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Ouroboros symbol tattoo: images and meaning

There are symbols that cross history and peoples and remain unchanged to this day. One of them is the ouroboros, a very ancient image formed by a snake biting its own tail, thus forming an endless circle.

I Ouroboros Symbol Tattoos they are among the tattoos with a very important esoteric meaning, so it is good to know the symbolism of this design before embarking on an indelible tattoo on the skin.

The meaning of the Ouroboros tattoo

First of all, it is appropriate to ask: what does the word ouroboros mean? The origin of the word is unknown, but it is assumed that it is of Greek origin. Scientist Louis Lasse said that it comes from the word "οὐροβόρος", where "οὐρά" (our) means "tail", and "βορός" (boros) means "devouring, devouring". Another thesis is connected with the alchemical tradition, according to which Ouroboros means "king of snakes", because in Coptic "Ouro" means "king", and in Hebrew "Ob" means "snake".

As we said, The Ouroboros symbol is a snake (or dragon) biting its own tail.forming an endless circle. He seems motionless, but in fact he is in perpetual motion, representing strength, universal energy, life that devour and regenerate themselves. It also represents the cyclical nature of life, the repetition of history, the fact that everything starts all over again after the end. A Ouroboros tattoo symbolizes, in short, eternity, the totality of everything and infinity, the perfect cycle of life and, finally, immortality.

The origin of the Uroboro symbol

Il The Ouroboros symbol is very ancient and its first "appearance" dates back to Ancient Egypt. In fact, an engraving of two Ouroboros was found in the tomb of Pharaoh Tutankhamun, which at the time was a depiction of the serpent god Mehen, the benevolent god who protects the sun boat of the god Ra.

Another very ancient mention of the meaning of Ouroboros goes back to the Gnosticism of the XNUMXth and XNUMXth centuries AD, a very important movement of early Christianity that originated in Alexandria in Egypt. The god of the Gnostics, Abraxas, was half-human and half-animal, often depicted with magical formulas surrounded by the Ouroboros. For them, in fact, Ouroborus was a symbol of the god Aion, the god of time, space and the primordial ocean that separated the upper world from the lower world of darkness. (source Wikipedia).

Un Uroboro symbol tattoo therefore, it should not be taken lightly, because its meaning is rooted in very ancient cultures, peoples and traditions. While in his classic depiction a snake (or dragon) forms a circle by biting its tail, many artistic representations have transformed the Ouroboros into a more complex shape, where two or more snakes wind their spirals, sometimes they create spirals and intertwine. , they bite their tail (not among themselves, but always on their tail).

Similarly tattoo with ouroboros it does not have to be round, it can also have a more articulated weave of spirals. There are many styles to represent this distinctive and ancient design, from minimalistic to tribal or to more realistic, painterly and modern styles such as watercolor or brushstroke style.