The mantis is a very special insect. The praying mantis has got many symbolic meanings and we will try to explain them all here. But first let’s see what makes her so special.
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The name “praying” comes from the way the forelegs are held together in prayer like fashion (left over right) which gives it an appearance of being more “spiritual” than other insects. This makes it a good tattoo design for those who practice some kind of spirituality such as paganism, wicca or new age religions that believe in spirit guides.
The color and texture of the mantis can also be meaningful since some species have dappled camouflage using earth tones or bark-like colors which might represent the earth element, while some others have bright colors on their forewings which can represent “the unseen” such as faeries and spirits.
The praying mantis is a powerful totem for those who believe in evolution because of her unique hunting abilities, but also because she’s believed to be an extremely old insect and one of the first to go through metamorphosis (complete transformation during development).
Some Native American tribes used this progression from egg to adult as a way to explain life and death. The name “mantis” means prophet or diviner too since there are stories that some would get visions by holding a mantis egg case up off its velcro pedestal and letting it hatch over them.
Other cultures see the mantis egg case as the soul of the unborn infant and it’s said that if you’re having recurring bad dreams you can put one under your pillow and it will be gone by morning.
Now let’s look at some other symbolic meanings:
The mantis as a tattoo design is often used to represent wisdom, especially since these insects are known for their complex hunting methods and prey selection.
It can also symbolize patience since they spend so much time waiting unmoving for their prey to come within range or just looking like part of the background until an unsuspecting bug comes into view then quickly turns into a quick moving predator and attack with lightning speed grabbing its pray with those amazing forelegs ending in sharp spines that hold the victim while she devours her prey alive.
This can represent going through a period of time where you wait for your prey/opportunity to make her move and when she does all hell breaks loose! The mantis holds its pray with these specialized legs until it’s dead so this may also be a good tattoo design choice for those who want a reminder that they have the strength to hold on no matter what gets thrown at them.
In other cultures, such as Greek mythology, seeing a mantis was seen as an omen meaning “look before you leap” since the insect often appears just before someone is about to do something dangerous or harmful. It was said that if one walked through your house while you were gone and didn’t get caught then soon someone in your family would die. Seeing one on your wedding day was said to be a sign of wedded bliss, but if you saw one indoors it meant the opposite!
The mantis is often added to goth tattoos, insect tattoos or animal tattoos designs because she’s such an awesome predator that also looks very alien-like with her long feelers and large bulging eyes that are on either side of her head which give her almost 360 degrees view around herself for hunting. This makes it great choice for those who want some kind of bug tattoo design, but don’t like the more common choices like bees or butterflies or even ladybugs.
It can also make a good addition to tribal tattoos since it’s got the edgy look many artists use in their designs. The mantis can be used in almost any setting too since they prefer to hunt alone so it would look great on the lower back, rib cage or even full sleeve arm tattoos and with her many colors and natural camouflage she’s a great choice for realistic tattoos as well!
Here are mantis tattoo design ideas :
• Celtic Tattoo Designs: Wolf Head With Celtic Knots And Praying Mantis Man…
• Half Sleeve Tribal Dragon Tattoos: Storm Cloud With Dark Raven And African Mantis…
• Mandala Tattoo Design Ideas: Yellow Sunflower Mandala And Lotus Flower With Small Praying Mantis…
• Full Back Piece Tattoos For Women: Colorful Skull Tattoos With Mantis Flies And Roses…
• Sleeve Tattoo Of A Woman: Blue And Black Ink Lotus Flower, Dragonfly And Praying Mantis…
• Many People Are Interested In Celtic Tattoos On Hands: Celtic Drawings With Compass, Dragonfly And Praying Mantis…
• Sexy Back Piece Tattoos For Men: Colorful Tribal Sunflower Mandala With Small Green Mantis…
• Flower Tattoo Designs For Girls: Red Rose With Winged Heart Butterfly Gecko Lizard Spider And Praying Mantis …
