Pharaohs haven’t been around for over 2000 years, but that does not mean that their images still don’t hold meaning to some people. As you might expect, the pharaoh tattoo has a bunch of different meanings, so we’re going to go over some of the most common ones here.
The pharaoh is a symbol of royalty from Ancient Egypt and let’s be honest, the image looks really cool. To have this inked on your body can have many meanings and most of the symbolism will be up to the person wearing this tattoo. On the other hand, the pharaoh tattoo has a great deal of meaning and we will get to that.
In this post, we will talk about the history of the pharaoh and what the image represents. We will also go through the symbolism behind the image of the pharaoh and what it means to those who have this tattooed on their body. If you are looking, you will see some different variations of the pharaoh tattoo and we will talk about those variations and if they mean anything different based on how the image is depicted. By the end of this post, we hope you feel more informed about the pharaoh.
About the Pharaoh
To begin, the usage of the word “Pharaoh” wasn’t being used until about 1200 BC. It is the Greek variation of the word ‘pero’ used by the Egyptians. This was a term used for royalty. Before 1200 BC, the leaders of Egypt were known as kings.
To become a pharaoh, you had to train hard. It was no easy feat to be the pharaoh and you started training early in life. There were specific lessons that children had to take on the road to being the leader of Egypt. Much of this training had to do with fighting and physical strength as the pharaoh was often found leading the army in the battle. He had to be able to fight with his soldiers.
They trained to train and ride horses, run long distances and hunt for food. The goal of these young princes was to get the pharaoh to take them under their wing as the co-regent where they would take over the duties of the pharaoh when he died.
As you may have heard, there were often sacrifices and offerings made to the gods in Ancient Egypt. Only the pharaoh was able to make these offerings and to go along with all the physical training the pharaoh participated in, they were also high priests. Only priests and kings were allowed in the buildings where the statues of the gods and the spirits that inhabited them stood.
In contrast with how most countries are run today, the pharaoh had total and absolute power. He was the one deciding the taxes, trade and industry, law and order and any other decision that needed to be made for the country.
As far as their looks, the pharaoh images are always depicted with a beard. However, most men of Ancient Egypt were clean shaven. Because of this, the pharaohs would wear fake beards because it was said the beard brought the pharaohs closer to the gods. They were also depicted as young and handsome when they were actually fat and old in most cases.
Pharaoh Tattoo Meaning
Before we go into the pharaoh tattoo meanings, we should go over why these tattoos continue to be so popular. Some of the most popular Egyptian paintings and other artwork are of the pharaohs. The images are striking, so it’s not surprising that people who want a cool tattoo design decide to get one of the many different variations of the pharaoh tattoo.
Pharaohs were the kings of the land way back when, which is why the most common meaning for the pharaoh tattoo is power. Those who get their pharaoh tattoos to represent power aren’t necessarily saying that they are the most powerful people around. They often get the tattoo to give them the confidence to go after what they want in life. Of course, some people will get the pharaoh tattoo because they are in a position of power.
If someone is of royal descent or wants to be seen as royalty, they might end up getting a pharaoh tattoo to get that message across. Pharaohs were as royal as people came when they were in charge of the Egyptian empire, so don’t be surprised if the person you see with the pharaoh tattoo thinks of themselves as a pretty powerful person.
Pharaohs were out-and-out leaders in their day, so some people will get the pharaoh tattoo to represent leadership. They could get it to show that they are the leaders of their families, leaders in their jobs, or just leaders in general.
Considering that pharaohs were once thought of as “gods on earth,” one of the pharaoh tattoo meanings is just that. Don’t be surprised if the person who owns this tattoo thinks very highly of themselves. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, though, and it shows that the person has a lot of confidence.
Pharaoh Tattoo Placement
This is generally a large tattoo so people who are trying to cover a large portion of their bodies will often look to one of these designs. For example, the King Tut tattoo is one of the most popular pharaoh tattoo designs out there because it is an excellent large tattoo. Most people who get these tattoos want the headdress to have plenty of detail, so they will put it on their backs or wrap it around their arms.
Pharaoh Tattoo Variations
The pharaoh image is very distinct and when you see it, you know what it is. However, there are some ways you can make your pharaoh tattoo look different than others. Below are a couple examples of the ways we’ve seen the pharaoh tattoo. We hope you will be the next person to get a unique pharaoh tattoo.
Pharaoh Skull Tattoo
The pharaoh and the skull seem to go hand in hand when being tattooed. It is said the half skull; half pharaoh image is the Egyptian symbol for death. There are also many movies that depict the image of the pharaoh with mummies and other undead, so this image seems to be fitting.
Pharaoh and Pyramid Tattoo
The pyramids have long been the main symbol of Ancient Egypt and an image that will forever be remembered as one of the wonders of the world. Therefore, it makes sense that the images of Ancient Egypt would go well together. This is especially true for those with Egyptian heritage. These people might want to use numerous images from the Egyptian lore to show their pride for their roots.
Pharaoh tattoos continue to be some of the best tattoo designs around, so sometimes people will get them for that reason alone. Considering that there are plenty of great meanings that can come with the pharaoh tattoo, chances are the owners will be able to find one that works for them. It’s just one of those tattoos that is universally understood to be cool and there are plenty of ways to make the tattoo unique.
In many cases, you will the see the pharaoh tattoo in a realism style so when you go to your tattoo artist, make sure they are able to work in the style you prefer. The research stage is the most important part about getting a tattoo because you want to feel comfortable with that person.