The meaning of the Plague Doctor tattoo - photo examples of ready-made 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 what a tattoo with the image of the Plague Doctor is.
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 simple diseases, and charlatans skillfully took advantage of this for their own purposes by wearing these costumes. They were originally intended for healers who treated various ailments of the time, the most common of which was the bubonic plague. It should be noted that no one was finally cured of this disease; there were only attempts to cauterize and cut out the buboes. Basically, hundreds of people died from the disease.
The costume itself was a completely closed robe. On his head was worn a semblance of a helmet with a bird's beak - the personification of the ancient Egyptian god Thoth. The beak protected the person wearing the mask, since at its very end a mixture of special medicinal herbs was collected that prevented infection through contact with a sick person. In addition to the beak, there was another oddity on the helmet - eyes made of red glass. 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, just not with its color - during the bloodletting manipulation, 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 tapered, 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 boys and men, but also for the female half of the population. There is an idea of the two most accurate meanings of this tattoo:
The Plague Doctor design requires a lot of space, so the main places for a tattoo are the shoulder, forearm, thigh or shin. In addition, in these places there is the greatest accumulation of subcutaneous fat, which means that the procedure for applying the pattern will be the most painless. But there are cases when artists are forced to tattoo in places closer to the bones, for example, in the area of the ribs, ankles, which brings painful sensations 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 be completed in one session. You can also find both a black and white version and a color one, 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 by: kriskriskristin (Gumenyuk Kristina Sergeevna)
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In European culture, the plague doctor has been known since the Middle Ages, then it was a doctor whose duties were to ascertain the death of people who died from the bubonic plague or, as it was still called then, the Black Death.
It was practically useless to treat the sick, so people knew that if a plague doctor came into the house, then trouble would follow. Plague doctors wore characteristic long-nosed masks in order to somehow protect themselves from infection and the smell of decay. Despite the fact that the plague raged in Europe hundreds of years ago, the meaning of the image of the plague doctor remained unchanged - it is a harbinger of death, an ominous soothsayer.
The meaning of the plague doctor tattoo is fatalism, mysticism and confidence that everything that is written in one’s family will come true. Such tattoos are characteristic of European tattoo culture and are practically not found in the eastern subculture of body designs. In America, people who get such tattoos are called cheerful suicide bombers, as they demonstrate that they are ready to face death.
Knowing the cultural and historical context of the image of the plague doctor, tattoos with his image are chosen by brave people who are not alien to originality and the desire to shock.
The plague doctor tattoo can be done in either black and white or color, and it can be applied to any part of the body at the request of the client.
Nowadays, no one can be surprised by having a tattoo on their body. However, there are certain tattoos that stand out from the rest. It’s impossible to say for sure what exactly makes these images so special, but they delight some people and make others shudder in horror. Examples of such tattoos include images of death, skeletons, monsters and much more. This also includes the plague doctor tattoo, which is quite popular among young people today.
Due to certain historical obligations, the plague doctor tattoo is quite common only in Europe. For the rest of the world it carries no meaning. The thing is that the Middle Ages for large European cities were marked by a monstrous epidemic of the bubonic plague, from which a huge number of people died every day. The level of development of medicine at that time was so low that people could die from a common cold, not to mention anything about more serious diseases.
It was in those conditions that plague doctors appeared. Their main duties included cauterizing buboes and bleeding infected people. Due to their constant close contact with lepers, plague doctors were not allowed to contact many people, which forced 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 modern times is a long black cloak, wide-brimmed hat, pants, 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 towards life. That is why such tattoos can be seen equally on both men and women.
So, there are two main options for the meaning of a 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 themselves differently. After all, even one added detail can make a big difference.
Since the image has an oblong shape, it is best to print it on the thigh, forearm and shoulder. Moreover, these are the places that are the most painless for tattooing. However, the image can also occur on the back. In this case, the tattoo looks more massive, but getting it will be quite painful.
When it comes to tattoo style, realism is practically the only possible option. It is this style that allows you to achieve maximum image recognition. 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 location nor the style of the image in any way affects the meaning of the plague doctor tattoo.
Today you can find absolutely any tattoo, from an inscription on a toe to an image of death on the back. That's why a plague doctor tattoo shouldn't come as much of a surprise. However, she evokes admiration and horror at the same time. The meaning of the plague doctor tattoo is explained by historical events that led to the appearance of the doctors themselves.
Tattoo on the forearm realism, photo from: https://www.instagram.com/p/BsmAUG0lOLV/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
The plague doctor, whose image is widespread in the tattoo culture of Europe and America. The symbol has a unique meaning associated with periods of deadly epidemics.
This sketch came to the pantheon of CIS images relatively recently. It began appearing 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, it is worth turning to the history of the appearance of the image. In the mid-14th century, a terrible disease claimed more than 25 million people. The disease broke out due to climate change, overpopulation and lack of sanitation. Medicine of that period could not answer 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 and burned homes and the remains of the dead. In the minds of people of that period, the plague was a living and intelligent creature.
That is why the sight of the orderlies was supposed to scare away the 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 Lorme in 1619 created the first plague doctor mask. It was a cross between the Venetian Nose mask and an interpretation of a crow's head. Since crows are scavengers by nature, the comparison seems logical.
In addition to its threatening appearance, the mask served practical functions. A mixture of vinegar, wormwood and strong-smelling herbs was poured into the beak. The fumes acted as protection against miasma from diseased 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 collarbones to the face. The equipment was complemented by tight leather pants, heavy boots, high gloves and hats. All elements had to be sewn from waxed leather or rough canvas soaked in wax.
In the views 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 culture of the plague doctor tattoo, its meaning has increased. The interpretation of the symbol was largely influenced by the gaming industry and media.
Tattoo on hand, photo from: https://www.instagram.com/p/BlxEFvAl5GR/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
Tattoo symbolism:
Tattoo ma'am began to develop on Russian imageboards. The occasion was a canary costume made by St. Petersburg artist Nikolai Kopeikin for his daughter for a matinee.
The strange mask was recognized by domestic users as a plague doctor. By 2012, the image became part of 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 among girls whose personality is classified as a Balzac type. These are attentive observers who approach life with a healthy dose of skepticism. You can recognize a potential tattoo bearer by her good manners, neat appearance and balanced character. In communication they prefer black humor, which is most often funny.
Tattoo meaning for women:
Girls' tattoos are individual in nature. Each wearer has a distinct personality, which is expressed in the tattoo. The style and form are selected carefully, each element carries a semantic load. Thanks to the female audience, the image of the plague doctor received more than 1000 variations of execution and influenced the formation of tattoos on two continents.
The Shepherd of the Plague is a tireless healer with high spirits. This is a popular tattoo whose meaning for men is associated with sarcasm and death. Men are more conservative in their style. They stick to traditional and historical reconstructions.
Interpretation of the symbol for men:
If we characterize the carrier from the point of view of socionics, this is a typical Dreiser. He is efficient, pedantic and at the same time treats any event in his life with peculiar humor. Men's tattoos 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 in both realism and graphics. A mask with a beak is ideal for trash polka, new school, neo-traditional or graphic.
Black and white, blackwork or traditional techniques will enhance the sense of fate. Old school, Chicano, engraving or baroque will help to enhance the share of black humor. Realism is considered the leader for the plague doctor.
The area of the arms, back and legs can reveal the full depth of the image. The drawing has no restrictions on the area of application. It can be hit on the shin or thigh. In this case, the gender or age of the future owner does not matter.
A sketch in the author's style close to the best one to print on the forearm, the side area from the line of the ribs to the waist. Girls prefer to have a doctor tattoo on their shoulder, forearm or shoulder blade. Among men, it is common to apply a design to the calf.
As an image of a plague doctor, the sketch expresses the emotional values of the owner. Think about your desire to get such a contrasting tattoo. Figure out what attracts you to him. This will help to collect as many facts as possible, which the tattoo artist will use in drawing up the design.
Do not take ready-made works, since copying the image of a plague doctor is considered bad form. Photos from the Internet can only be used as an illustration of the style in which you want the tattoo.
Let's talk about the possible meaning of the plague doctor tattoo. This image in current European culture is surrounded by an aura of mystery and mysticism. It became popular thanks to the traditional costume worn by real-life plague doctors, and, of course, the feeling of doom that they caused by their mere appearance. It is not surprising that such a strong and unambiguous symbol has become one of the popular themes for tattoos.
However, in fact, there was nothing mythical in the 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 overpopulated 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 quackery. Even minor illnesses periodically ended in death, let alone 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 limited to cutting and cauterizing buboes and bloodletting. Due to the danger to which they were constantly exposed, plague healers could not be full members of society and have contact with the general public; they were often placed under quarantine.
Such a recognizable costume appeared only at the beginning of the 15th century, although the profession itself existed since the middle of the 13th century. The final design of the suit was designed by French physician Charles de Lorme. The main purpose of this robe is to protect the doctor from infection. Until 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 ward off the plague. However, it served 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 stench of the plague. 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 a plague doctor at one time.
The plague doctor tattoo is the choice of brave people who are not afraid to seem too gloomy or be misunderstood. This image does not know gender differences; the plague doctor is depicted on their bodies by both men and women, because it indicates character traits or worldviews inherent in both sexes. Such a tattoo can have more than one meaning:
Of course, everyone is free to understand the meaning of the 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 artist.
Realism is considered one of the most difficult styles to execute. For the work to be truly realistic, the master must also be a talented artist. Portraits and images of animals are most often used in this style, and landscapes by experienced craftsmen are breathtaking. A realistic plague doctor can look really cool.
Another suitable style is . He screams: “Down with banality and templates!” 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. Isn't this the right look for this style? Wide, careless strokes of red and black will leave no room for routine and monotony.
Most often, images of a plague doctor have an oblong shape, so they will look great on the shoulder, forearm, thigh or calves. Getting a tattoo on these places is also 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.
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