Understanding the Dove Tattoo

The dove has taken on a significantly unique symbolism over the centuries and much of it has to do with the presence of the dove in the Old Testament. In the bible, when Noah and his ark had been adrift on the endless sea it was a dove that delivered a branch to Noah showing him that land was very close. As such, the dove has become a universal symbol of hope and, later, a symbol of peace. This imagery has been embedded in the minds of people for many hundreds of years and this is why the image of the dove has been often tapped to express certain sentiments associated with peace and calm.

In today's modern age, tattoos are often employed as a means of expressing popular opinion and sentiment and it is no surprise that the dove tattoo has been utilized often as a statement. To a certain degree, this changes many of the common stereotypes that are often associated with body art. No, this does not mean that the introduction of the dove tattoo will changed the stereotyped opinions of all those who have made up their (closed) mind as to the positives and negatives of body art, it can somewhat change the dimension of what was previously considered the purpose of body art.

Stereotypes of Body Art and the Relation to the Dove Tattoo

The traditional stereotype about body art and tattoos is that it is a symbol of anti-social behavior and a means of separating oneself from the rest of society. While some of this may be true in certain segments of the origin of body art, it is not even close to being true of the entirety of the reasoning for body art. (The mere presence of a dove tattoo would indicate the opposite of anti-social behavior unless, of course, it was being employed for ironic purposes) Of course, the great expansion of the popularity of tattoos has allowed for a "big tent" encompassment of a great variety of individuals and this allows for many different personalities to have their say, so to speak, in regards to the statement that they wish to make. Hence there is the benign inclusion of symbolism along the lines of the dove tattoo.

To make blanket statements about anything is ignorant and foolish, but when people feel they have what is commonly called the moral high ground they may feel more emboldened to make such statements. Hopefully, the benign symbolism of the dove tattoo could change certain opinions on the subject.

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