Nowadays, no one can be surprised by the presence of a tattoo on their body. However, there are certain tattoos that stand out from the rest. It is impossible to say for sure what exactly makes these images so special, but they delight some people, while others make them shudder with horror. Examples of such tattoos are images of death, skeletons, monsters and much more. Also here can be attributed the tattoo of the plague doctor, which today is quite popular among young people.
Due to certain historical obligations, the plague doctor tattoo is quite common only in Europe. For the rest of the world, it does not carry any semantic load. The thing is that the Middle Ages for large European cities were marked by a monstrous epidemic of bubonic plague, from which a huge number of people died every day. The level of development of the then medicine was so low that people could die from the common cold, not to mention anything more serious diseases.
It was in those conditions that plague doctors appeared. Their main duties were to cauterize buboes and bleed infected people. Due to constant close contact with lepers, plague doctors were not allowed to come into contact with large numbers of people, forcing them to live in isolation.
It is quite understandable that such dangerous work had to be accompanied by special clothing. Although there were many variants of such attire, the only widely recognized costume in our time is a long black cloak, wide-brimmed hat, trousers, gloves, boots and a special plague doctor mask. The most distinctive feature of the latter was the presence of a bird's beak, which was supposed to scare away the disease from doctors.
As you know, not a single tattoo is a simple image, since each of them has a certain meaning. The meaning of the plague doctor tattoo is largely determined by the above historical events. Before describing the meaning itself, it is worth pointing out that the image can only be found on the body of very brave people who are not afraid to show others their special attitude to life. That is why such tattoos can be equally seen in both men and women.
So, there are two main options for the meaning of the plague doctor tattoo:
In addition to the above, you need to understand that each person can interpret the meaning of a plague doctor tattoo for himself in different ways. After all, even one added detail can make a big difference.
Since the image has an oblong shape, it is best to fill it on the thigh, forearm and shoulder. Moreover, it is these places that are the most painless for tattooing. However, the image can also be found on the back. In this case, the tattoo looks more massive, but it will be quite painful to fill it.
When it comes to tattoo style, realism is pretty much the only option. It is this style that allows you to achieve maximum recognition of the image. To do this, however, you need to find a very good professional master who can apply a quality image to your body.
Separately, it is worth noting that neither the place nor the style of the image in any way affect the meaning of the plague doctor tattoo.
Today you can find absolutely any tattoo, from the inscription on the toe to the image of death on the back. That is why a plague doctor tattoo should not come as much of a surprise. However, it causes admiration and horror at the same time. The significance of the plague doctor tattoo is explained by historical events that led to the appearance of the doctors themselves.
Let's talk about the possible meaning of the plague doctor tattoo. This image in the current European culture is surrounded by an aura of mystery and mysticism. He became popular due to the traditional costume worn by real-life plague doctors, and, of course, the sense of doom that they evoked by their very appearance. It is not surprising that such a strong and unambiguous symbol has become one of the most popular tattoo themes.
However, in fact, there was nothing mythical in a real profession. Danger, fear, stench and death - that's what really surrounded the plague doctor.
The image of the plague doctor and all the symbolism associated with it belongs exclusively to European culture.
In overcrowded European cities, where complete unsanitary conditions reigned, the plague grew into a pandemic of truly terrifying proportions. The medicine of that time can hardly be called medicine in our current understanding. It was rather a mixture of certain theological ideas and outright charlatanism. Even minor ailments periodically ended in death, to say nothing of such a dangerous disease as the plague. Ordinary doctors could not prevent the spread of the disease and cure the sick. The activities of the plague doctors were also not very successful, but they still managed to achieve some positive results. Their work was mainly reduced to cutting and cauterizing buboes, bloodletting. Because of the danger to which they were constantly exposed, the plague healers could not be full members of society and contact with the broad masses, they were often placed under quarantine.
Such a recognizable costume appeared only at the beginning of the 15th century, although the profession itself has existed since the middle of the 13th century. The final look of the costume was designed by the French physician Charles de Lorme. The main purpose of this attire is to protect the doctor from infection. Up to this point, doctors wore different protective clothing, and it was not until 1619 that a standard suit was developed.
The mask with a bird's beak gave the doctor a certain resemblance to the Egyptian god Thoth and was designed to scare away the plague. However, she performed not only the function of a talisman. Mixtures of medicinal herbs with a strong odor were placed in the beak, which saved the doctor from the plague stench. The mask also had special glass inserts to protect the eyes. It was believed that red glass could make a doctor invulnerable to disease.
In addition to the mask, the costume consisted of a long cloak covering the doctor from neck to ankles, tight trousers, gloves, boots, and a hat. All these elements were sewn from waxed leather.
By the way, the well-known Nostradamus was also at one time a plague doctor.
Plague doctor tattoos are the choice of brave people who are not afraid to appear too gloomy or be misunderstood. This image does not know gender differences, the plague doctor is depicted on his body by both men and women, because he indicates the character traits or worldview inherent in both sexes. Such a tattoo can have more than one meaning:
Of course, everyone is free to understand the meaning of a plague doctor tattoo in their own way, each person can put their own meaning into the image, add their own details, it all depends on the imagination of the customer and the master.
Realism is considered one of the most difficult styles to execute. To make the work really realistic, the master must also be a talented artist. In this style, portraits, images of animals are most often performed, and landscapes from experienced craftsmen are breathtaking. A realistic plague doctor can look really cool.
Another suitable style is . He just screams: “Down with banality and patterns!”. Finding beauty in the disgusting, exalting the repulsive - this is the essence of trash polka. The plague doctor is associated with disease, noxious stench, decay and the inevitability of death. Is this not the right image for this style? Wide careless strokes of red and black will leave no room for routine and monotony.
Most often, the image of the plague doctor has an oblong shape, so they will look great on the shoulder, forearm, thigh or calf. Getting a tattoo in these places, moreover, is the least painful. There are also large-scale works on the entire back or on the ribs. In this case, the closer the master's needle gets to the bone, the stronger the pain will be.
Forearm tattoo realism, photo from: https://www.instagram.com/p/BsmAUG0lOLV/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
The plague doctor, whose image is common in the culture of tattoos in Europe and America. The symbol has a peculiar meaning associated with periods of deadly epidemics.
This sketch came to the pantheon of images of the CIS relatively recently. He began to appear in the albums of tattoo artists around 2012. So what is the secret of the attractiveness of a frightening and mysterious image?
To better understand the meaning of a tattoo, you should turn to the history of the appearance of the image. In the middle of the XIV century, a terrible disease claimed more than 25 million people. The disease broke out due to climate change, overpopulation and lack of sanitation. The medicine of that period could not give an answer on how to deal with the epidemic. The black plague claimed the lives of entire settlements in weeks and days.
To fight the disease, teams of "plague doctors" were created. They provided medical assistance, burned homes and the remains of the dead. In the ideas of the people of that period, the plague was a living and intelligent being.
That is why the appearance of orderlies was supposed to scare away a deadly disease. It is worth noting the fact that in medieval Europe there was a strange artistic perception of the environment.
Under the pressure of general hysteria, the physician Charles de Lorm created the first mask of a plague doctor in 1619. She was a cross between the Venetian Nose mask and the interpretation of the crow's head. Since crows are scavengers by nature, the comparison seems logical.
In addition to the threatening appearance, the mask performed practical functions. A mixture of vinegar, wormwood and strong-smelling herbs was poured into the beak. Vapors acted as a protection against miasms from sick bodies. The design can be called the first respirator.
In addition to the mask, the outfit included a long leather cloak, a buff covering the area from the collarbone to the face. The ammunition was complemented by leather tight pants, heavy boots, high gloves and hats. All elements had to be sewn from waxed leather or rough canvas soaked in wax.
In the minds of contemporaries, the plague doctor is a symbol of fatalism. In his image lies inevitability, fate and impending disaster. However, thanks to the development of the image in the tattoo culture, the plague doctor increased the value. In many ways, the interpretation of the symbol was influenced by the gaming and media industry.
Arm tattoo, photo from: https://www.instagram.com/p/BlxEFvAl5GR/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
Symbolism of the tattoo:
Tattoo mem began to develop on Russian imageboards. The reason was a canary costume made by the St. Petersburg artist Nikolai Kopeikin for his daughter for a matinee.
The strange mask has been recognized by domestic users as a plague doctor. By 2012, the image became part of the tattoo culture, filled with unique semantic content. It was he who influenced the interpretation of the image not only in Europe, but also in America.
The plague doctor tattoo is popular with girls whose personality is classified as Balzac. They are attentive observers who approach life with a healthy dose of skepticism. You can recognize a potential tattoo wearer by good manners, a neat appearance and a balanced character. In communication, they prefer black humor, which is most often funny.
Tattoo meaning for women:
Girls tattoos are individual. Each wearer has a distinct personality, which is expressed in a tattoo. Style and form are chosen carefully, each element carries a semantic load. Thanks to the female audience, the image of the plague doctor received more than 1000 variations of performance and influenced the formation of tattoos on two continents.
The Plague Shepherd is a tireless healer with high spirits popular tattoo, whose meaning for men is associated with sarcasm and death. Men are more conservative in the style of the image. They adhere to traditional and historical reconstructions.
Interpretation of the symbol for men:
If you characterize the carrier from the point of view of socionics, this is a typical Dreiser. He is diligent, pedantic and at the same time treats any event in his life with a peculiar humor. Tattoos for men look like works of art. They are full of signs and meaning, distinguished by attention to detail.
The plague doctor is a universal image that looks good both in realism and in graphics. The beaked mask is perfect for thrash polka, new school, neo-traditional or graphic.
Black and white technique, blackwork or traditional will enhance the sense of fate. Old school, Chicano, engraving or baroque will help to strengthen the share of black humor. Realism is considered the leader for the plague doctor.
The area of the arm, back and leg can reveal the entire depth of the image. The drawing has no restrictions on the application area. It can be beaten on the shin or thigh. It does not matter the gender or age of the future owner.
A sketch in the author's manner close to better stuffed on the forearm, the side area from the line of the ribs to the waist. Girls prefer to fill the doctor on the shoulder, forearm or shoulder blade. Among men, drawing a pattern on the caviar is common.
Like the image of a plague doctor, the sketch expresses the owner's emotional values. Think about your desire to make such a contrasting tattoo. Figure out what attracts you to it. This will help to collect the maximum of facts that the tattoo master will use in drawing up the drawing.
Do not take ready-made works, since copying the image of a plague doctor is considered bad form. Photos from the network can only be used as an illustration of the style in which you want a tattoo.
The meaning of the Plague Doctor tattoo - photo examples of finished tattoo designs
Today, more and more often you can find tattoos with a mystical meaning on the bodies of young people and girls, which is the tattoo with the image of the Plague Doctor.
The Plague Doctor costume was first worn in the 13th century, but it gained its greatest popularity in the 15th century. This period of the Middle Ages is known for the fact that medicine was at a low level, people died from the simplest diseases, and charlatans skillfully used this for their own purposes, wearing these costumes. Initially, they were intended for healers who treated various ailments of that time, the most common of which was bubonic plague. It should be noted that no one was completely cured of this disease, there were only attempts to cauterize and cut out buboes. Mostly hundreds of people died from the disease.
The costume itself was a completely closed garment. On his head was put on a semblance of a helmet with a bird's beak - the personification of the ancient Egyptian god Thoth. The beak protected the person who was in the mask, since at the very end of it a mixture of special healing herbs was collected that did not allow infection by contact with a sick person. In addition to the beak on the helmet, there was another oddity - red glass eyes. At that time, it was believed that red glass could protect against all diseases. This is a double-edged sword, since the glass really protected, only not with its color - during the manipulation of bloodletting, it did not allow blood to get on the skin of the face and eyes. Below you could see a suit made of waxed leather, the trousers were made narrower, the cloak completely covered the entire body, its length reached the ankles. In addition, the costume included leather gloves, boots and a wide-brimmed hat.
Photo examples:
The mystical image of the Plague Doctor wins the hearts of many tattoo lovers. Sketches are made not only for guys and men, but also for the female half of the population. There is an idea of \u200b\u200bthe two most accurate meanings of this tattoo:
The Plague Doctor drawing requires a lot of space, so the main places for a tattoo are the shoulder, forearm, thigh or lower leg. In addition, in these places the greatest accumulation of subcutaneous fat, which means that the drawing procedure will be the most painless. But there are cases when the masters are forced to make a tattoo in places closer to the bones, for example, in the area of \u200b\u200bthe ribs, ankles, which brings pain to the client.
Nowadays, on the Internet you can find a huge number of sketches depicting the Plague Doctor, both from old sources and in modern interpretation. They are rich in small elements, thin and precise lines, small details, which makes the tattoo more complex, and most likely it will be unlikely to finish it in one session. You can also find both a black and white version and a color version, although the Plague Doctor was originally depicted in black and white. Therefore, be patient and time, and the result will be justified.
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Text prepared: kriskriskristin (Gumenyuk Kristina Sergeevna)
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