The peacock is one of the most fascinating animals on the planet. Its looks alone make you want to study this animal. Something this colorful is sure to have a great deal of symbolism surrounding its image. Between the feathers and the bird, itself, the peacock is truly a unique bird.
When thinking of getting a tattoo of an animal that represents the kind of characteristics you think you possess, there is a lot to choose from. The peacock is one of those animals that seems to be popular in terms of finding a “spirit animal” or a tattoo that represents who you are.
In this post, we are going to talk about the peacock and the characteristics of this lovely bird that make it such a popular topic for being tattooed. Anything this colorful is bound to be the topic of a lot of conversation and in this case, it happens to be the topic of a lot of tattoos. We will also discuss some of the different variations of the peacock tattoo and talk about what makes them unique in themselves. By the end of this post, we hope you have enough information about the peacock tattoo to help you decide if you will get your own.
Peacock Tattoo Meaning
Peacocks are one of the most color and eye-catching avian choices for a tattoo. This vibrant creature depicts beauty and grace as well as love and virility. Native to Asia and Africa, the peacock and less colorful peahen are recurrent in Asian and African culture and mythology.
The vivid plumage of the male is infamous for its attractiveness, and its method for securing a mate in the wild. The peacock uses his teal, green, and violet feathers to tell potential lovers that he is the strongest and most valuable partner available. In these relationships, it is the duty of the male to secure a mate, leaving the power in the metaphorical hands of the female.
In ancient folklore, the peacock was a symbol of integrity and in Hinduism, the wearer of such a tattoo should be considered benevolent and respective of humane values. The peacock is India’s national bird and a representation of immortality and the gods because of its “thousand eyes displayed in its brilliant feathers. The supreme god Krishna wears the feathers of the peacock to emphasize his greatness and only the feathers may be chosen for a tattoo design.
Although the birds have been associated with vanity because of their incredible beauty, the peacock is often depicted as a source of transportation for a variety of Eastern deities. The bird can be included in tattoo designs featuring any of the gods and goddesses of the Hindu canon but because they are a large, well-detailed bird they are often designed on their own.
Ancient Greeks, Romans and Egyptians considered the “eye” design on the plumage of the peacock to represent an ‘evil eye’, or an all-seeing witness to one’s transgressions. In this way, the peacock becomes a symbol of watchfulness and observance. Many cultures revered the peacock’s feathers because of its resemblance to a motif of large and brightly colored eyes.
People often choose the peacock because of this resemblance and have the bird’s feathers spread out in a wide display. In Buddhism, they view the peacock as a symbol of expansive consciousness and akin to the goddess Kuan-Yin. To Buddhists the “eyes” are not considered evil, but symbolic of the Watcher, which is the omniscient essence of one’s soul.
In Christianity, the peacock is viewed as a symbol of resurrection and corruption. Wearers of this tattoo can be considered spiritual and devoted to God. To create a design that can be likened to Christianity, the peacock may be rendered like stained glass which also lends the piece a geometric style. The vivid colors are well displayed in this style, although they may appear softer or slightly transparent to achieve a stained-glass appearance.
The peacock may also be designed like an illumination featured in old religious manuscripts. The bird appears like an illustration with embellishments of gold to emphasize the other hues.
The bright, bold colors of the feathers of a peacock represent a fresh mind and light heart. It is a good choice for someone who is at peace with their soul. This tattoo choice is a symbol of positivity and can often be associated with hope, belief and optimism. Some also believe that the peacock is a symbol of royalty and glory. They associate it with nobility, guidance and protection.
The peacock is known to have many meanings in addition to those listed above, such as; luxury, desire, vitality, sexuality, desire, longevity, compassion, generosity and sensuality. The intense color palette that adorns the peacock is almost always showcased in peacock tattoo designs. While many designs utilize a realistic color scheme to render the bird as found in nature, other designs choose a variance on that scheme.
Purples and violets may be more prominent or blues and teals, or even shades of orange may be mainly featured. A muted peacock with very short tailfeathers and just a hint of jade around the neck will signify a female bird. She is not concerned with attraction but rather with making the right choice.
Very rarely found is the white peacock. The feathers are long and grand but completely white, ivory, or slightly off-white. Indigenous to India, the white peacock is a symbol of purity and regality, a representation of the Holiness of the gods and goddesses. The white peacock exists because of selective breeding. Sometimes, a peacock in captivity will grow all white feathers and this process is called leucism. The reason this happens is that it is a genetic mutation that will cause the loss of color in all the feathers. Some might think the peacock is albino but if you look at their eyes, they will keep the same eye color.
Peacock Tattoo Variations
There are plenty of tattoo variations for the peacock as it spans many cultures with some different meaning. This had led to many versions of the peacock tattoo hitting the internet so we figured we would share some of our favorite ones. While we know there are many more variations of the peacock tattoo out there, we thought these could help jump-start your creative juices so you can think of your own peacock tattoo.
Peacock Feather Tattoo
The peacock feather tattoo isn’t uncommon for those who want to get the same idea across without taking up all the space that a peacock tattoo could take up. There are a couple of stories as to what the peacock feather means. The first says that Kuan Yin who is supposed to be the creator of the colorful patterns on the peacock’s feathers. The legend says that Yin was given the chance to be immortal but she stayed on earth to help humans evolve.
\She taught others to live together and be kind. At the point she decided to go to heaven, she wanted to find a replacement for her on earth so she called down a bird with dull brown feathers and turned them into the kaleidoscope of colors that we know as the peacock feather. The feather is said to symbolize Kuan Yin watching over us with a compassionate eye.
Asian Peacock Tattoo
The Chinese believed that a woman would be blessed with a child if a peacock were to glance at her. Due to this belief, a tattoo depicting this bird is known to bring good luck and fortune to a pregnant woman and has become a symbol of fertility. The peacock is an attentive and protective parent and so is often used to symbolize parenthood and may be depicted with a nest and eggs. The peacock and the less colorful peahen can be designed together to highlight the relationship between mates and parents.
Peacock Feathers into Flowers Tattoo
The peacock is sometimes shown as having the tail and feathers spread long and far and eventually turning into flowers. Depending on the flower chosen for the tattoo will tell much more about the story than just guessing but combined with the meaning of the peacock, the flowers will only add meaning to the tattoo.
Facts about Peacocks
With their giant tail and bright, vibrant colors, the peacock has fascinated onlookers for years and we are still learning about the secrets of the peacock. An example of this is that when the male spreads its feathers to impress the female, he rattles them and it emits a low-frequency sound that humans can’t hear. Depending on the distance of the female and who they are trying to attract, the male will shake different parts of his feathers to make different sounds.
When we talk about peacocks, the males are the only ones that are referred to as “peacocks.” Females are called “peahens” and the babies are named “peachicks.” When they all get together, they are called a “bevy.” You might also hear a group of these birds called a “muster”, a “party” or even an “ostentation.”
Contrary to belief, the peacock isn’t born with the colorful feathers that you picture when thinking of a peacock. At around the age of three, the males will start growing their beautiful trains. At around six months old, the male peacock will start to change colors but until that point, it is almost impossible to tell the difference between the males and the females.
Another fun fact that people might not realize is that the peacock can fly if it has to. Despite the train reaching up to around six feet long at times, they can still fly. You, along with many, might think the strange proportions might make you think they wouldn’t be able to fly but this isn’t true, they just can’t do it for a very long time.
If you are looking to get your own peacock tattoo, make sure you find an artist who will complete the tattoo in the style you are looking for. Fortunately, you can find an artist’s portfolio online in most cases so you don’t have to go into the shop to find out what kind of work they do. Once you find an artist that you think you could work with, give them a call and set up a consultation.
This is a very important step because you want to make sure you feel comfortable with them. Getting a tattoo can be an intimate process so having someone you are comfortable with is really important.