8 Amazing Hieroglyphics Tattoo Ideas For Men And Women
Enthrall with an ancient Egyptian language and lend mysticism and glam to your body art.
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Fans of tribal and indigenous art forms or minimalist aesthetics are in for a treat! Hieroglyphics tattoos promise the raw allure of ancient art, the creative scope of minimalist designs, and the ability to convey astonishing depth through symbolism. Although significant progress has been made in decoding hieroglyphs, a portion of it continues to evade accurate reasoning. It is no surprise that people who want the art on their bodies to stir intrigue and interest enjoy getting a design in a half-decoded language, such as Egyptian hieroglyphs. If you are one of those, let us help you out. Browse through our enthralling collection of hieroglyphics tattoo ideas for your next tattooing session. Read on!
In This Article
Hieroglyphics Tattoos Meaning
Hieroglyphics are one of the earliest scripts of a lost ancient Egyptian language. Therefore, each symbol denotes a sound or letter and can be arranged in several ways to form dynamic messages. While each string of hieroglyphic symbols conveys different meanings, the overall appeal of a hieroglyphics tattoo lies in its connection to the ancient civilization. The fact that it was once a living language that entire populations used to function is truly fascinating, considering how the associated culture is now long gone. Researchers have yet to completely decode the symbols, which makes it a mysterious script with cryptic shapes that lend it a magnetism that is hard to resist. Since most people cannot tell what these symbols are, it allows the wearer to appear like an interesting personality any stranger would want to learn more about. Further, other ancient Egyptian symbols can be tattooed along with hieroglyphs to add to the lore and improve its appearance.
We have compiled a list of various hieroglyphic tattoo designs that involve a simplistic rendition of the script or combinations with other cultural symbols, for tattoo art that is meant to impress. Have a look!
8 Cool Hieroglyphics Tattoo Ideas For Men And Women
The amazing thing about script-style tattoos is that all people, regardless of gender can endorse them; the same is true of hieroglyphs. Let us check out a few glamorous tattoo ideas below.
1. Cartouche Hieroglyphics Tattoo
A cartouche is a piece of historic stone tablet with carved inscriptions, often found during archaeological excavations of ancient sites. Hieroglyphics often appear on such tablets documenting the life and times of the people of ancient Egypt. Hence, if you are looking for an organic hieroglyphic design with some connection to archaeology, or if you wish to present your personal ideology in ink, a cartouche can be a mesmerizing addition. The outline of the cartouche looks better if it has rough lines, giving it a more authentic appearance.
2. Anubis And Hieroglyphics Tattoo
Anubis is the ancient Egyptian God of the dead, depicted as a sleek, black jackal, or as an entity with the head of a jackal and a human body. He is the protector of souls and ruler of the underworld. Therefore, believers of the underworld or life after death may find some comfort in this God’s symbolism. His presence also makes for a meaningful memorial tattoo with hieroglyphic inscriptions that may convey good wishes or prayers. Showing Anubis dressed in royal regalia can also represent the riches the afterworld holds in terms of wisdom and tranquility.
3. Cleopatra And Hieroglyphics Tattoo
Cleopatra was the last active ruler of the Ptolemaic Egyptian dynasty and is an important figure in Egyptian history. While the name is synonymous with eternal beauty, with her being known as a femme fatale, that was the least of her achievements. She was known to have incredible intellect and a powerful influence on political decision-making, which led to her becoming extremely skilled in building strategic alliances. She is said to have fashioned herself into a living goddess, using clever stagecraft to convince her audience of her divinity. She was a well-rounded figure and is hailed by many as an icon of feminism. So, if you wish for a strong woman character at the heart of your hieroglyphic tattoo, you cannot do better than Cleopatra with her heavily lined eyes, sharp facial features, and slick black hair with blunt bangs in the front.
4. Eye Of Horus And Hieroglyphics Tattoo
The Eye of Horus is a sacred ancient Egyptian symbol, depicted as a human or falcon eye with stylized, distinct markings; it is also known as the left wedjat eye. This eye carries deep symbolism. According to myth, Horus’s left eye was gouged out in battle and later reassembled by his mother, only for Horus to sacrifice it again to resurrect his father Osiris. This makes his eye the symbol of sacrifice, resilience, healing, loyalty and protection. Hence, this tattoo can conveniently represent concepts like love for a paternal figure or family, or for signifying the sacrifices you make for loved ones. Or, it can just be adorned as a simple magical talisman protecting against evil.
5. Eye Of Ra And Egyptian Hieroglyphics Tattoo
The Eye of Ra is considered to be the extension of the ancient Egyptian sun God Ra’s enigmatic powers. Also called the right wedjat eye, it is often paired with the Eye of Horus, which was fashioned in its mirror image. Although usually associated with the disk of the sun, the Eye of Ra is also believed to represent an independent Goddess. It is believed to be symbolizing procreation, aggressive protection, manifestation of prayers, and an all-seeing guardian. This tattoo combined with a hieroglyphic prayer/religious text and the names of loved ones can express the wearer’s strong desire to protect all that they hold dear.
6. Minimalist Hieroglyphics Tattoo
Hieroglyphics can very conveniently be designed in minimalist styles, as they are a writing system that can be customized per the aesthetic vision of the wearer. Of course, knowing the basics of the script is a prerequisite to being able to put together a design that is both meaningful and pretty. It could be the name of someone special or a phrase from Egyptian mythology that conveys your attachment, fondness, or interest for the language and what it represents. Fine line minimalist tattoos done with precise and neat lines can look polished but slightly rough lines can impart an organic look. The wrist, back of the hand, upper arm, spine, and shoulder blades are a few placements that work great for such tattoos.
7. Scarab Beetle And Egyptian Hieroglyphics Tattoo
Scarab beetles, commonly known as dung beetles, played an important role in ancient Egyptian funeral rituals. It is believed that these beetles are protectors of departed souls and their guides in the afterlife, showing them the way to their next life. They have often been found as little clay or stone talismans along with the mummified bodies of important people in Egyptian history. A tattoo of this beetle along with a prayer written in hieroglyphics can make for a thoughtful memorial tattoo. The beetle can also be artistically stylized as shown in the image above, as it used to be a type of funerary ornament that can be designed to look pretty to serve aesthetic requirements.
8. Egyptian God Horus And Hieroglyphics Tattoo
Horus is one of the key deities featured in multiple ancient Egyptian documents, worshiped until at least prehistoric Egyptian times. He is either depicted as a falcon in hieroglyphs or as a figure with the head of a falcon and the body of a man in elaborate illustrations. He was revered as the God of leadership, kingship, protection, healing, and the entity of the sun and the sky. To incorporate this God’s symbolism in a hieroglyphic tattoo, you may use the corresponding hieroglyphic symbol as well as an illustrative portrait of a falcon or a half-falcon half-human figure. It can convey the wearer’s will to be a leader and protector of their people who is always looking out for them.
Hieroglyphics tattoos are an aesthetic and clever way to encode deep personal meanings and ideologies into body art, which can be flaunted without directly giving its secrets away. While the unique shapes of hieroglyphs hold unparalleled charm of their own, they can also be paired with other important ancient Egyptian symbols like mythological Gods, historic figures, or sacred cultural objects to amplify their meanings. While these hieroglyphs look best done in black ink, we recommend pairing them with colorful renditions of the accompanying elements, such as with gold and the vibrant ornamentation on royal figures, or a beautifully decorated amulet. Do remember to conduct due research to understand what individual symbols mean to ensure you use the correct ones to best represent you.
