but they are commonly related to the flower. It is not so surprising as delphinium belongs to Ranunculaceae family and a lot of other plants from this group have various symbolic meanings.
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Delphinium Flower Tattoos and their Meanings
The original meaning of delphinium was different than what it is used as today. Delphinium was dedicated to the Greek god Apollo and his daughter ‘Delphinia’. For centuries its name has been connected with dolphins and sea nymphs which were called delfini in latin.
The scientific name of delphinium (Named after Apollo) comes from this myth: “delphys” meaning “womb” in Greek so the whole name means “the womb of the sea”. This beautiful flower belongs to Larkspur genus which was called ‘delphinium’ by Carl Linnaeus and his definition comes from that myth, too: “lacerta” meaning “lizard” and also having a connection with Apollo – the god of sun.
Delphinium is also called larkspur (lark’s spur) which comes from the old name of this flower ‘delice des alouettes’ meaning “delight of the skylarks”. This is where the symbolism of delphinium as a sign of nobility and eternal love comes from.
Nowadays delphinium flower is associated with death and especially the death of children. This connection was formed thanks to Lewis Carroll’s tragedy “Alice in Wonderland”. The scene where delphinium is mentioned the most (it poisons Alice) has been taken by many as a sign of delphinium as a death flower.
There is still the third old meaning which comes from the language of flowers, too. According to it delphinium have two meanings: “A declaration of love” and “Passionate devotion”. The first one refers to the flower being used for expressing romantic feelings even if there was no language of flowers in that time. The second one comes from the fact that the delphinium species have been used to improve mood and fight depression, stress or anxiety.
Delphinium tattoo designs can be a great idea for a tattoo especially when it’s done by a skilled artist. Today you can find many delphinium tattoos especially when it’s mixed with other flower, butterfly or bird tattoo.
Delphinium Tattoo Designs and Ideas
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Most of the delphinium tattoos are dedicated to children or people connected in some way with them (parents, teachers). However you can find plenty of different designs featuring this royal blue plant. You can draw a real flower or just a delphinium shape.
For example, if you see a heart with wings which is the symbol of love and angel at the same time you probably think about an angel tattoo design. However people have been using this image as a delphinium tattoo for children who died as well as for funerals.
Delphinium tattoos are usually done in blue but some artists prefer purple or black ink. You can find them with many different symbols of life, death and even rebirth which is the most important thing about delphinium symbolism.The meaning of this tattoo is hard to put into words as all three have equal value.
The style of this delphinium tattoos can be very unique, especially the butterfly which looks like it’s coming out of the flower.
Delphinium tattoos can be done with geometrical shapes or just plain outlines. The meaning of each design will depend on the place where it is done and how it is made. For example, on the shoulder delphinium can symbolize a love for children and hope that they will return again.
Delphinium tattoos can be done easily with bold lines and small details so if you want to have some tattoo ideas on the wrist you should definitely look at them. On the ankle or behind the ear delphinium can mean the same thing but in different perspective. For example, behind the ear delphinium would symbolize stability and strength which makes it perfect for people who are suffering from anxiety or depression.
Delphinium is a fragile flower which dies pretty fast so if you want to get a realistic tattoo design it’s better to look for some pictures or to find a friend who has delphinium tattoo and talk with them about the design.
