Traditional Designs: Stabbed Animals

[MRCL]

Quick question, I've always wondered about this... why is that in a lot of traditional tattoo designs, animals, animal heads and so one are getting stabbed? Like the often seen Panther-with-a-dagger-through-the-head. I get it if you really hate a certain kind of animal or have some other more or less valid reason for it (I've played with the thought of a tattoo with a spider punctured by a dagger because I'm afraid of them (yet don't kill them in real life since I value their insect killing existence)). But other than that? Is there a reason, a story behind those designs?

Just wonderin' not judging ;)

[irezumi]

Just because you got something stabbing through your head doesn't mean that you're having a bad time

[tatB]

it is a sexual thing. the dagger symbolizes a penis.

i have a dagger stabbing through a skull and eagle because i love skulls and i fuckin love america.

[SeeSea]

^^^ rolls eyes.

[suburbanxcore]

Because the easiest way to make a tattoo tougher is to put a dagger in it!

[CultExciter]

Because it's a diatribe railing against the butter industry. We must use knives only for meat, not soft and salty pats of fermented milk.

[irezumi]

Because the easiest way to make a tattoo tougher is to put a dagger in it!

And/or fire.

[gougetheeyes]

It's how we used to kill panthers and gorillas.. before the internet RUINED TATTOOING.

[Bunny Switchblade]

Why not???

[ReDile]

For what it's worth I feel no animosity towards panthers. My thought process when thusly:

"What's the toughest thing I could possibly get, so everyone can see how nails I am?"

"I know, A Panther"

"Wait, with a fucking dagger through it"

and then that turned out to be too much tough for me to handle, so there's a butterfly as well:

Seriously though, it looks cool. What more reason would you like?

[irezumi]

"What's the toughest thing I could possibly get, so everyone can see how nails I am?"

"I know, A Panther"

"Wait, with a fucking dagger through it"

Best ever

and then that turned out to be too much tough for me to handle, so there's a butterfly as well

Also best ever hah

[Tesseracts]

I don't like how a lot of animal tattoos have a bunch of arrows in them. At least with the dagger it looks like it's in some kind of cool battle, but with arrows it's like it was just minding its own business and then was shot a bunch of times.

There are some traditional designs I wish I knew the story behind, but they originated so long ago probably nobody knows. For example the ducks that say "hey you" and "who me." I also wonder why crying baby heads are popular. Doesn't look like the personification of toughness to me.

[CultExciter]

@Tesseracts This is my leg. Arrows are tough.

[exume]

Because it's rad, that's why.

[irezumi]

things shot full of arrows

Well we have a thread about arrows but it's not linking.

[JeffK]

I always saw it in 2 ways. 1- You wanted a cool knife AND an animal so jam them together. 2- The more "BS-Filled" meaning I've heard is it's signifigant of defeating or overcoming something difficult.

Because it's rad, that's why.

But really just that ^^^^^. I have a Gorilla getting stabbed. It's pissed about it too. Rad as fuck.

[HettyKet]

Because the easiest way to make a tattoo tougher is to put a dagger in it!

if it even works on a turnip...

[SeeSea]

things shot full of arrows

Well we have a thread about arrows but it's not linking.

You've got an extra "http://" in the link. Try this.

http://www.lastsparrowtattoo.com/forum/tattoo-designs-books-flash/2598-things-shot-arrows.html

[suburbanxcore]

if it even works on a turnip...

See! That's a badass turnip.

Also, @CultExciter, every time I see that wolf, I love it a little bit more. So awesome.

[Graeme]

It's how we used to kill panthers and gorillas.. before the internet RUINED TATTOOING.

New signature.

[CultExciter]

@gougetheeyes gets all the signatures!

[misterJ]

@CultExciter

that leg piece is great, hes bound and shot and still fighting back

[CultExciter]

@CultExciter

that leg piece is great, hes bound and shot and still fighting back

The sun isn't going to devour itself!

[MRCL]

Well every answer so far makes perfect sense. How could I have been so blind!

[irezumi]

You've got an extra "http://" in the link. Try this.

http://www.lastsparrowtattoo.com/forum/tattoo-designs-books-flash/2598-things-shot-arrows.html

Thanks for the assist.