Octopus Tattoos

What does a octopus tattoo mean?

An octopus tattoo stands for intelligence, adaptability and regeneration, and each meaning comes from the animal's biology. About two-thirds of its roughly 500 million neurons sit in the arms, it changes color, texture and shape in under a second, and it can regrow a lost arm, which makes it a natural symbol of recovery and starting over. Traditions add weight. In Hawaii the octopus is a body form of Kanaloa, god of the ocean and long voyages. Hokusai's 1814 print The Dream of the Fisherman's Wife tied it to desire in Edo-period Japan, while Norwegian sailors feared it as the kraken. Wrapped around a ship it reads as force against ambition; with an anchor, as something fixed inside something fluid. Japanese, realism and blackwork suit it, with the arms wrapping a shoulder, thigh or forearm.

octopus tattoo meaning