Tattooing is an art that existed before the humanity started to make records. It was practiced by every culture, no matter how primitive or evolved it used to be.
There are many types of tattoos out there, each one having its own specific meaning. The laurel wreath tattoo belongs to the first type – the symbolic one. It is a tattoo design representing a crown, placed on top of a staff wrapped by laurel leaves. But what does it all actually mean?
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The first thing that might come to your mind when you think about the laurel wreath tattoo is Ancient Greece. The country was well known for both its strong influence on the development of the Western culture, and its great civilization.
The fashion in Ancient Greece used to be very stylish, but it wasn’t frivolous at all – their clothing had particular meanings attached to them.
For example, laurel wreath symbolized victory (both in athletic contests and in wars), which makes sense since an athlete who won would wear this type of crown; it also denoted fame. Meanwhile, veils were very common but they had no special meaning. It was a sign of modesty and women from good families would never leave the house without one.
Laurel wreath tattoo as a symbol of victory
Laurel wreath tattoos have a victorious feeling since it is often worn by those who triumphed in something – after a marathon race, a national debate competition, for instance.
There’s also another interesting fact which might be quite surprising to you: ancient Roman soldiers wore laurel wreaths during their marches out of respect to god Jupiter – the god of thunder and lightning.
However, there is another interpretation of laurel wreath that is even more interesting. It may be associated with the cult of Apollo, the god of truth and prophecy (he was also known as Phoebus – hence, another name for this tattoo design is phoebian wreath).
The meaning behind it all is quite simple: many people used to believe that if you make a wish while wearing it, your dreams will come true!
Wrap up
No matter whether you go with the classic laurel wreath tattoo design or get another version of it, there are some things that you should keep in mind when deciding upon this piece of body art.
For instance, since laurel wreath has a deep meaning attached to it (traditionally associated with wars), you should think twice before wearing it.
The laurel wreath tattoo doesn’t really have a single meaning – there are many different ideas attached to it, so take your time thinking about what exactly is the best tattoo for you!
