Any Celtic tribesman or woman that was struck by lightning was considered to be literally “touched by the Gods”, whether they survived.Īll of these cultures gave birth to lightning’s positive attributes. As such, these places became centers of worship, ritual, and ceremony. Places where lightning has struck were considered by the Celts as a sacred place. According to the Ancient Hopi tribe, the holy Thunderbird shoots out lightning from its eyes, striking down the cruel, the untruthful, and the immoral.įor the Celts, lightning was the manifestation of the spiritual and the divine. This idea of lightning representing fertility is shared by the Chinese, while the Native tribes of America saw it as a symbol of the Thunderbird, a mythical creature that embodied truth, honesty, and morality. As mankind shifted from a hunter-gatherer society into an agrarian one, the importance of a land’s fertility became a question of life and death itself. But one of the most important meanings behind the lightning bolt was fertility: lightning often preceded rain showers, which made the crops grow and kept the earth fertile and healthy.Īs the harbinger of rain, -and thus, the harbinger of life itself -the lightning bolt is an important and positive symbol for renewal, hope, and the power of creation itself. Because it was Zeus who wielded it, lightning bolts also symbolized strength, enlightenment, intelligence, and intuition. The unpredictability of lightning bolts, when they would appear and where they would strike, symbolized the fickleness of Man and the unpredictability of events. Not only were lightning bolts Zeus’ weapon of choice, it was also a symbol of his power over both Man and Gods.īeyond power, however, the Greeks also saw a philosophical meaning behind the lightning bolt. Zeus, King of the Gods, has always been associated with lightning, portrayed in countless stories, murals, and paintings wielding powerful bolts of lightning and hurling them toward the enemies of the Titans. Perhaps the most famous association with lightning bolts is the Greek Gods. And it’s always best to be informed about the nuances of your lightning bolt tattoo before permanently placing it on your skin. Lightning bolt tattoos, indeed, lightning bolts in general, can mean several things to several people and cultures. The “SS” represents the Schutzstaffel of Nazi Germany, and has become a distinct symbol of white supremacists and neo Nazis. The “SS,” for instance, has been associated with lightning bolts because its flat body and pointy ends resemble the natural electric discharge. Not all lightning bolt tattoos are created equal, and they may even symbolize inequality, racism and fascism. And exactly like other tattoos on an artist’s flash sheet, this imagery doesn’t stand for one thing. Similar to a thunderbolt (but not the same), lightning represents a split-second moment. Tattoos with this design are often chosen because of their symbolic meaning: lightning bolts, after all, are heralds of a storm, and were the symbol of the Gods of old.ĭone correctly, a lightning bolt can mean power, swiftness and decisiveness.
One of the most popular, albeit a little problematic if done a certain way, designs for tattoos are lightning bolts. So when it comes to choosing your tattoo design, you need to be careful by considering: Although there are ways to remove a tattoo, it’s not always successful and, frankly, can look ugly if not done properly.
Getting a tattoo is a commitment you make for life, literally. And for as long as mankind started inking their bodies, the lightning bolt has almost-always found a place on our skin. We have always been fascinated with lightning, and why shouldn’t we: it turns night into day and it’s always succeeded by either fire or thunder.
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