If your looking at the snake tattoo in the picture then your probably thinking to yourself that this is just another snake tattoo. I would have to say that that’s true to an extent but your missing an important distinction in this design. This is a cobra snake tattoo. Cobra’s are like other snakes but is considered to be the most aggressive of them. Cobra very often can symbolize death and destruction because of its poisonous venom. But at the same time it can mean life and rebirth, because cobras, like other snakes, change their skin. In the ancient times cobras and other snakes used to be depicted together with different goddesses – they embodied such women’s characteristics as mysteriousness, intuition and unpredictability. For men a cobra snake tattoo means power and wisdom, but it is also a sign of insidiousness, slyness and darkness. That’s, probably one of the reasons of its popularity: cobra balances between the good and the evil, just like all of us mortals do. But when we’re talking about an evil cobra that is ready to fight – this tattoo can mean the owners strong and defensive character and shows that he or she can and will protect the things that are dear to him or her. One of the variations of cobra tattoo is an angry cobra protecting some objects like eggs or precious stones with some letters engraved.
Snake tattoos are designs that have a number of different meanings to different cultures. In some cultures, the snake is the river guardian, or the snake-spirit living in wells. Among Australian Aboriginals, the giant rainbow serpent is the symbol of creation, and in Africa the rock python is held sacred. The ancient Aztecs had Quetzalcoatl, the plumed serpent, which they worshipped as the ‘Master of Life’. In the Old Testament, however, the serpent in the Garden of Eden is vanquished by Yahweh, earning it the reputation as an eternal trouble- maker for man. One of the most poisonous snakes is also the most sacred, the rattlesnake. For the Native American, the indigenous rattlesnake is a symbol of potency and fertility. With a strike as fast as lightning, it has become associated with rain and the act of entering the earth and bringing forth life. It is regarded as the male symbol of creation. It is also a symbol of death and transformation, since its venom has the power to turn life towards death. The snake tattoo in the picture is a perfect example. And the artist of this snake tattoo has broadened this meaning by designing a snake that is half snake and half skeleton.