The significance of the "Pierced Heart" image?

September 11, 2007 6:29 AM

The significance of the "Pierced Heart" image with a dagger and snake?

I finally found a design that I would love for my first tattoo. The image is here Tattoo Idea.

I am trying to find out what the significance of the "pierced heart" is with the dagger and snake as it's a common theme I have seen before. I've tried searching but don't seem to come up with anything. Any help would be greatly appreciated

posted by Hates_ to clothing, beauty, & fashion (9 comments total)

i believe it has christian symbolism--i think to do with embracing your enemy.

i am not well-versed in christiam symbology though.
posted by misanthropicsarah at 6:57 AM on September 11, 2007

On this page it says:

"Pierced Heart - A quintessential symbol of being in love. Shot from the arrow of Cupid it can suggest penetration and physical love too."
...
"Snake - Snakes are a recurring form of tattoo in may different styles from modern American tattoos to Chinese style tattoos. It is associated with renewal because the snakes ability to shed its skin. The snake was also associated with knowledge and temptation in the Christian tradition. There are many different styles of snake and can be depicted on their own, coiled around a sword or dagger (which is a medical symbol) or emerging from a skull."

Also the image you posted looks a heck of a lot like this.
posted by o0dano0o at 6:58 AM on September 11, 2007

Spooky similarities to the Sacred Heart.
posted by curlyelk at 6:59 AM on September 11, 2007

The daggered heart and snake represents painful love or heartbreak through succumbing to temptation. The snake is also very feminine symbol.
posted by brautigan at 7:13 AM on September 11, 2007

Just an FYI: that design has a lot of small details, especially when it comes to the roses at the bottom. Unless you want it to lose all meaning and turn into a blurry ugly splotch, you probably will have to go rather big with it. Like, at least double or triple the size I'm seeing on my monitor. I also suggest you go with color. I would get a good tattoo artist to appraise the design for you, in terms of size, hours, and price.
posted by nursegracer at 7:27 AM on September 11, 2007

@nursegracer

Thanks for the advice. I will be trying to get it done to much larger then the image I have of it. Probably twice the size like you said.
posted by Hates_ at 7:37 AM on September 11, 2007

If you've got love and you've got snakes, there's probably at least a passing reference to Eve in there.
posted by nebulawindphone at 7:39 AM on September 11, 2007

That whole image says Mexican folk art to me, specifically a riff on the Virgin of Guadalupe. The crown, heart, roses, pose, nimbus and robes are all familiar iconography, albeit not often in that specific configuration. If you're looking for a tattoo artist who can do that image justice, I recommend asking Cesar Vulcano over at House of Guadalupe in Camden Lock (you're in London, right?) for a referral. I think they may have an in-house artist who specializes in that style.
posted by hades at 10:24 AM on September 11, 2007

The box in which the Queen asks the Huntsman to bring her Snow White's heart has a heart with a dagger.
posted by fandango_matt at 10:22 PM on September 11, 2007