The Stigma of a Devil Tattoo
Devil tattoos are tattoos of Satan or one of his minions and have come under a lot of fire recently from fundamentalist Christians and Christian groups that do not have a clear understanding of the meaning of the tattoos. Articles are appearing on the web that denounce devil tattoos and make outrageous claims that the devil tattoo is the mark of Satan and you advocate his following by having his image on your body. They are clearly ignorant of the tradition of body art and the decisions made by the body art enthusiast. The devil tattoo can have many ramifications and meanings, but only a small part of the population of tattooed people use them as a symbol of evil or benevolence.
Devil tattoos can be an actual picture of the presumed medieval representation that are represented by a horn beast with a sharp goatee and a forked tail or than can have symbolism that links them to pagan worship of both ancient and modern times. Remember a pagan is not a Satanist, but one who does not participate in Christian service or practice. To many times a pagan symbol such as a devil tattoo or a Celtic tattoo or deemed evil because of the word pagan being confused with Satan.
The true symbol for Satan is the goat head with horns. This is the satanic representation of the dark lord. The accusation that a picture of a being with horns is a direct sign of Satan represented in a devil tattoo is ludicrous. Even Dirt Devil vacuums have a fork tail instead of a power cord. You don’t see the religious condemnation articles coming from churches about a vacuum advertisement. The reason that someone gets a devil tattoo is their own business. It is an expression of their self image or the image that they want to portray to the public. It is their business and should be treated as such.
If a parent has a problem with their child getting a devil tattoo they are protected in most states by laws stating that a child under eighteen cannot get a tattoo or other body art without the permission of the parent. If your child is over eighteen they have reached the age of majority and is legally able to manipulate or decorate their body anyway they choose. If you are the parent of a child that gets a devil tattoo after the age of eighteen, it is best that you deal with it instead of creating a rift in the relationship between you. Ask your child the reasoning behind the tattoo so you can better understand it. Most of the time the answer will be, ‘Because it is cool.’ Enough said. Devil tattoos and tattoos of wizards and dragons are an oddity that any person with an imagination likes and wants to display. If you get a different answer, try to be open minded. Most people did not understand long hair in the sixties and now no one bats an eye. Body art is for all ages, genders, and philosophies and should be embraced as part of our culture.
There are a number of different devil tattoo designs that someone can get. The devil tattoo doesn’t need to look evil to qualify it as a devil tattoo. Most people think that devil tattoos are evil and no one should get them. Just like a celtic tattoo many people believe that only those with a strong cultural tie should have them.