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For the ancient Egyptians, this tall, thin, water-wading BIRD with the pointed and downward-curving beak was a creature of great symbolic significance, considered the incarnation of the god THOTH. Numerous mummified ibises accompanied burials. Much like Thoth, the ibis was associated with the intellect, knowledge, and wisdom. In Judaism, the ibis was credited with foreknowledge, heralding the flood of the Nile, but it was also considered unclean. In early Christian bestiaries, the ibis was believed to feed off the carcasses of dead FISH (because it could not swim) and would feed the same to its young, propagating sinful behavior.
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Icarus is the symbol of rash and uncon- trolled youth that disregards parental warnings to earn its death. In Greek mythology, he and his father, the inventor Daedalus, are imprisoned after falling out of favor with King Minos of Crete. In order to escape the island, Daedalus creates WINGS of wax and FEATHERS for the two of them so that they can fly to Sicily. Despite cautions from his father to fly the middle course, Icarus flew ever higher and closer to the sun. When the wax melted, he fell into the sea and drowned.
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The iguana is a large (up to six feet long) lizard of the Western hemisphere that, perhaps because of its beautiful green color scheme or its status as a pet, is popular in tattoo art. Among New World groups, iguanas were important to the Maya of Central America, where they were sacred animals. Their distinctive, powerful legs, large body, and equally large head, combined with a long tail, make them ideal tattoos for longer parts of the body. Sometimes, despite their potential for vibrantly colored designs, black TRIBAL versions are also done.
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In more recent times, the letters "IHS" have served as an acronym for various words relating to Christ "I Have Suffered' in English; "Jesus hominum Salvator"in Latin, meaning "Jesus the Savior of men"; and even "Jesus, Heiland, Seligmacher" in German, meaning "Jesus, Lord, Savior? But the origin of these letters is not of an acronym at all, but of an abbreviation. The letters "IHC" had been used in Christian symbolism as the abbreviation for Jesus's name, based upon the spelling of JESUS using the Greek alphabet. When translated to Latin equivalents, the first three letters (iota-eta-sigma) would appear "I-H-C" or sometimes "I-H-S," where the letter "S" rather than "C" replaces sigma.
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The illuminati (meaning "enlightened ones") symbol of the eye within a pyramid or TRIANGLE is one whose origin is shrouded in mystery but whose presence is widespread. The eye itself is sometimes called the ALL-SEEING EYE, the third eye, or the eye of providence, and has most generally been interpreted as a reminder of the constant presence or watchfulness of an all-powerful being, as was common in Western cultural iconography of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. The triangle or pyramid is likely an adjunct based on the Christian trinity. In tattoo artwork, the illuminati takes on a seemingly infinite number of forms that range from winged versions with HALOS to re-creations of the Great Seal of the United States, as seen on the dollar bill.
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Tattoos of in memoriam (Latin for "in memory of") are likely a very ancient joining of ink with skin. From the use of these actual words, in English or Latin, followed by the initials, name, or perhaps some other more symbolic reminder of the deceased, these tattoos are more than an expression of grief, although they are certainly that. The people memorialized become a physical presence, quite literally, and a lasting part of the tattoo bearer. In many ways tattoos have been and continue to be a transformalive process for people. The in memoriam tattoo is yet one more way for us to cope with loss and express our desire for remembrance. Placement on the skin of these innermost feelings and bringing them "to the surface" is also an apt analogy.
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