As a tattoo design, the snake symbolizes power, both natural and supernatural, fertility, regeneration and wisdom. In the West in particular, the snake represents temptation and feminine sexual power. Adam and Eve and the Snake in the Garden of Eden are never too far from the popular consciousness. One of the reasons snakes have been such a popular tattoo design for over a century is their ability to be combined with other tattoo symbols and the ease with which the tattoo artist can use the fluid and dynamic shape and form of the snake to emphasize the aesthetic lines of the human body. Frankly, it doesn't get much sexier than a snake wrapped around an arm or a thigh or draped over a shoulder and around a breast. And for this reason, snakes are popular with both men and women.
We're fascinated with the snake's ability to slough off its skin, a trick that has given rise to its association with rebirth and immortality. In some cultures, the snake is the river guardian, or the snake-spirit living in wells. Among Australian Aboriginals, the giant rainbow serpent is the symbol of creation, and in Africa the rock python is held sacred. The ancient Aztecs had Quetzalcoatl, the plumed serpent, which they worshipped as the 'Master of Life'. In the Old Testament, however, the serpent in the Garden of Eden is vanquished by Yahweh, earning it the reputation as an eternal trouble- maker for man.
See Also:Caduceus tattoos, Asclepius Staff, Cobra tattoos, Rattlesnakes, Zodiac, Aztec tattoos.
