Memento Mori Tattoo
Recently, one of the most popular tattoo designs is lettering. A wide selection of all kinds of fonts allows you to make a seemingly ordinary inscription into a real work of art. Oddly enough, tattoo sketches depicting various symbols associated with death are among the most popular. Such a common tattoo is the famous expression Memento Mori, translated from Latin - "remember death." She will be discussed in the article.
The meaning of a tattoo
The winged expression Memento Mori has its roots in the era of Ancient Rome. At that time, this phrase constantly sounded from the lips of the slaves of the ancient Roman military leaders during their return home after a great victory. The repetition of this phrase reminded the triumphant that, despite the successes in military affairs, he remains powerless before death.
In the 17th century, this phrase was often mentioned in the circle of members of the Order of St. Paul, which they used as a form of greeting between the monks.
The phrase suggested a reminder of the transience of everyone's life and the impossibility of controlling it.
In modern society, the meaning of the expression Memento Mori has lost its authenticity. Many people who come to a tattoo parlor with the aim of filling themselves with such an inscription do not know where it came from. Today the Memento Mori tattoo is interpreted differently.
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Life is too fleeting, so you need to constantly move and act.
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You must remember your mission and do everything in order to fulfill it.
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Nothing lasts forever in our sinful world.
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You should learn to be happy now, because life is so short.
Despite the generally accepted meanings of the Memento Mori inscription, everyone has the right to put in their own meaning, understandable only to him alone. Depending on the elements present in the tattoo sketch, the meaning of the tattoo may vary.
Sketches and additional drawings
A tattoo with an inscription in Latin Memento Mori can be done in its pure form by choosing a suitable font, or it can be supplemented with any elements that are appropriate in meaning. A wide variety of fonts can be used to create a pure Memento Mori tattoo. - artistic, gothic, serif or sans serif, handwritten or standard. It all depends on the wishes of the client. At the same time, some want the text to be practically unreadable and understandable only to a limited circle of people, while others, on the contrary, choose the font that is most understandable for perception.
Fans of minimalistic tattoos should choose sans serif or standard fonts, which looks stylish and concise.
Many people prefer the inscription to be made in an artistic format. - with various serifs and patterns.
Fans of tattoo sketches depicting plot compositions can use various symbols of death as additional elements:
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scull;
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watch;
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books;
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Crow;
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butterfly;
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the image of death is a reaper with a scythe.
The classic version of such a tattoo is its execution in black and white. However, many interesting sketches are also presented in color, where the effect of a volumetric tattoo is achieved through the correct use of shadows and different shades.
You can use a variety of art styles when sketching a Memento Mori tattoo in monochrome.
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The use of an ambigram - a pattern with which the same image can have several different readings. A drawing made with this technique looks different depending on what angle you look at it from.
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To give the tattoo realism, as well as to complement it with different effects such as splashes and strokes, you can use elements of trash polka.
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Minimalism is one of the best options for depicting a tattoo with the Memento Mori inscription to convey the main meaning - to resign in the face of the inevitability of death.
Some, coming to a tattoo artist, ask to combine two Latin phrases Carpe diem and Memento Mori into one, mistakenly assuming that they have a similar meaning. The first mentions of the phrase Carpe diem are found in Horace's ode "To Levkone", where the author with this dictum encourages people to catch and appreciate the happy moments of life as long as possible. Whereas the expression Memento mori encourages people to do everything to fulfill their duty, since life is too short to waste.
Where can you apply?
Memento Mori tattoo is versatile, therefore it is perfect for both girls and guys. The death of a loved one makes us think about our life and evaluate our actions. Therefore, the expression Memento Mori serves as a kind of reminder of how short our life is, and that we are powerless to influence it in any way. Depending on the size of the image, this tattoo sketch can be placed:
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on the arm (wrist, forearm);
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on the neck;
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on the back;
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on the leg (thigh, lower leg, ankle).
Large drawings best applied to a larger area - back, shoulder, thigh, or torso. Small drawing or the blank Memento Mori lettering looks nice and neat on the wrist, rib or ankle.
