By SitesReady Values: strength, wisdom, calmness, devotion, will
In the modern world, especially in Europe, for some reason, some erroneous opinion has formed about elephants as a clumsy, heavy and weak animal. To some extent, the image of an elephant can even be equated with the meaning of a turtle tattoo. But if you delve into this topic, look at the idea of elephants, from the side of the peoples living next to them, then the opposite becomes clear. As the famous Hindu legend says that elephants once also flew like birds, but then they were cursed by the old hermit and for this they lost their wonderful gift.
Therefore, it is not strange that a tattoo with images of an elephant is found in our area much less often than in the countries of Near and Central Asia, and, of course, among the peoples of the African continent. Elephant is a symbol of peace and friendliness, symbol longevity and wisdom, devotion and inner strength… In many African countries, the elephant is considered the strongest, therefore the most revered animal, as well as in India and China, the elephant symbolizes the supreme power. Buddhist religion attributes the properties of stability and spiritual knowledge to the elephant.
In general, an elephant is kind, positive, but at the same time a very serious symbol, therefore, before making such a tattoo, it is better to think it over well, because very often mythologies and legends associate it with the gods and call it a sacred animal.
Europeans in the Middle Ages also considered the elephant a symbol of chastity and love, because for a long time they thought that elephants abstain from sexual intercourse during the pregnancy of a female, and this lasts about a year and a half. In the Roman Empire, the elephant was considered a sign of victory and wisdom, later, after the collapse of the empire, the elephant became a symbol of victory over evil in Christianity, in this context it was most often depicted trampling a snake.
The tattoo of a white elephant should be singled out as the rarest one, because this elephant is especially revered in the territory of half of Asia: Cambodia, Burma, Thailand and other Buddhist countries. There he symbolizes happiness and spirituality, and brings longevity and fertility…
But still the most revered elephant remains in India, where elephants are noble mounts, not only for kings and nobles, but also for gods. So the elephant always depicts the god of thunder and rain, Indra, the god Ganesha also has the head of an elephant, and is the patron saint of literature of wisdom and earthly happiness, he is also considered a way of taming passions, since he holds the trunk in his hand.
The elephant is a symbol of strength and insight, is well suited to strong-willed and self-confident people, and can also help in acquiring the qualities necessary for a ruler or boss: prudence, intelligence, dignity and meekness. The elephant was not forgotten by such cultures as Egyptian and Greek.
In any case, the meaning of the elephant tattoo is unusual and interesting, this tattoo combines the wisdom of millennia, therefore it is very strong and worthy.
