The Butterfly: Grace, Beauty, Historical Symbolism
Without question, one of the most popular and sexy tattoo design choices for women is the colorful butterfly. And the symbolic butterfly continues to gain in popularity revealing a dominate feminine influence throughout tattoo culture.
There is a worldwide agreement, generally speaking, that colorful butterflies represent the feminine mysteries of life. Because of the butterfly's relatively short life span, many ancient cultures saw it as symbolizing the impermanence of mankind and his time on earth.
Some cultures attribute the butterflies flitting from flower to flower as representing the human soul, constantly seeking satisfaction of body, mind, and spirit.
Greek Mythology And The Goddess Psyche
In Greek mythology, the beautiful Psyche was the personification of the soul and the Goddess of Beauty. Psyche, in all her beauty, was represented in art, paintings, and sculpture with butterfly wings. She was said to have a free airborne soul, and represented in art with beautiful butterfly wings.
A romantic and lovely feeling among both ancient and present day Greeks is the belief that a human soul comes to life every time a butterfly emerges from its cocoon. Yes, the colorful butterfly is seen as a symbol of transformation, re-birth, and flight.
A Belief That Butterflies Carry The Souls Of The Living And The Dead
Even today, many native cultures believe that butterflies carry souls from heaven to earth. Butterflies, in many cultures, are still believed to be the souls of the departed.
In some south American cultures, there are butterfly goddesses still regarded as symbols of beauty, love, and the spirits of the dead and departed.
Some of the Butterfly deities in ancient Mexico were looked upon as goddesses of war, human sacrifice, and symbols of feminine mother earth.
Not Just For The Ladies Though
It must be pointed out that the butterfly isn't the sole domain of the feminine. The Roman Emperor, Augustus, chose it as his personal symbol. Some male warrior priests of Mexico and south America wore the butterfly symbol on their armour plates.
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