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Tattoo designs - S >> Scarab

Scarab Tattoo Designs - Evolutionary biologist J.B.S. Haldane was one of the pre-eminent scholars in the field of evolutionary genetics and the mathematical formulas inherent in genetic mutations through multiple generations. When a Clergyman asked Haldane what could be inferred about the mind of the Creator from the works of Creation, Haldane famously replied, "He seems to have an inordinate fondness for beetles". Over forty percent of all described insect species are beetles - numbering some 350,000 species. Estimates put the total number of species, described and un-described, at between 5 and 8 million. The number of beetle species is more than six times the number of all vertebrate species combined.

According to the Greeks, Athena was the patron goddess of weaving. A young village woman, Arachne, was such a skilled weaver that others remarked that she must have been trained by Athena herself. Arachne laughed and said she had been taught by no one. An angry Athena challenged Arachne to a weaving contest, and when Arachne chose as the affairs between Gods and mortals as the subject for her tapestry, an enraged Athena torn it to shreds. The terrified Arachne hung herself to escape Athen's wrath. But Athena turned Arachne into a spider as a punishment for her vanity. And ever since, members of the spider family are called arachnids. Scorpions are also members of the family Arachnida.

Other very popular insect tattoo designs are spiders, scorpions (related to spiders), dragonflies, AND ladybugs! Eureka, we finally have a beetle!

The Scarab Beetle is a dung beetle, which rolls balls of animal dung along the ground. These balls are rolled into holes that the beetles dig in the ground. The beetle then deposits its larvae in the dung ball which - when hatched, feed upon the dung. According to Egyptian mythology, the dung beetle rolling his ball of dung along the ground was thought to mimic the Sun's heavenly circuit across the sky during the day and its daily self-renewal. It was believed that a sacred symbolic Scarab carrying a Solar disk on its back, represented the Sun's cycle through the sky.

Scarabs were also symbolic of resurrection. This too was directly linked with the rising of the Sun. In fact, since the scarab was spiritually connected with the Sun-rise, it became closely associated with the Egyptian deity Khepri "god of the rising Sun." In every aspect, scarabs and Egyptian Solar worship were inseparable.

During the time of the Egyptians, stone-carved scarabs were used as magical amulets and protective talismans to aide its wearer with the power of "eternal renewal of life." Scarabs were also employed as talismans and royal seals. The winged scarab was used in Egyptian funeral rites. When the long linen strips covering mummies have been unwrapped, many small charms and amulets have been uncovered. Foremost among them have been sacred Scarab beetles.

As tattoo designs, Scarab Beetles are symbols of the cycle and power of the sun, of resurrection and the after-life. They are lucky amulets for protection and will help guide one successfully into the afterlife. Scarab Beetles are often shown with falcons wings, and these special Scarabs ensured that an individual would be able to persuade Osiris to let them into the Afterlife regardless of what they might have done that was less than virtuous in life. So a Scarab Beetle tattoo is like a "Get Out of Jail Free" card when it comes to the hereafter!

Get inspired by some really great images and photos in our Scarab Inspiration Gallery

See also: Insect Tattoo Index, Egyptian Tattoos

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Tattoo designs - S >> Scarab

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