The swallow came to ships as they neared land, and has been used to mark 5,000+ hours spent at sea. Sparrows represent love and joy, while a swallow bird tattoo is one of the key nautical tattoo designs. It was thought to be bad luck if a sparrow flew into your house, while if you caught a house sparrow you had to kill it, otherwise it foreshadowed the death of your parents.ģ.
One of the few negative associations the sparrow possesses through history came from England during the Middle Ages.
If a sparrow breeds in the home of a Chinese family, the people of the house won’t bother the bird because it has brought good luck to the household. Within Chinese culture, a sparrow is a symbol of happiness and spring. She rose from the sea foam after Uranus’ genitals were cut off by Cronus and thrown into the sea. In Greek mythology, the sparrow is a symbol of Aphrodite, the goddess of love, sex, and beauty. The house sparrow was also an important hieroglyph used to represent the words “small,” “narrow,” or “bad.” The sparrow – a highly visible bird with large numbers – was tasked with catching the souls of the recently deceased and carrying them to heaven for judgment by Ma’at. Sparrow Symbolism Through HistoryĪccording to the ancient Egyptians, sparrows played an important role in a soul’s transition to the afterlife. While they do get mistaken with the similar swallow tattoo, the following article will outline the tremendous versatility of a sparrow piece, so when you visit your tattoo artist you can bring the bird to life in a way that most complements your idea. Their size can serve as a poignant reminder to value the small things in life and make for cute sparrow tattoo design ideas. Sparrows may be tiny, but their symbolic meaning and aesthetic impact are large. The bird is also linked to the idea of freedom and protection, which also makes it a prison tattoo choice for those inmates who have achieved or still dream of it. The sparrow has a long history of symbolic cultural and tattoo interpretation, with its small size and bright nature providing a good luck element to body art concepts and ideas. A sparrow tattoo is a sentimental design choice linked with happiness, joy, and peace that can be displayed in a wide range of application styles.