Raven and geometric shapes tattoo on the arm

Raven Tattoo: 30 Images That Will Prove This Bird Is Way Cooler Than You Think

Categories Bird TattoosPosted on

Raven tattoo is a beautiful choice both for men and women who have close relations with nature. The raven is one of those birds that always lived near the humans. And it seems that they have perfectly adapted with us. Therefore, you can find ravens in almost every part of the world. Thanks to the pop-culture, many people see them as a symbol of death, loneliness, and other harmful things. However, the raven also has more positive meanings and is a brilliant animal. We invite you to read further and learn more about these magnificent birds.

Crescent moon and raven on the branch tattoo by merry tattooer
Crescent moon and raven on the branch tattoo by merry tattooer

What does a raven tattoo mean?

Apart from the dark symbols such as misfortune and death, the raven has other, more positive meanings. It is a spiritual guide, a messenger of the gods and the symbol of transformation. Also, in mythology, the raven brought the light to the world and became the symbol of light. It also gave the people moon, stars, water, and fire. There is another legend about how the raven got its black color. He was stealing the firewood, and the smoke that came out turned his plumage from white into black.

Realistic raven perched on the branch tattoo on the left forearm
Realistic raven perched on the branch tattoo on the left forearm
Raven on the tree tattoo by lauren melina
Raven on the tree tattoo by Lauren Melina

Since the dawn of times, many myths and legends speak about this animal’s exceptional intelligence. Many ancient cultures admired these birds. For example, Vikings god Odin was always carrying two ravens Huginn and Muninn on his shoulders. They used to bring him information from all over the earth and the underworld.

Odins ravens huginn and muninn tattoo with a nordic stave the helm of awe
Odin’s ravens Hugin and Muninn tattoo with a Nordic stave the helm of awe
Odins ravens tattoo on the back
Odin’s ravens tattoo on the back

In other parts of the world, the raven is often a symbol of death. In fact, there was a widespread belief in medieval times that seeing a raven in the house meant inevitable death. This symbolical meaning of death comes from the fact that these birds were always in battlefields looking for rotting bodies to eat.

Solid black raven tattoo on the left forearm
Solid black raven tattoo on the left forearm
A tattered old raven tattoo on the right side
A tattered old raven tattoo on the right side
Abstract black raven tattoo on the left inner arm
Abstract black raven tattoo on the left inner arm
Beautiful pair of ravens tattoo on the both sides of the chest
Beautiful pair of ravens tattoo on the both sides of the chest
Black paintbrush stroke circle triangle and raven tattoo on the arm
Black paintbrush stroke circle triangle and raven tattoo on the arm

In other ancient cultures, ravens were a symbol of the guardians of the lost souls. Other seen them as the ghosts of the war victims and the souls of the condemned. Apart from the negative meanings of a raven, you can see that there are many positive ones. And we’re sure that you will be looking at them.

Raven tattoo ideas

As you can see, a raven is a beautiful bird that always had both good and bad images. Since we are living in the 21st century, those wrong meanings are getting less relevant. We know that a raven can’t do any harm to us and that people are much more dangerous than this innocent creature. Because of that, you should just enjoy the beauty of the raven. Take a look at our collection of raven tattoos, and maybe you’ll find a perfect idea.

Blood moon and black raven arm tattoo
Blood moon and black raven tattoo on the arm
Black raven tattoo on the left arm by phellipe rodrigues
Another black raven tattoo on the left arm by phellipe rodrigues
Bloody moon and raven on a skull tattoo
Bloody moon and raven on a skull tattoo
Black raven tattoo on the right side of the chest
Black raven tattoo on the right side of the chest
Blackwork raven tattoo on the left inner arm by richard feodorow
Blackwork raven tattoo on the left inner arm by richard feodorow
Flying black raven tattoo on the hand
Flying black raven tattoo on the hand
Huginn and muninn tattoo on the back
Huginn and Muninn tattoo on the back
Raven and geometric shapes tattoo on the arm
Raven and geometric shapes tattoo on the arm
Raven and the helm of awe nordic stave tattoojpg
Raven and the helm of awe nordic stave tattoojpg
Grey raven with widespread wings tattoo on the back
Grey raven with widespread wings tattoo on the back
Raven blackwork tattoo on the right forearm
Raven blackwork tattoo on the right forearm
Two black ravens and trees tattoo on the right arm by cavera wolf
Two black ravens and trees tattoo on the right arm by cavera wolf
Raven old school style tattoo on the left inner arm
Raven old school style tattoo on the left inner arm
Raven on a tree branch tattoo
Another raven on a tree branch tattoo
Traditional black raven tattoo on the left upper arm
Traditional black raven tattoo on the left upper arm
Raven on an orange circle tattoo on the left arm
Raven on an orange circle tattoo on the left arm
Raven tattoo by frank carrilho
Raven tattoo by frank carrilho
Red sun raven and rose traditional tattoo
Another traditional blood moon and raven tattoo
Small black raven wrist tattoo
Small black raven wrist tattoo
Sylized raven tattoo on the right forearm
Sylized raven tattoo on the right forearm