Although hummingbird tattoos have no set in stone symbolism, they may very well have an almost proverbial meaning of gathering joy from ‘burying our noses in, and inhaling all the sweetness of life.’ Hummingbirds themselves are a totem of clarity for many, as these tiny and beautiful birds ‘get to the heart of a matter,’ just as they get directly to the heart of a flower.
Hummingbird tattoos can come in a variety of shapes and colors. There are over 300 different types of hummingbirds, so you have quite a few to pick from. For instance, there is the black chinned hummingbird, which has a black head and white or brown body. This would be great to use for a more noir piece; a monotone bird flitting away in the air, its long beak pressed into a scarlet red tulip. Three more colorfully striking examples are the blue chinned sapphire, which is a salient blue-green hue; the purple throated mountain gem, which also sports the same sapphiric coloring, but has streaks of light purple over its body; and lastly, the purple throated woodstar. This particular hummingbird strikes a perfect balance between modest and bold; its body and chest are usually black and white, while its throat is, indeed, a deep, royal purple.
Although most hummingbird tattoos depict the bird plunging itself into the bud of a flower, there are several other poses and styles that can be utilized to create a beautiful picture with this design. The fascination that many of us hold for the creature is its unusual style of flight, and your tattoo can show this, either in a stationary position (as in a quickly taken snapshot), or show the body of the hummingbird with what appears to be many sets of wings. The latter image will be a depiction of the speed in which the wings move. You may also show the hummingbird at rest, sitting peacefully on a branch, its famous wings at its sides.
Despite, or maybe even because of, the fact that hummingbird tattoos do not have a set symbolism of their own, they make for an excellent design. You can assign whatever meaning you so choose to this image, and what’s more, have a beautiful piece of art to go with it.
Leave a Reply