By SitesReady Values: luck, fear, rarity, evil, horror, insight, vigilance
The bat is an interesting and somewhat unique animal – it is the only mammal in the world that can fly. In general, the meaning of a bat tattoo can be divided into two sections, which are formed on two types of interpretation of the symbolic essence of this animal. They are radically different from each other: the former is more negative and more common, the latter is much more positive. Next, we’ll look at each of these approaches.
Bat – it is a nocturnal predatory animal, so they are almost always associated with evil, danger and death… People believed that in the form of bats one can find sorcerers, werewolves and vampires, who were a direct product of darkness. There is a special kind of vampire bats that hunt at night and feed on the blood of warm-blooded animals, and sometimes attack humans. Therefore, people often feared and hated them, even the very appearance of this animal close up catches up with fear and horror.
In Europe in the Middle Ages, before the spread of Christianity, bats were considered carriers of a unique ability to sense the hidden forces of nature and to contact the other worlds, therefore they were like pets of fortune-tellers and witches and were often used in their magical rituals. And soon in the Christianity that came, as in Judaism, bats began to be directly associated with the devil and used as a symbol of Satanism and idolatry. These animals, by the way, were mercilessly destroyed, out of fear and superstition. The corpse of a bat, nailed or hanged near the house, was traditionally considered a protector from evil forces and spirits. In the mythology and beliefs of the peoples of America and Brazil, the bat was a terrible deity of the underworld, the enemy of peace and light, some believed that it could even swallow the sun.
But there is a second approach, because against the background of all the frightening and evil associations, there are many positive aspects, qualities and meanings of a bat.
For example, in ancient Rome and Greece, the bat was prized and revered for its incredibly sharp vision and spatial sensation, which allows it to fly very quickly in the dark without bumping into obstacles. She began to symbolize discernment and vigilance.… And thanks to the work of Homer, it also became known as a symbol of the afterlife: according to Homer, the souls of the departed possessed the wings of bats.
In China, bats are perceived very positively, this animal has become a symbol of good luck, fertility and longevity, as well as a symbol meaning a worthy death…
Having considered two approaches and attitudes to such a tattoo, it must be said that in a particular case, the meaning of a bat tattoo largely depends on the wearer himself, and his personal attitude towards this animal. On which of the beliefs and interpretations he can rely on, or refer to him as an argument for his choice. But the choice of a tattoo does not always have to be reasoned, the main thing is desire. The popularity of the bat as a tattoo increased significantly after the release of the movie “Batman” but over time it began to fade.
