Snake and Rose Tattoo Meaning, Designs & Ideas

Snakes and roses are both very common images for tattoos, but when combined together, they have their own unique meaning. A snake and rose tattoo most often symbolizes temptation, corruption, or the fight between good and evil.

This article will explore the different meanings of a snake and rose tattoo.

Snake and Rose Tattoos

There is a great deal of variety when it comes to snake and rose tattoos–something for everyone’s design preferences. Brightly colored tattoos are just as common as simple black and gray ones. Often the snake will be inked in black and gray with a red rose.

Most of these tattoos show the rose and snake entwined together, the snake wrapping itself around the stem of the flower. These are often found on the arm or leg. Larger variations of the snake and rose can be seen on the torso or the upper thigh.

Women and men are both fans of the snake and rose tattoo design. The pieces tend to be on the larger side, particularly back or leg work. Some images of the snake will show the animal’s fangs out–these tend to be more common in tattoos that depict the snake as evil.

Temptation

The snake and rose tattoo can be representative of temptation. The Biblical story of original sin explains that a serpent tempted Eve with a forbidden apple in the Garden of Eden. This story has created an association between snakes and temptation.

In this tattoo, the rose can symbolize love or goodness. One interpretation would be that the rose is something that the person desires and the snake is the negative or dangerous aspects that go along with that.

For example, a woman who is in love with a dangerous man would represent her love with the rose and the danger with the snake. Temptation isn’t always related to relationships, though. This tattoo can also represent addiction and the temptation that goes along with that.

The rose is a symbol of the temporary relief that one may get when using drugs, while the snake represents dependence, danger, and other negative aspects of addiction.

An individual might choose the snake and rose tattoo to represent either their past or current romantic relationship. Alternatively, someone might choose this tattoo to symbolize their struggle with addiction, whether they have overcome it or not.

Loss of Innocence

The snake and rose tattoo can also signify a loss of innocence. The rose, with its delicate petals, represents purity, whereas the snake represents destruction. This tattoo can be in reference to someone who felt that a relationship led to their loss of innocence.

Another way of looking at the snake and rose is a more general view of the world. A person might view the snake as a symbol of all that is taking away from the beauty or pureness of the world, which is the rose.

Someone who opts to get a snake and rose tattoo might be trying to illustrate that they have lost something in their life. Their loss might be a sense of virtue or simplicity that they are attempting to portray.

Good vs. Evil

In many cultures, the snake is seen as a symbol of evil. In Christianity, this stems from how a serpent tempted Eve and brought original sin into the world. In other cultures, the snake, because it is close to the ground, is associated with the underworld.

The rose, on the other hand, is beautiful and delicate–it represents perfection or the good things in the world. Combining the snake and the rose shows the battle between good and evil.

Someone might choose this tattoo as a way to express their interest in religious or philosophical notions of good and evil. They may even have other tattoos in the same theme, like a devil and an angel.

This tattoo can be a person’s way of trying to understand the world and, in particular, why bad things happen to innocent people. It can be a reminder that there are forces in the world that need to be fought against.

Passion and Romance

Because roses are commonly used as a symbol of love and romance, they can be viewed the same way in this tattoo. The addition of the snake adds an element of danger or risk to the romance.

For example, a woman who is drawn to the ‘bad boy’ might like the sense of uncertainty or rule-breaking that goes with these relationships. Particularly in new relationships, there can be feelings of infatuation and passion that disregard logical thinking.

Sometimes when people are in a romantic relationship, their passion can be so strong that it becomes dangerous. They will take risks and do things that they otherwise would not because their judgment is clouded by romance.

A person might choose the snake and rose tattoo to illustrate how they feel about relationships in general, or it may be symbolic or a past romance. The tattoo can even act as a warning to a person not to make the same mistakes they have in the past.

Corruption

In addition to its association with evil, the snake is often seen as a symbol of fierceness–a wild and threatening animal. This is partly due to the fact that some snakes are venomous and can cause harm to people. Some larger snakes are able to crush their prey which also makes them dangerous.

These ideas about snakes can be incorporated into a snake and rose tattoo that symbolizes corruption. In these instances, the rose would signify a purity or naive individual or world. It shows how the snake can slither its way into a person’s life without arousing suspicion.

A person with a snake and rose tattoo may have chosen it because they feel that they were taken advantage of or corrupted at some point in their life. Getting the tattoo can be a way of taking back their power and standing up for themselves.

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