Snake Tattoo Meaning

Rebirth and transformation

A snake sheds its skin and comes out new. That is why it is one of the oldest symbols of renewal, change and leaving an old life behind. It is a common choice after a hard period, a recovery or a new beginning.

Temptation and sin

In the book of Genesis the serpent tempts Eve in the Garden of Eden, and in Christian art the snake became the image of sin and the devil. A snake wrapped around an apple or a tree tells this story directly.

The same tradition gives the opposite image: the Virgin Mary standing on a serpent, and the archangel Michael defeating the dragon-serpent. Here the snake under the foot means evil overcome — a strong religious composition in black and grey.

Healing, eternity and protection

The rod of Asclepius, a single snake around a staff, comes from the Greek god of medicine and is still the symbol of medicine today. Nurses and doctors often wear it.

The ouroboros, a snake swallowing its own tail, stands for eternity and the endless cycle of life, death and rebirth.

In Japanese tattooing the snake protects against illness and bad luck and stands for wisdom and transformation. And in Greek myth snakes form the hair of Medusa, whose head protected warriors from harm.

How the drawing changes the meaning

A snake with a dagger is a classic American traditional image of betrayal and danger. A snake with flowers — often a rose — joins danger and beauty. A coiled snake ready to strike reads as defense and warning; a calm snake moving along the body reads as wisdom and change.

Placement in black and grey realism

The snake is one of the few subjects that follow the body by nature. It wraps around the forearm, climbs the calf, runs along the spine or curves around the hip and ribs. Scales need enough size to hold detail over time, so a realistic snake is designed to the length of the body part rather than squeezed into a small square.