There are plenty of sayings or verses that people have enjoyed over the years. These could be song lyrics, poems or even movie quotes. We grow up with these phrases that stick with us.
Some of these ideas have touched us in some way and there isn’t always a great way to keep that feeling with you. Yes, we could hear a song or watch the movie again but in terms of having an everyday reminder of how the phrase impacted you, there aren’t many better ways to do this outside of getting it tattooed on your body as a reminder.
There are many memorable quotes or ideas inside movies and in this case, we are talking about a phrase/song that touched most people that heard it. This comes from the movie The Lion King. Yes, we’re talking about Mufasa, Simba and the other talking animals. All that being said, the song and phrase “Hakuna Matata” was one that became a pop culture phrase that everyone used for a while. You might even hear it today because the idea was so powerful.
Hakuna Matata tattoos are on the rise? Why? Because people love the simple yet powerful meaning that those words have. On top of that, there are multiple designs to choose from and it is the type of tattoo that can be any size and can go anywhere on your body. If you’re interested in getting a hakuna matata tattoo, this page will teach you all you need to know about the words, their meaning, and the different designs you can get.
Hakuna Matata Meaning
Made infinitely popular by the Disney film, The Lion King, the phrase “hakuna matata” is a phrase in Swahili, a language of the southeastern African people. It is commonly translated to “no worries” although “there are no problems” is also an appropriate translation, depending on the use of the phrase.
It is a phrase that was used and popularized by African musicians before the release of The Lion King, but it gained more popularity after the movie’s release. In fact, the song itself rose up the charts despite that really fitting into any of the popular genres that fill them. Kids and adults have been saying or singing the hakuna matata phrase ever since because the meaning is right there in the song and it often makes sense to say the words.
Hakuna Matata Tattoo Variations
Hakuna Matata designs are usually rendered quite simply, with a clearly legible font and little imagery surrounding it. This fits well with the meaning behind the words since it is a very simple phrase that hits hard and holds a lot of meaning to many people. This is usually not the type of tattoo that people want to be flashy. Instead, they want it to be personal and motivational.
Below are a few examples of the way that people have had this phrase tattooed on their body. Of course, this isn’t to say that this is all that is out there but it should give you some good examples to take into the tattoo shop you are thinking about getting work in.
Small Symbols with Hakuna Matata Tattoo
Small symbols are sometimes added to introduce a stylistic element to the design such as stars, hearts, birds, or simple dots, often graduating in size. While these symbols don’t usually add anything to the hakuna matata tattoo meaning, they might add additional meaning for the owner.
For example, someone who decided to add in birds might use a meaning attached to those birds on top of the hakuna matata tattoo. Of course, the owner might just like the look of those extra stylistic elements and they think the overall appearance of the hakuna matata tattoo is made better by them.
The Hakuna Matata Symbol
A hakuna matata symbol, resembling an embellished treble clef and infinity symbol, is sometimes used with or without the phrase added, although the origins of this symbol are unclear. Many have assumed that it is a Swahili symbol for the words, but it seems to have come directly from the movie. It is a unique symbol, regardless, which is why you know exactly what you’re looking at when someone has this type of Hakuna Matata tattoo.
Lion King Images Tattoo
Images from The Lion King movie, most often taken from the scenes that involve the hakuna matata song, are frequently involved in the design. The characters Timon, Pumba, and Simba can be introduced in any way, although their silhouettes, walking together in a line, are typically used as they draw directly from the film. It’s also not uncommon for people to pick their favorite character that they connect the most with to make their hakuna matata tattoo a bit more personal.
A slightly less popular hakuna matata tattoo is one where Simba’s body is made from words. The upper body is usually made up of the letters in “Hakuna” while the lower body and legs are made from “matata.” These tattoos are usually black and grey, but they can be made in color if done by a very talented tattoo artist.
Sunset with Hakuna Matata Tattoo
A sunset palate is generally incorporated as well. Rafiki’s hand-drawn image of Simba as a lion cub is another often-seen symbol of the film. This is yet another simple design that holds a lot of meaning to people. Sometimes it is just the outline of Simba, while other times the orange, yellow, and black sunset colors are used both inside and outside of his body.
Infinity Symbol Hakuna Matata Tattoo
The phrase integrates well into the infinity symbol, becoming part of the figure eight and representing a serenity that is carried through one’s entire life. The two words can be split and introduced into two infinity symbols, or any other symbols or images, and placed on the wrists, ankles or another spot that resembles duality. In this way, it can be used as a friendship tattoo shared by two people.
This is also another way that people can incorporate other images into their hakuna matata tattoos. For example, the words can be the central part of the infinity symbol, and then birds make up the rest of it.
Script Tattoo
The most obvious way to get this phrase tattooed on your body is to just spell the two words out in a font that you enjoy. However, one popular font to have this tattooed in is called Waltograph. This is the font that is used to spell out “Disney” before every movie. You know the style when you see it and it will bring back those fond memories of Disney movies that preceded the Lion King.
Ambigram Hakuna Matata Tattoo
The two words of the phrase can also be designed into an ambigram where “Hakuna” is read one way and “Matata” is read the other. The letters have to be drawn in a certain way to make them work as two, which looks great when done correctly.
Hakuna Matata Origins in Movie
If you have ever seen the movie, you are probably already aware of what part of the movie this phrase gets brought about but maybe you don’t remember what happened to Timon remind Simba that there is no reason to worry.
Simba had been told to run away from the pride land by his uncle Scar because Mufasa had died and Scar created a plan to make it look like it was Simba’s fault. Being just a child, Simba believed that everyone would hate him so instead of facing the wrath of others, he left and Scar took over the kingdom.
When Simba met Timon and Pumba, he was very upset and sad all the time. He kept reflecting on what had happened and he would tell the guys what the issue was. This is when Timon shared his philosophy on life with Simba.
The idea revolved around not worrying about the past because you can’t change it. What this does is make life going forward a lot easier to deal with. This was the “problem-free philosophy” that three animals lived by. This was until Simba ran into Nala and before Simba went back to challenge his Uncle for the throne.
This idea helps others cope with the things happening in their lives that they aren’t happy about. It doesn’t necessarily solve the problems but it makes it so you don’t torture yourself over the things you can’t change and that can be a good thing. If you are really hard on yourself for things that have happened, the idea of moving on can truly help. To get a tattoo that reminds you of that is a great way to keep you on the right track of positivity.
All these different ideas can be used when getting the Hakuna Matata tattoo but you have to make sure you know what style you want to get before you get it done. Every artist has a different style and you want to make sure that the artist you go talk to works in the style that you want tattooed. You wouldn’t go to a watercolor tattoo artist for a realism piece so you have to keep this in mind when you are researching tattoo artists.
If you have looked and would like a second opinion on the kind of artists that would work for the tattoo you want, let us know. The team at Tattoo SEO has a great deal of experience in matching up customers with artists that can make their vision come to life