Meanings of tattoos

The meaning of a samurai tattoo

Values: loyalty, power, morality, fortitude, warriors

In the military history of Japan, several main characters stand out – these are ninja spies, generals and samurai warriors. But now we will consider only the last of them – the samurai, in order to ultimately conclude what does the samurai tattoo mean and who is it suitable for?

The very word “samurai” comes from the verb “samurau”, meaning “to serve.” It turns out that “samurai” is “servant” or “servant”. There is another word for samurai, this word – “bushi” (“warrior”). “The Way of the Warrior” comes exactly from this word, from the word “bushido”.

As a separate class, samurai have existed throughout the history of Japan. Initially, they served aristocratic families, but by the end of the Heian era, many large samurai clans had gained their political and military strength, so the aristocrats could not oppose them with anything. From this we can conclude that a samurai tattoo has the meaning of a free and strong person, independent of anyone else. For many years, the samurai clans fought for the title of shogun – one clan that rules the entire country.

The samurai ideology originated in Zen Buddhism, it evolved over many centuries. This idea implied the complete submission of the samurai to his master, but this does not mean that he had to carry out absolutely any order. For example, if the order was deliberately criminal, then the samurai must have tried to convince his master. In case of impossibility of this action, the samurai had to commit ritual suicide. Thus, a samurai tattoo can mean dedication to the idea and the right path, which does not include the criminal side.

How could you define the power of a samurai? It’s very simple – by the number of lands granted. The samurai detachment depended solely on income from the lands, however, these lands could be taken away by transferring them to another samurai. Horses were another important wealth for the samurai. Unfortunately, the natural conditions did not allow the samurai to raise these animals, so only the wealthiest samurai could afford horses.

One could already guess that the samurai were great warriors and men of honor with great fortitude. Thus, it turns out that a samurai tattoo means that you pay tribute to the morality and rules of these warriors… You acknowledge them greatness and show that you yourself are ready to follow their path.

Samurai tattoos are usually placed on the back, shoulder or stomach. The tattoo is usually large and very beautiful, so it is very important to have it done by an experienced tattoo artist.

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