All you need to know about owl’s tattoos!
If there is a trend that remains stable for the last few years in the tattoo world are the owls, which have been since 2016 being among the most tattooed animals worldwide.
And no wonder, they are super versatile tattoos, beautiful and with a lot of meaning, which makes owl tattoos a winning signing in any case.
In today’s article we are going to tell you:
- Everything you need to know about the meaning of owl tattoos.
- We are going to give you a lot of different examples in different styles, body areas and sizes.
Hyper Realistic Owl Tattoo
This amazing owl tattoo design on a hyper realistic way is made by Sarah Krone, from France.
- Hyper Realistic Style.
- Black and Grey.
Meanings of Owl Tattoos
Let’s start at the beginning: telling you what this type of tattoos means.
It’s not going to be easy, because owl tattoos have a lot of meanings, but we wanted to rescue the most important among all of them.
One of the main meanings: Darkness.
We are not telling you anything new when we tell you that owls are nocturnal birds that, in addition, are very stealthy in their flight and camouflage.
Therefore, the main meaning of the owl tattoo has to do with the world of darkness and all that it concerns.
In fact, later in this list you’re going to have more references to different dark concepts, you’ll see.
Hyper Realistic Color Owl Tattoo
Another one on Hyper Realistic style, but with color, is this one made by Rafael Pérez Parra, from Barcelona but tattooing worldwide.
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- Hyper Realistic Style.
- Color tattoo.
- Extra wolf 😉
Wisdom and knowledge
In different cultures throughout the world owls are depicted as creatures that hold knowledge and wisdom, even with connections to the afterlife and other vital planes.
This is accentuated by the fact that they are slow, calm, and observant animals, all of which converge precisely in this knowledge.
Classic Americana Owl tattoo
This one is made by Kelly Borders, owner of Honor and Grace Tattoo, in the US, and we do love it.
- Classic Americana Tattoo.
- Color tattoo.
- Extra snake!
Mystery, another strong point
Another strong point of owl tattoos is the halo of mystery that this animal has.
This is because they are nocturnal and, once again, stealthy animals.
If you add to this that they are usually in forests or near very small populations, it accentuates this halo of mystery.
Transitions in life
In other cultures, the owl is also synonymous with a transition in life, either in different ages or living spaces.
Therefore, if you are thinking of a ceremonial tattoo in which you want to make this process clear, an owl is one of the best options you have for it.
Sketch Owl tattoo
A completely different thing is this owl tattoo by Andrés Gómez Tello, in Catalonia, Spain.
This spectacular owl design is kind of a mix up between a sketch and blackwork and it’s a thing!
- Sketch tattoo.
- Blackwork.
Death, either literal or symbolic
Very much in line with life transitions is the concept of death.
That’s why owls are tattooed a lot to symbolize the death of a loved one, a traumatic event that causes you to change, or a symbolic death.
If you notice, the concept is the same in all of them.
Vision and clarity, in opposition to darkness
Although it may not seem so, the owl has in common darkness and clarity and vision.
The first point we already dealt with before, and this second one is because the owl’s vision and its clarity to do things at night are very important points to consider in its meaning.
Illustration with color owl tattoo
If you want a tattoo to keep all the eyes on, here is one from Diana Raduta.
She is from Bucarest (Romania) and this owl illustration with blue touches is fantastic!
- Illustration tattoo.
- Blue Color.
Magic, something deeply rooted
At many times in history the owl has been considered a magical animal, always with a halo of being a being from another world.
This happens in many cultures, mythologies, and civilizations, being a nocturnal animal.
Protection, another of its attributes
In different cultures the owl has been venerated as an animal of protection, being vigilant while everyone sleeps.
If you add to this the fact that it is a stealthy, elegant animal and, in addition, a hunter, you have the archetype of protection.
Intuition and guidance also present
Finally, and closely related to the last ones, are the values of intuition and guidance offered by the mythology of this animal.
As we said above, the owl is known as a very stealthy animal, with a great vision, so it served as a guide for ancient civilizations.
As you can see, the owl has many values associated with it, making it a great tattoo to do.
