Daffodil Tattoo Meaning, Design & Ideas

When talking about getting a floral tattoo, there are a plethora of different directions that you can take. Flowers are plentiful and colorful. All flowers will hold their own meaning that is specific to their name. Symbolism is plentiful when it comes to flower tattoos and the daffodil is no different.

Even within the different ways the daffodil might be depicted, there may be different meanings. The genus of the daffodil is called Narcissus and has common names like the daffodil, jonquil, daffadowndilly and narcissus. Originally, daffodils were white and yellow.

Through specific breeding and emasculation, daffodils have taken on different colors. Today you might see orange, red, pink and green daffodils which makes this plant a favorite for flower and tattoo enthusiasts.

In this article, we plan to explain the meaning behind the daffodil tattoo. In addition, we will talk about the different ways you may see this flower depicted in a tattoo and what it might mean to that person.

Daffodil Tattoo Symbolism

The daffodil holds specific symbolism depending on what culture we are talking about. This flower can symbolize life or death. In some cultures, you’re looking at symbolism that represents good luck and in others, specifically in Europe, the daffodil might represent prosperity and wealth if you saw the first bloom of the year.

In addition to some of the above examples, the daffodil is the national flower of Wales and it is associated with St. David’s Day. In other cultures, it is a sign of spring and renewal because of the time it blooms. This also makes the daffodil a representation of spring celebrations like Easter. Easter is not the only celebration the daffodil is associated with but probably the most notable.

This flower has historically been written about and used in visual arts. It’s even been known to be found in the graves of Egyptians in ancient times. The daffodil or narcissus is associated with the myth of the youth who was turned into a flower. This was represented in classic Graeco-Roman writing.

In this story, the boy was taken to the underworld with the Goddess Persephone who was picking them. Daffodils are said to grow in the underworld so in this case, the daffodil tattoo would be a symbol of death.

To add to the stories of daffodils in Greek culture, the Greek writer, Homer, mentioned them in his Odyssey. Homer described Elysian meadows in the underworld as being covered in flowers. Many think he was referring to daffodils as they were used in many other Greek stories as being the flower of the underworld.

On the other hand, daffodil is one of the most celebrated and popular flowers in Western Europe. They are rampant in English literature including being in one of the most well know works called Wordsworth. Even the word Daffodil has been used in pop culture being used to describe a Swedish Rock band, and Dutch cars and is the fundraising symbol for many cancer charities.

Because of the natural yellow tones of the daffodil, it has been representative of the sun. In this sense, the daffodil shares many of the same traits as the sun. They both represent vitality, radiance, energy and life. In the same way, the daffodil tattoo can represent these characteristics.

In this way, the daffodil tattoo can represent anything bright in someone’s life. This includes family, friends and or your passion. In addition to the daffodil representing the bright things in your life, the color of the daffodil tattoo can change as does the symbolism of the person wearing the tattoo.

The daffodil is such an interesting plant for its widespread range of meaning and symbolism. Even though this plant is prized, it might also be considered unlucky in some cultures. The reason we say this is because the head of the daffodil hangs low as to imply some sort of misfortune.

Because of this, some people choose to not have the daffodil in their vicinity. This includes gardens or homes. Because of their association with death in some cultures, these are considered grave flowers and this has a lot to do with their symbolism in Greek culture.

Daffodil Tattoo Depictions

In most cases, when you see a daffodil tattoo, you will see it in the form of a yellow flower. Most people in Western culture associate the daffodil with positive connotations. Therefore, you might see a bird with flowers or an animal grazing in a field with daffodils present in the area.

Daffodil tattoos make great candidates for being inked in a watercolor fashion. Especially if they are mixed with a bouquet of flowers. The different colors tend to be eye-catching when in a watercolor form. Colors drip down into the next flower with bright colors popping and bringing a bit of light to any situation.

When researching daffodil tattoos, we’ve also seen grave site scenes or evil depictions with daffodils in the background which ties in with Greek symbolism.

We want to stress that no matter what way you choose to have daffodils tattooed on your body, you should do the research to make sure this is the choice you want to go with. Tattoos long-lasting and really expensive and painful to have removed so make sure you are making an informed decision when getting your new tattoo.

We hope that by reading this article you have a better understanding of the daffodil and what it means in different cultures. We have also created a list of examples of daffodil tattoos for you to look through to help you decide on a design or at least get a few good ideas to roll with when you walk into that tattoo shop.

If you are having trouble deciding on an artist or shop to get your tattoo in, let the team at Tattoo SEO know. We have years of experience in matching customers to tattoo shops and artists. We want to make sure we find you an artist that will make your vision come to life. Happy hunting!

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