Demons are potent tattoo designs, rich with meaning and symbolism. And there are many demon tattoos available to you, depending on whether your looking for a Western or Asian demon. In the West demons are described as angels tossed out of heaven by God for their pride and vanity. In this tradition, demons had a reputation for evil, causing pain and suffering to humankind. They were tricky, sly, and had the power of prophecy, which was very useful when leading poor, weak humans astray. They could enter a living person causing sickness or madness, but could also be driven out.
And they could also be domesticated enough to serve as a force to scare other evil spirits away. The more popular demons come complete with horns, fangs, claws, and open mouths; scary enough to keep evil spirits at a distance. If you would rather have a Japanese influenced demon tattoo like the one depicted in the picture, then there is a whole different symbolism associated with them. Unlike demons in Western culture, the Japanese varieties, depending on their mood, might actually be sweet natured and helpful to humans, lavishing their protection and guidance on those they take a fancy to. The Japanese typically decorated their homes with protective talismans, including images of demons.
There are many different demon tattoos but the one in this picture is probably associated with the Japanese variety. Japanese demon tattoos come complete with a wide range of different characters, some sweet and innocent looking, some quite goofy and still others which are very scary. Some favorite Japanese demons are Inuyasha the dog-demon, and the fox and raccoon demons who are shape-shifters and tricksters. There is the wolf-demon who, according to legend, has a romantic streak. And there’s the weasel, the toad, and centipedes. The ‘Oni’, or ogre-monster, is known to Japanese children even today, for its reputation for eating humans.
It’s a tattoo-bearing creature with wild hair and long nails. Its job is to hunt down evil men and send them to hell. That is what the bearer is trying to depict in his demon tattoo. And in Japanese culture these creatures where no joke. Religious ceremonies and rituals were regularly and routinely performed to appease or guard against the plague of demons that threatened human existence. Priests used various spells to exorcise them. There are tales that tell of demons being sealed up inside self-sacrificing humans to keep them from devouring whole villages. So, as you can see, a demon tattoo can be a personal statement but can also be something that is quite scary. |
7 Mar 2009
