Once the reserve of bikers and just generally people who you wouldn’t like to meet down a dark alley. The skull tattoo has firmly stood the test of time and come out the other side all the stronger.
When tattoos are mentioned, apart from maybe a mom heart or a rose, skulls are usually one of the first things people will think of. Certainly one of the all-time classics. If that isn’t reason enough alone to justify getting a skull tattoo then I will lay some symbolism on you!
Now one thing I have to mention of course is sugar skulls. If you haven’t heard of a sugar skull before, they were originally skulls made out of molded sugar and decorated. These sugar skulls would have the name of a departed loved one written on the forehead and then placed on their grave during the Day of the Dead Festival in Mexico.
Much of the meaning of sugar skull isn’t taken into consideration by most people getting one as a tattoo, it’s usually just the fact it’s a nicely decorated skull that’s appealing enough to make people want one. However if you did want to use the skull as a memorial tattoo then a name on the forehead is a great way to do that, or leave a space in preparation although that’s quite morbid!
Skulls are a potent symbol of death for obvious reasons. This can add a variety of meanings to your tattoo. It could be as a reminder of our mortality or as a symbol of remembrance.
The skull is also definitely a very macho symbol and can represent toughness. The skull symbol has been used to evoke fear by groups such as the military and biker gangs.
The skull is also a symbol of non-conformity and sub-cultures. I wouldn’t be able to begin to imagine the amount of heavy metal and rock bands that have used skulls in their album artwork at some point.
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