Quote:
Originally Posted by RayBot
Can someone briefly explain the symbolism of koi tattoos??
Thanks.
|
here you go,.. i just cut and pasted ,.. too lazy to type it all out..
Koi are considered a manly symbol, especially after it was appropriated by the Boys' Day Festival in Japan. According to legend, the koi climb the waterfall bravely, and if they are caught, they face their death on the cutting board bravely like samuri. Other Japanese meanings include perseverance and strength. In China, it is believed that if the koi succeeded in climbing to "Dragon Gate" on the Yellow River, the koi will be transformed into dragons. Due to this Chinese legend, koi are considered a symbol of advancement and aspiration.
When used in tattoos, especially with running water, the koi is meant to symbolize courage and the ability to attain goals and to overcome life's difficulties. When the koi in the tattoo is shown swimming upstream, it can be used to mean that the tattooee is still struggling with his problem, whereas a koi swimming downstream implies that the tattooee has already overcome his difficulty. In other cases, the koi swimming downstream can represent the season of fall, and the koi swimming upstream can represent the spring