The goat is a polarizing animal. The reason I say this is because it can represent all aspects of good and evil. The goat is used in many satanic symbols but is also a sign of life and strength in other cultures. In this post, I’m going to review some of the symbolism behind the goat and the different ways people get the goat tattoo.
Of all animals, the goat was the first to be domesticated by man. The reason for this is because they are a resourceful animal. They are used for their meat and milk and in some cultures, they are sacred. Goats have a big role in the growth of human civilization. Because this animal has had such an impact on humanity, there are a lot of myths and legends surrounding this animal.
In Norse legends, Thor was pulled across the sky in a chariot pulled by goats. Every night Thor would eat these goats and they would reincarnate every morning and go back to pulling Thor’s chariot.
In another case, the Greek god of Wilderness was said to be have man, half goat. Otherwise known as Pan, he would chase nymphs around all day in a lustful manner. The story behind Pan might be one of the reasons the goat is associated with virility and fertility. Other than Pan, there are many creatures that are part goat when discussing Greek mythology. Given this information, we can see how the goat tattoo can be representative of lust and reproduction.
As time progressed, the goat became associated with the occult. This is why you will see many goat tattoos with satanic and occult symbols behind them. Another one of our posts goes over the history of the pagan god Baphomet.
This was the half-goat god the Templars Knights were accused of worshiping. In the end, whether they did or not, they will always be remembered for being part of the rise of the Baphomet legend. Therefore, we have a great deal of goat tattoos sitting on top of pentagrams or having third eyes.
In ancient Judaism, the scapegoat was a symbol of taking away the sins of the people. On the day of Yom Kippur, a bull would be sacrificed by the Cohen Gadol. This was done so the Cohen Gadol could atone for the sins he may have committed by mistake throughout the year. The next step of this process was when the Cohen Gadol would bring two goats to the Tabernacle.
One would be chosen to be sacrificed and the other would be the ‘scapegoat’ which was sent away to the wilderness carrying all the sins of the people. This is where the term came from and tells us that some people get the goat tattoo with Jewish symbolism.
Some people get the goat tattoo as a symbol of advancement and ambition. The reason behind this is that goats love to climb and specifically, mountain goats love it. These goats live in the heights that normally people like you and I couldn’t survive. Because of their climbing, it’s no surprise that someone might get the goat tattoo with this representation in mind.
Another reason someone might get a goat tattoo is to represent their curiosity in life. Goats are notoriously known for being curious. If you have watched any YouTube videos or seen any goat memes, they are always chewing on something. They are testing it to see if what they are chewing on could be food. They’ll walk up to strangers. Their fun-loving spirit is one reason why people love getting the goat tattoo.
Different Styles of Goat Tattoos
As you might guess from what you’ve read, there are many ways the goat can be tattooed on the body. Because of the different representations the goat has, this tattoo can be all over the place in terms of looks.
New School Goat Tattoo
This is just a fun style of tattoo for any image. Depending on what images are with the goat will determine the meaning behind the tattoo. This style of tattoo is a cartoonish style that adds a great deal of fun to any tattoo. This method of tattooing will make the most evil image look non-threatening.
Third Eye Goat Tattoo
The goat tattoo with the third eye is generally a tattoo with symbolism from the occult. This goat represents the pagan God Baphomet. As we discussed above, this symbol has satanic meanings and you might see someone with this tattoo if they have an interest in the dark arts.
Cubs Billy Goat Tattoo
One of the more entertaining ways to get this tattoo is with the affiliation to the Chicago Cubs of major league baseball. The legend says that William Sianis brought his pet goat to Game 4 of the 1945 World Series. Fans were getting upset with the smell of William’s goat which led to him being kicked out of the game.
Sianis declared the Cubs would never win again. For over 100 years, the Chicago Cubs went on a World Series championship drought. This was finally broken in 2016 when the Cubs won the World Series, but you would see many people with goat tattoos in tribute to this story. They may have even thought it might break the curse.
Goat Skull Tattoo
The goat skull tattoo has an obvious connection to the mortality of humans and death. Sometimes confused with the ram skull tattoo, the goat skull tattoo represents courage in the face of death while the ram skull tattoo represents fearlessness in the face of danger.
However you interpret the goat tattoo, it will certainly have meaning for the person with the tattoo. What we do know is that the goat tattoo is extremely popular, and we come to this conclusion because of the history of the goat. This animal is a symbol of many different traits depending on who you ask.
We hope you take something out of this post and feel like you understand the goat tattoo a little bit more. If you have any questions, please reach out.