Rose Tattoo Designs

For time immemorial the rose has been a beautiful symbol that has haunted the minds of man.

Its geometric perfection and physical beauty have stirred imaginations entwining the whole of history in the rose symbol. From biblical legends of the rose blushing its deep red from its pure white at the fall of Adam and Eve, to the modern Harley Davidson Motorcycle Companies Rose design men have imbued this design with so much, it makes for the perfect tattoo. It can easily be varied in size and design to suit for a small first tattoo or an large tattoo. The design of such a tattoo can be changed for either sex. In committing ink to skin there is nothing better than a rose design for a memorial tattoo or as a statement of who you are and what you believe.

What can Rose Tattoos mean or symbolise?

Love - 

Love is beautiful and often cruel like the rose that is gentle and attractive scent but has sharp hooked thorns that can easily draw blood.

A rose tattoos are a great way to commemorate love or love lost; and by the simple addition to an existing tattoo that represents love of falling petals or blood on thorns can show the death or pain of that same love.

Womanly strength - 

The Greek and Roman love goddesses Venus and Aphrodite were always affiliated with the rose. It decorated there temples and they were often pictured with them.

The romantic servitude of men is symbolised in the rose as a gift, which began with the god Eros presenting a rose to the god of silence as a symbol of his hearts subjugation. Both the power of the ancient female gods and the subjugation of male dominance of love are powerful symbols for female empowerment.

Secrets -

In ancient Rome a wild rose was placed on the door of rooms where secret meetings occurred to ensure privacy. Such meetings were described as being “sub rosa” beneath the rose. In the modern world where we all have so many secrets this tattoo could be an external symbol of something you have to keep internally or a declaration of secrets left behind.

War / Chivalry -

In European history the rose was a common symbol for knights heraldry. The perfection of the flower in his heraldic symbol was a reflection of the knights chivalry and of his warrior prowess.

Protection -

The Celts used to believe that wild roses protected them from the forces of darkness. (e.g. demons, ghosts and vampires). Wreathes of white wild roses are used in many ancient pagan cultures to protect the purity of a women against evil.

Purity / Sin -

A white/ red rose is a symbol of purity as it was seen as the blushing flower at the fall of man in the Garden of Eden.

Christianity -

Early Christians represented the five petals of the rose with the five wounds of Jesus on the cross. Later the rose was adopted by the church as a symbol for the blood of martyrs of faith.

The Catholic Churches imagery often depicts the Virgin Mary with roses.

Thus the rose tattoo would be a fitting tribute to a Christian faith as a symbol of God’s sacrifice for the sins of man.