Memento Mori: The Great Stoic Mantraīlack and grey memento mori sleeve with a skull and an analog clock, by Rafael Almeida Alves on Instagram). Memento mori calligraphy tattoo, by STROKER TATTOO BANGKOK on Instagram). The pictures and backstory in this list alone should be enough for you to catch some inspiration along the way. If you want to copy a design directly off this list, that’s perfectly acceptable! But just remember that your tattoo artist will likely be more than willing to help you make something unique only to you. However you want to personalize your design is completely up to you. Other than Traditional Tattoo style, which does very well to illustrate the aforementioned elements, you could also opt for a Trash Polka style tattoo to give your tattoo a slice of realism and creativity.Īn edgy memento mori tattoo with a scythe with what seems to be a scorpion tail at the end of the handle, by Rei on Instagram). If you’re interested in learning about these famous stoic philosophers, I urged you to keep reading until the end for a brief overview of each one.Ī direct to the point memento mori tattoo featuring an hourglass, skull, and freshly blossomed flower, by RUNA TATTOO on Instagram).ĭesigns are often accented in shades of deep blacks and bold reds, which are also colors associated with death. Some of the most notable stoic philosophers from ancient history include Marcus Aurelius, Seneca the Younger, and Epictetus. One design element I don’t see very often are the original Greek philosophers that built the school of stoicism from the ground up. Other popular elements usually combined with the base memento mori phrase are: crows, hourglasses, daggers, skeletons, vintage pocket watches, and other symbols associated with death and mortality.Ī very detailed memento mori tattoo featuring a skeleton holding the Sacred Heart of Jesus Christ and a skull and crossbones, by blackspelltattoos on Instagram). Minimalist memento mori tattoo on the chest, by k_okai on Instagram). It’s a symbol that has been associated with death and mortality since ancient times, which makes it a perfect visual element for any memento mori tattoo. Like you’ll see in many of the pieces in this list, the skull is an immensely popular element that you can incorporate into your tattoo design. In fact, the entire idea of memento mori is philosophical, so if you’re into getting a fresh, unique design, you can collaborate with your artist to conceptualize a design that’s creative but still manages to deliver memento mori in a poetic way.Īn hourglass memento mori tattoo that encapsulates the fleetingness of time, by Jarosław Janiszewski on Instagram). This piece uses the style used in old school movie posters, taking on a more dynamic approach to memento mori, by Mr.Sixtynine69 on Instagram). There are many brilliant pieces that incorporate symbolic elements into their design. Another popular choice to put a text-based memento mori tattoo is the upper arm-easily hidden but visible enough.įeaturing a skull and crossbones in front of the cross on which Jesus Christ was crucified, by Rodrigo Brummelhaus on Instagram).īut perhaps the best thing about the memento mori tattoo is you don’t have to have yours written in plain text. You can also opt to have it on your chest, directly beneath the collarbone and oriented in a curved fashion, following the shape of your clavicle. In Japanese, memento mori is “futsuumeishi”, by Sheila Oi on Instagram). It provides enough space for the phrase as well as providing a flat enough surface so that the tattoo doesn’t look warped. Much like other text-based tattoos, the memento mori tattoo is best placed on at least a semi-flat surface like the forearm. Grim reaper with a rose and lantern drawn in American traditional style, by Noah Howell on Instagram). That is to say, they are firm practitioners of stoicism, a Greek school of philosophy that, at its core, teaches you that you shouldn’t be stressing too much about the petty day-to-day things in life. The majority of the people that get a memento mori tattoo are often stoics. Each piece’s artist is credited so that you can check out more of their work or choose to message them directly. In this article, I’ve compiled 35 of the most meaningful, creative, and detailed “Memento Mori” tattoos there are on the internet. It’s a phrase that teaches to someone the value of life-a concept that can only be taught thanks to the existence of our mortality. If taken the wrong way, these words could be taken as a statement of nihilism.īut despite all the macabre imagery associated with memento mori, its meaning and intentions run deeper than simply thinking of death’s inevitable arrival. In English, the mantra translates to “remember that you must die”, which, without context, has morbid implications. Spoken since the era of the Roman Empire, the two words memento mori have encouraged millions of people to live their life to its fullest.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |