Bear Tattoos

What does a bear tattoo mean?

A bear tattoo can speak of raw power or of something quieter: protection, patience and the ability to endure. Protection may be the most common reason people choose one, since a mother bear defends her cubs without hesitation; mama bear designs often show as many cubs as the wearer has children. Hibernation adds a theme of retreat and return, chosen by people marking recovery or personal change. Cultural roots run deep. Among the Pueblo, Navajo and Northwest Coast peoples the bear is a healer and clan animal, the Old Norse berserkr literally means bear shirt, and the Ainu of Hokkaido honored the brown bear as a visiting god in the Iyomante ceremony. Species matters too: a grizzly reads as raw power, a polar bear as endurance. Realism, geometric, traditional and blackwork are all popular styles.