Rose is the queen of flowers, so it is not surprising that her image is often applied as a tattoo by both women and men. Often a drawing is placed on the forearm, which indicates strength and stamina. Rose tattoo is very versatile. It has both positive and negative meanings.
Rose in different cultures
The meaning of a rose tattoo depends on many factors. This beautiful flower is described in different ways. Everything depends on the culture. For example, the ancient Egyptians identified it with pure and sublime love, and in Greece it was the emblem of Aphrodite.
In the Ottoman Empire, she was a symbol of unattainable love. According to legend, the nightingale was in love with a rose, but its sharp thorns killed him as soon as he dared to touch. The blood dyed the flower crimson. And the rose has since denoted unhappy and distant love.
In Byzantium, people associated the flower with the transience of life and the kingdom of shadows. Omar Khayyam wrote that a rose grows best on the blood of a king.
Dante made her a symbol of the achievement of spiritual love and completioncycle of suffering.
In Chinese culture, the rose symbolizes prosperity and is especially prized for its fragrance.
Rose tattoo on the forearm: what it says
The main meaning of the tattoo is beauty and love. The person who chooses this image identifies himself with the beautiful and wants to show his inner beauty. A flower devoid of thorns suggests that its owner focuses on external attractiveness. Either he is passionately in love, but the chosen one or chosen one does not reciprocate.
Also, a rose tattoo on the forearm, male or female, has a religious connotation and stands for the blood of Jesus Christ, mercy and resurrection.
It is important to consider how exactly the rose is depicted. The shape, color, presence or absence of spikes can say a lot about the owner of the tattoo.
Here is a short list of rose image options:
- With barbed wire - love that causes pain and mental suffering.
- With a skull or a cross - the loss of a loved one. Such tattoos are often called memorial.
- With a dagger - symbolize strong feelings.
- With watches - love is timeless.
- Two roses are usually stuffed by spouses as a sign of devotion and love.
The color of the rose is also important:
- Red - passion, love, romance.
- Yellow - friendship and joy or jealousy and envy.
- Pink - attractiveness, tenderness, first feeling.
- Orange - charm, enthusiasm, passion.
- White - innocence, youth, mystery.
- Black - darkness, darkness.
Rose for a girl
Women's rose tattoo on the forearm can be seen quite often. Girls choose this pattern to show that they are passionately and irrevocably in love.
The rose also symbolizes inner and outer beauty, as if to say "look but don't touch". Girls often decorate it with thorns, which means: love hurts. The flower also says that a strong feeling is not without sacrifice.
Rose tattoo for men
It is noteworthy that in Persia the rose was a truly masculine symbol. Warriors stuffed them as a sign of devotion to their wives and longing for them in battles. Today, rose tattoos are also applied by many men in honor of their beloved women. If you see a guy with such a tattoo in the crowd, know that his heart is busy, and for a long time.
Also, the image on the forearm symbolizes honesty and fortitude. If the flower is accompanied by sharp thorns, the man has already been burned, and more than once.
Rose in the criminal world
In the Middle Ages, rose tattoos on the forearm were done by those sentenced to death. Today this image is popular among prisoners.
It is noteworthy that in prisons, a rose tattoo on the forearm has the exact opposite meaning. It does not at all mean the craving of the criminal for the beautiful. The image says that the man does not repent of his actions at all and, having been released, he is ready to continue to commit crimes.
