Butterfly Tattoo Design - The Meaning Behind Butterflies Tattoos


Among the female population, it is common to see several different types of butterfly tattoo designs on a part of their bodies mainly located on their back. But what do they mean and why is it chosen so often? Butterflies are a tattoo of choice mainly because they are known for beauty, but they are also associated with positive thoughts. They are very small and delicate insects with an assortment of bright and lively colors decorated on their wings. Butterflies symbolize rebirth, luck or freedom as they fly around freely and gracefully. But more than that, butterflies symbolize additional meanings in certain cultures.

In the Japanese culture, butterflies personify the soul of a person, whether they are living, dying or dead. Butterflies are also a symbol of womanhood, which is represented by one butterfly, whereas two butterflies signify marital status. A second meaning of two butterflies flying in sync is a resemblance of love as seen in many Chinese soap operas in the Chinese culture. During the Aztec period, butterflies symbolized either the souls of dead warriors who died on the battlefield or of women who died during childbirth. Based on their beliefs, the Aztecs saw these two types of death as noble and gracious.

Butterfly tattoos are also represented as a symbol of change. After encountering some form of transformation throughout life, one may opt to get a butterfly tattoo to signify the change. As we all learned in our early years of schooling, a butterfly first started out as a caterpillar. It then grew and evolved into a cocoon and later breaking free and reborn into a beautiful butterfly. People tend to see the metamorphosis of a caterpillar into a butterfly as a powerful image and representation of life. Everyone experiences many transformations within their lifetime, and each time they shed a part of themselves, they hope to be reborn into a "new" and improved person.

But of course, just because there are several different significances behind different butterfly tattoo designs; it does not necessarily mean that people get them only for the meaning. There are people who get butterfly tattoos because of the simplicity and petite designs but also elegant at the same time. In the end, whether you have a personal story behind a butterfly tattoo or not, all that matters is that it is unique to you and will not regret it because a tattoo will stay with you forever.