Rose Tattoo - History and Meanings

The Rose in the West represents what the Lotus does in the East. A symbol of love, but especially of a love that is pure. Because of the rose's beauty, scent and shape, it is the ultimate floral symbol. Of all the flower tattoo designs, the rose is still the most popular and the most requested. Interestingly, the rose is nearly as popular with men as it is with women.

A symbol of passion, chastity, and purity, the rose reigns supreme as the most beloved of flowers. The gift of a single red rose says, "I love you" while a thornless rose declares "love at first sight". Yellow roses are for joy, white for reverence, light pink for sympathy and admiration, and orange for enthusiasm. In medieval times, the white rose was the symbol of virginity. Red, of course covers every kind of love, both sacred and romantic.

 Early Christians associated the rose with their Roman enemies, hence it became a mark of scorn, but eventually it came to symbolize the survival of persecution. Later yet, won over by its fabulous beauty, Christians adopted the rose as a symbol of the miraculous. At least a dozen saints have their names linked with roses, like Saint Therese of Lisieux, also known as Saint Therese of the Roses. The Virgin Mary herself is called "The Mystical Rose". The first "rosary" is said to have consisted of roses, then, later, rose-carved beads.

Countless tales and legends name the rose as a source of love and delight. According to the ancient Persians, the nightingale loved the white rose so much that the bird embraced it, piercing its heart and turning the rose red. Ancient Hindu writings speak of the goddess Lakshmi being born of 108 large rose petals, and 1,108 smaller ones. In 15th century England, during the bloody War of the Roses, the red rose stood for the House of Lancaster, while the white rose represented the House of York.