Ram Tattoos: What Does That Mean and What Are Its Variations?

The tattoo industry is a dynamic sector. Every day new designs and trends burst into the scene and replaced the old ones. But, some designs are considered classics. These designs are so well-appreciated that some of them have been used for hundreds of years. The ram tattoo is one of them.

This well-popular tattoo design has a history that goes back to ancient Egypt! But, People still wonder about the meaning of this tattoo. They wonder, what is the meaning of a ram tattoo?

The ram tattoo is seen as a symbol of power, stubbornness, and aggression. The volatile nature and appetite for violence present in the ram are also indicative of this meaning. The ram is a male animal and is the symbol of masculinity and fertility. They are also born leaders which makes the tattoo a symbol of leadership.

People also use the ram tattoo to express their zodiac as the ram is associated with the zodiac sign of Aries.

In this article, we will explain the different meanings associated with the ram tattoo. We will also discuss different cultural interpretations of the ram symbolism and the different art styles concerning the ram tattoo. Without further ado, let’s get going!

What is The Meaning of A Ram Tattoo?

The ram is a fascinating creature. They are one of the few herbivores that aren’t docile and will fight back to protect their habitat. For their unique traits, they have been a popular design since ancient times.

The ram tattoo symbolizes the attributes of stubbornness, power, masculinity, fertility, and virality. The tattoo is also used as a symbol of leadership and nobility. Sometimes, the tattoo is used to symbolize the zodiac sign, Ares which is a fiery ram.

Stubbornness

The ram is known as a stubborn creature. Their fierce personality doesn’t allow them to back down from a fight. Unlike other herbivores, rams are protective of their habitat. They are often seen fighting toe-to-toe with other animals that dare to cross their path.

A ram tattoo has always been associated with stubbornness. People who get this tattoo, want to send a message that clearly screams ‘Back off.’ It is a way of saying that the tattoo wearer is not afraid of a fight and will do anything to protect what is precious to them.

Power

Rams are known to be powerful animals that can break a few bones. Indeed, The head and horn of the ram are deadly weapons that can shatter a grown human’s ribcage with very little effort. Also, The ram is known for its fearlessness.

They will often fight competitors bigger and stronger than them to assert dominance. For that, the ram is seen as a symbol of power.

People who get the ram tattoo, try to send the message that they are indeed powerful beings who won’t back down. They have the material and the willpower to eliminate any obstacles that might hamper their way to a peaceful and successful life.

Aggression

The ram is known as an aggressive creature. There are incidents where the ram has attacked people who weren’t doing anything. It isn’t the ram’s fault.

Rams are wired to see everyone not close to them or their herd as a threat. This has given the ram a reputation as an aggressive attacker. Therefore, the ram tattoo is seen as a sign of aggression. People get this tattoo to show their fangs and to send a clear message that reads ‘steer clear.

Masculinity

Rams have commonly been associated with masculinity for ages. In fact, most of the ancient world saw the ram as the epitome of masculinity and associated it with the male sex. Even today, the ram tattoo is seen as a symbol that is used to express one’s own masculinity.

Zodiac Sign

The ram is seen as the symbol of the zodiac sign, Aries. The Aries sign shows us the picture of a fiery ram that is running to mow down any obstacles in its path. Therefore, the ram tattoo is a common tattoo that people use to express their zodiac identity. The tattoo in itself is a direct reference to the attributes associated with the Aries sign.

Fertility and Vitality

The ram is the sole male of its herd. Rams fight among themselves to assert dominance as the winner will get to breed with all the females. For this reason, the ram has been seen as a symbol of fertility and vitality for ages. In Egyptian and Babylonian civilizations, the ram was seen as the symbol of the god of fertility and associated with the process of procreation.

Today, the ram is also seen as a symbol of fertility. People, especially, males get this tattoo as an indication of their fertility. It also symbolizes the carnal desire or the underlying lust of a person.

Leadership

The ram is the leader of his herd. He fights and sharpens his horns to stop any attack that might harm his herd. Their horns also closely resemble a crown. For this reason, the ram has been a symbol of regality for eons.

Many statespersons had adopted the ram as a symbol of their leadership and dominance.

People get the ram tattoo to symbolize their own leadership qualities. As the rams are considered born leaders, the ram tattoo screams the message that the tattoo wearer has the necessary skills to lead and to fight till the end.

Different Meanings of The Ram Tattoo in Different Cultures

The ram has been a popular symbol for centuries. Unlike some symbols like the garuda, dragon, or unicorn, the ram is a universal symbol that has a plethora of meanings associated to it in different cultures. These cultural interpretations make the ram a rich symbol that still has significance in contemporary society.

China

In Chinese culture, the ram is one of the twelve animals of the zodiac. People who are born under this sign get imbued with the ram’s traits such as honesty, resilience, stability, and extraversion.

The ram is also seen as a bringer of good luck in Taoism. People also interpret the ram as a symbol of youth and masculinity.

Tibetan Buddhism

Unlike their neighbor Taoism, Tibetan Buddhism has a different interpretation of the ram. They see the ram as a symbol of determinism.

They believe the ram possesses traits that can control three poisons: ignorance, hostility, and desire. But, they also associate the ram as a symbol of lust and carnal desire.

Neo-Paganism

In Paganism, There are two chief deities that control the balance of creation and destruction. The ram is associated with the male deity in paganism.

The ram-headed god, Baphomet was known as the god of fertility and virality. Baphomet ushered dominance and power.

Nowadays, Neo-pagans use the ram head tattoo as a sign of their faith. The ram head is seen as a sign of fertility and virality. Neo-pagans use the ram head symbol to symbolize their power and dominance alongside virality.

Africa

In Africa, The ram is seen as a powerful creature that is fiercely individual and will do anything to protect itself. But, it is also a very loyal animal that will die for its master if anyone successfully tames it. For these reasons, Africans associate the ram with might and humility.

Nigerians on the other hand associate the ram with spring and rebirth. They invoke a deity known as Ebune the ram. They believe that Ebune the Ram ushers in spring and renews everything in nature.

Different Types of Ram Tattoos

The ram tattoo is a common design that has been around for decades. This has given birth to a number of designs with the ram as the main focus. For your ease, we have categorized these hundreds of designs into four distinct categories which will help you to choose your very own tattoo design.

Traditional

Rams have always been associated with masculinity and aggression. For this reason, traditional ram tattoo designs tend to be more aggressive-looking.

They tend to use the imagery of fire, arrows, blood, sword and etc to express this meaning. The color palette for this type of tattoo is usually black and white.

Occult

Ram tattoos have always been associated with occult imagery. Christians associate the image of a ram head with the pagan god Baphomet, the ram-headed fertility god from Babylon.

For this, images of ram heads are always seen as a prominent symbol of paganism. Tattoos with a ram’s head decorated with a pentagon, stars, raven, crescent, etc belong to this section. Usually. Tattoos belonging to this type are done in black and white.

Floral

While ram tattoos are considered masculine traditionally, People are taking this tattoo to the next stage with floral patterns. Floral patterns are added to a ram tattoo to give the tattoo a feminine touch.

The standard design for a floral ram tattoo is that flowers are added to the ram’s horn or head. Sometimes, the ram head is entirely made out of flowers. Generally, Floral ram tattoos tend to be colorful.

Geometric

Nowadays, geometric designs are all the craze. They are quite popular and the geometric design goes quite well with the ram tattoo.

This type of tattoo consists of a ram’s head or face made out of various geometrical shapes such as triangles, lines, hexagons and etc. The tattoo artist highlight different aspects of the ram’s head in a different color of shades. Geometric tattoos tend to be black and white.

What is The Meaning of A Ram Skull Tattoo? 

The ram skull tattoo is used often to symbolize the daredevil attribute of fearlessness against dire consequences. The tattoo is a symbol that the wearer isn’t afraid to fight and suffer any repercussions.

The Ram skull symbolizes this important trait of the ram. The tattoo represents the fearlessness of death. The interpretation works by associating the stubbornness of the ram with the meaning of death, associated with the skull.

People who get this tattoo use this to send the message that they will not back down from a fight. They use this as a warning for any would-be attackers. The message is clear: Back off or Get ready to be crushed.

What is The Meaning of A Ram Horn Tattoo?

Although the ram has a lot of meanings ascribed to it, its horns also have their own unique meaning. Ram horns are used to symbolize regality and leadership of their crown-like appearance.

The ram is one of the few animals that have crown-like horns on them. This ‘natural crown’ gives them an air of regality and nobility. For these reasons, people have been using them as a symbol of regality. Different monarchies have used the symbol of ram horns to assert their power and nobility.

The Chola dynasty of India, The Ancient Egyptian Dynasties, and other monarchies have used the ram horn symbols as their coat of arms. Even modern militaries around the world still use this symbol to express the trait of leadership.

The Size, Color, and Placement of the Ram Tattoos

Now that we are all done with the symbolism, let’s talk about the physical characteristics of your ram tattoo. Physical features include the size, color palette, and placement of the tattoo.

Like an artwork, a tattoo depends on its color to fully express the intended meaning. The color plays with our perception of the tattoo and our brain alters/adjusts the meaning accordingly.

Usually, color depends on you. You can get a colored tattoo or get a black-and-white one.

• If you get a floral ram tattoo, we suggest you get a colored one as it will fully express the beauty of your tattoo.
• If you get a geometric ram tattoo, we suggest getting the black and white tattoo as it will better highlight the shapes.
• You can get a colored or black-and-white tattoo if you choose a traditional design.

Depending on the intended body part, the size of your tattoo get’s adjusted.

• If you want to get the tattoo on your arm or the side of your back, we would suggest a small-sized tattoo.
• If you want a large tattoo, we would suggest the chest, back, ribs and stomach.

We would suggest the arm, leg, thigh, and lower-back region for medium-sized ones.

Last Words

Next time someone asks you the meaning behind a ram tattoo, we are sure that you will answer them brilliantly.

The ram tattoo is a symbol of strength, tenacity, and aggression. The ram’s explosive character and hunger for vengeance are also indicative of this concept. The ram, as a masculine animal, is a symbol of masculinity and fertility.

They are also born leaders, so the tattoo serves as a symbol of leadership. People also use ram tattoos to express their zodiac sign, as the ram is related to the Aries zodiac sign.

We hope this article helped you with your queries. Now, Get ready to go under the Inkpen and get ‘rammed’ up!