Rose Tattoos
The rose tattoo has been a mainstay of Western tattooing for decades now. Not only was it a popular way for sailors in the 40s to honor a wife or girlfriend at home, but it was seen as an image suitable for a woman who wished to get a tattoo. It is as ever present in American tattoos as the peony is in Japanese tattooing.
One of the most important aspects of the rose is the color. Ancient Greeks myths have the rose being white until one day when the goddess Aphrodite pricked herself on the thorns, and her blood drops turned the blossoms red. The Victorians were very much fascinated with flower symbolism, having assigned emotional attributes and qualities to all the color variations. Listed below are some of the color variations you might consider if you wish to wear a rose tattoo.
Red - Passion, true love (esp. a single rose), “I love you”
Yellow - To the Victorians, this meant jealously. In modern times, this color is viewed as expressing friendship or familiar love. Texans might chose this as a reference to the song.
Orange - Excitement and enthusiasm
Blue - The quest for a blue rose still is still the goal of many rose growers. Blue roses are really lavender or dyed white roses. Perhaps this is why it has come to symbolize fantasy, fascination and impossibility.
Purple - Love at first sight, enchantment
White - Innocence, purity, youth.
Pink - Elegance, grace, gentleness.
Black - In nature, these roses are really a deep purple that looks black, and carry connotations of darkness and death in Western culture. Goths might like to have a black rose tattoo.
Red & White - Both sides in England’s War of the Roses had this flower as their emblems (Lancaster - red, York - white), and the mix of both (the Tudor rose) has come to stand for unity, mercy and justice.
Red - Passion, true love (esp. a single rose), “I love you”
Yellow - To the Victorians, this meant jealously. In modern times, this color is viewed as expressing friendship or familiar love. Texans might chose this as a reference to the song.
Orange - Excitement and enthusiasm
Blue - The quest for a blue rose still is still the goal of many rose growers. Blue roses are really lavender or dyed white roses. Perhaps this is why it has come to symbolize fantasy, fascination and impossibility.
Purple - Love at first sight, enchantment
White - Innocence, purity, youth.
Pink - Elegance, grace, gentleness.
Black - In nature, these roses are really a deep purple that looks black, and carry connotations of darkness and death in Western culture. Goths might like to have a black rose tattoo.
Red & White - Both sides in England’s War of the Roses had this flower as their emblems (Lancaster - red, York - white), and the mix of both (the Tudor rose) has come to stand for unity, mercy and justice.
I had a grandpa who was a sailor in the 40's and he had a rose tattoo on his arm. I'm sure there are many others who can relate and when you think about it, it becomes even more sentimental.
posted by @~}~~ at 8:35 AM 
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