Tattoos relating to the wonders of Ancient Egyptian art and its rich mythology and culture are one way in which Egyptian culture is still celebrated today.
Popular motifs include Tutankhamun himself and hieroglyphic signs, such as the ankh and the Eye of Horus.
Egyptian motifs used in tattoos may refer to the wonders of past civilizations and the thrill of archaeological discovery, but they may also echo the Ancient Egyptians’ spiritual concerns with life after death.
Ancient Egyptian Gods and Goddesses Tattoo
Images of some gods and goddesses are popular among tattoo wearers, and there are plenty of striking images to choose from.
Other goddesses that feature in tattoos are Isis and Ma’at. Isis was an extremely important goddess who revived her husband Osiris from the dead and was said to have many other magical powers, linking her to her all-powerful femininity.
Ma’at, a goddess associated with truth, law, morality, order and balance, is often depicted in tattoos with glorious outstretched wings.
Less well known today, but of great importance to the ancients, is the solar disc. The sun was an important figure in Ancient Egyptian religion.
Ra, the sun god and life giver, was depicted with the head of a falcon, with a circular form known as a solar disk above it, sometimes with a snake curled around it.
One of the most celebrated male deities is Anubis, the god of the afterlife, who took souls to the realm of the dead. He was depicted with the head of an African wolf.
The uraeus (plural uraei), the stylized representation of a rearing cobra, is a striking design for a tattoo. It is a mark of royalty that appears on the blue and gold death mask of Tutankhamun (in the forehead area), along with a vulture.
The cobra is the sign of the serpent goddess, Wadjet, who was believed to protect the pharaoh. Uraei were also used as lucky charms, and there is also an uraeus hieroglyph, with various meanings.
Hamsa Tattoo
The hamsa is yet another image that contains an eye, but here on the palm of a hand shape (always the right hand). Found in ancient Mesopotamia, and commonly today in North Africa (especially Tunisia) and the Middle East.
The hamsa is used as an amulet that may be linked to warding off the evil eye, as well as bringing good luck and providing strength and protection.
It is sometimes known as ‘the hand of God’, or of Fatima, or of Miriam (sister of Moses). It is commonly found in jewelery as well as in items of household décor, such as wall hangings.
Some say that depicted facing down it brings blessings and answers prayers, while facing up it counters the evil eye.
Ankh Tattoo
One of the best known images from Ancient Egypt is the ankh, which resembles a Christian cross, but with a teardrop-shaped loop at the top.
The ankh is actually a hieroglyphic sign meaning ‘life’, but it could also symbolize air and water, the essentials for life.
As a tattoo it’s a way of affirming the positive, but is also used by people of African descent around the world to celebrate their origins.
Scarab Beetle Tattoo
Other timeless symbols of Egyptian civilization include the scarab beetle (also known as the dung beetle), which was part of the complex symbolism around life, death and rebirth.
The god Khepri had a scarab head, and was associated with the rising sun. Scarab carvings were carried as lucky charms and incorporated into jewelry. As tattoos they can serve much the same function, to bring good fortune.
Eye of Horus Tattoo
Images relating to the deities of Ancient Egypt also regularly feature in tattoo designs. The Eye of Horus, the falcon-headed sky god, is derived from hieroglyphics. It was – and still is – associated with protection and good luck.
As the name indicates, it depicts the outline of a single eye, with an eyebrow, a curling line that may mimic the markings of a falcon, and a teardrop-like detail. The design echoes the heavy kohl that the Egyptians used as eyeliner.
The Eye of Horus was sometimes painted on the bow of ships, to ensure safe sea journeys. The same design is also sometimes known as the Eye of Ra.
The Eye of Providence or the Eye of God Tattoo
Elements of Ancient Egyptian iconography appear in other cultures too.
The idea of the all-seeing eye appears in the Egyptian ‘Eye of Horus’ and the motif even appears on the Great Seal of America, which features on the back of the one dollar bill, along with a pyramid.
Providence is the idea that God or some other spiritual force provides protection and divine guidance to believers. The all-seeing eye is always watching over people, seeing all threats, but also human misdeeds.
The association of the Eye of Providence with a pyramid may be an acknowledgment of the eye’s origins in ancient Egyptian religious ideas, as well as a symbol of aspiration to achievement and ethical living.
In Christian contexts it took on another meaning. Here the pyramid often appears instead as a simple triangle enclosing the eye. This refers to the Holy Trinity (Father, Son and Holy Spirit).
The eye is also often shown with rays of light emanating from it and radiating downward, representing the divine gaze. Sometimes clouds are also incorporated into the design.
The eye is always a powerful symbol that captures the viewer’s attention; we are perhaps hardwired to look at the eyes when we communicate.
Cleopatra Tattoo
One more famous Ancient Egyptian deserves mention: Cleopatra.
This legendary queen has inspired hundreds of plays, films and novels, with the glamorous Cleopatra ‘look’ popular in the 1930s, and again in the 1960s, after the release of the film starring Elizabeth Taylor.
Tattoos of Cleopatra celebrate power, beauty and feminine mystique.
Hieroglyph Tattoo
Egyptian hieroglyphs of various kinds can make wonderfully eye-catching tattoos. They were of two principal kinds: signs representing a consonant or syllable, and logograms, which stand for a complete word.
The latter may have a literal meaning (such as a circular disc representing the sun) or a metaphorical significance (for example, a bird with a human head that represents the Egyptian concept of the soul).
There are online resources that will allow you to roughly translate a word or name into hieroglyphics to create a unique tattoo.
Egyptian Tattoo Designs
The color palette may be worth considering when you choose an Ancient Egypt-inspired tattoo.
For example, figures were always shown in profile view and the six colors used (red, yellow, blue, green, black and white) were highly symbolic, with very specific meanings:
- Red stood for Life, Power and Wrath.
- Green symbolizes Life and Fertility.
- Blue represented Creation and Rebirth.
- Black evoked Death.
- Yellow was the color of the Pharaohs.
