When looking for a traditional style tattoo that holds a lot of meaning and is one of the staples in the Sailor Jerry style, look no further than the heart and dagger tattoo. This tattoo can be traced back to over a hundred years ago.
The heart and dagger tattoo is one of the tattoos you think of when seeing a biker or someone who lives on the edge. You might get the idea that people with these tattoos are tough and scary. You will see a lot of these tattoos on their body, but you might be too afraid to ask what they mean. You might be surprised that many of the heart and dagger tattoos have a meaning that might not be as dark as it looks.
In this post, we will talk about the heart and dagger tattoo and what makes it so awesome! We will get into the history of these tattoos and try to decipher the meaning of them based on symbolism and talking to people with these tattoos. By the end of the post, we hope you feel like you have a better understanding of these tattoos.
Before we get into that, check out some of these examples of heart and dagger tattoos. You can see there are numerous ways that people choose to have this image tattooed on their body and it might be telling to what the tattoo represents for that person.
History of Heart and Dagger Tattoo
The heart and dagger tattoo can be traced back to some very old Christian and other religious sects’ designs and symbols. When talking about the Christian history of this image, you can go back to the Mother Mary. Many Christians will get this tattoo to represent the pain that she endured over the death of her son.
In voodoo, the heart and dagger tattoo are said to represent the black female spirit called Erzulie Dantor. She is the opposite of Mother Mary and represents evil and vengeance. It isn’t out of the realm of possibility either because a broken heart can make a person do things they wouldn’t normally do.
In nonspiritual groups, the heart and dagger tattoo might be a little bit easier to decipher. You can gather by looking at this tattoo that it represents pain, heartbreak or betrayal by a lover or someone close to you.
When someone is suffering from a betrayal and heartbreak it feels as if someone stabbed them in the heart. The feeling can almost be described as your heart splitting in half. Your stomach aches and you feel like you can’t do anything. To know the feeling of having a lover or family member hurt you in this way could be described as a dagger or sword to the heart. Therefore, it makes perfect sense for someone to get the heart and dagger tattoo. It is a constant reminder of the pain you had to endure and maybe it will be a reminder to make sure to protect yourself going forward.
It also represents a small part of the heart dying off. Your relationships in life take up places in your heart. You’ve probably heard expressions saying that you are a part of my heart or my whole heart. When they leave your life, you could say they took a piece of your heart with them.
The heart and dagger tattoo perfectly portrays the pain one feels from losing someone or being betrayed. There are probably other meanings as well but from talking to people with this tattoo, this seems to be the most accurate portrayal of the heart and dagger tattoo meaning.
Heart and Dagger Tattoo Variations
With the heart and dagger tattoo, you are likely to see some variation with the tattoos. The main idea is the same and you will see a dagger entering a heart. The only question is how it will be depicted on your body. There are many ways for this to be done and you just have to decide which style fits your personality.
Anatomical Heart with Dagger
The anatomical heart and dagger tattoo is what you think it is. An image of an anatomical heart with a dagger going through it. With this tattoo, you are really pressing the idea of your heartbreak.
Heart and Sword Tattoo
The heart and sword tattoo is almost the same things thing as the heart and dagger, but the dagger might be a little longer. The idea is the same and doesn’t detract from the meaning of the tattoo, but it gives it a different look. Someone with this tattoo might be a fan of the era of royalty with knights and horses. The image could refer to the Middle Ages or it might just be a different look.
Traditional Heart and Dagger Tattoo
The traditional heart and dagger tattoo is what you will most likely see when coming upon this tattoo. This version seems to be the most popular way to get the tattoo and it most likely correlates with how far the back the symbol goes and how far back American traditional tattooing goes. If you want a solid version of this tattoo, go with the traditional version.
Realistic Heart and Dagger Tattoo
However, if you want to get a little more creative with your choice, go with a realistic version of the heart and dagger tattoo. If you find the right artist, this image can be a bit jarring, but you will really show others that your heartbreak or feelings on the subject are strong and as graphic as the image on your body. Make sure you find an artist that is able to handle realism and you will have yourself a unique heart and dagger tattoo.
On the other hand, many of us don’t really know what we want. We might know the image, but the exact details might be hazy. In this case, sit down with your artist and have a consultation about your options and what they are comfortable doing. If you have trouble finding an artist in your area, we would be more than happy to give you a recommendation.