Best Snake Tattoos (Top 200)

The serpent is still considered one of the ancient or oldest symbols and is present in most existing mythologies through paintings, writings, legends, and even tattoos. It is a being that has always been linked to myths and fables. Yes, you see her everywhere 🙄It is often believed that the snake is a protector of complex mysteries.

However, a snake tattoo still has a mythical air, even though this reptile is one of the most dangerous animals, I think you know that the boa, viper, sea snake, anaconda, mamba or python can kill you in a matter of minutes by a toxin contained in their poison, so prepare your antidote or you potion against the venom 💊 if you want to keep reading. It has always been a source of inspiration for tattoos artists (tattoos designs) of different times, which leads us to wonder about the many meanings of snake tattoos.

Depending on the cultural reference ( ex: almost always snakes can represent bad luck) point of the person who will get the snake tattoo, they can symbolize many different things since the last meaning will always be given by the person who will have the tattoo on their skin. Some of the meanings include healing and rebirth, sexual energy and fertility, sexual temptation, the spirit of revenge, intellect and cunning, nobility, divinity, seduction, Intelligence.

Oriental countries have a much more positive interpretation, e.g., Japanese or Chinese (e.g., Ying Yang ☯️). We speak of a balance between mortality and rebirth, the cycle of death, and rebirth.

These are the most important symbols:

The snake is a symbol of danger.

The snake was always a synonym for danger ⚠️; the characteristics of the snake influence its symbolization; it is a source of fear and danger hence the symbolization of the snake tattoo that allows you to express your anger, and erethism. If you want to look dangerous and pass on messages of death, you should try to get such a tattoo. Express your strong personality as the assurance that this reptile attacking its prey can have.

The serpent is a symbol of immortality.

The cycle of life and death, in other words, someone is going to die (funerary art), but another person is born in his place to restore balance ⚖️ (life and death), which is what "Ouroboros" is all about. This is an incredible tattoo. It's the drawing that shows a snake eating its tail. The origin of the word is Greek, "ourobóros," which means "who bites its tail."

 The Greek culture attributed the cycle of life and the universe to this symbolization. Just like the ouroboros (Nordic legend or ancient Egypt), in our universe, an event that ends gives birth to another. There is no end; each end is another different beginning. If you want to send a message that your life does not stop after an event and that the wheel of your life keeps turning, such a tattoo is for you.

Triumph of good over evil.

May also the duality of good and bad, we have the example of the eagle & snake tattoo where the eagle 🦅 represents rather the honorable intentions and the snake the infamous intentions. In other words, the confrontation between Good and Evil.

The snake is a symbol of good health.

Returning to the ancient Greek culture, Asclepius, the hero healer and the god of health and medicine, always carried a staff surrounded by a snake, which made the snake a sign of healing and good health (CADUCEUS 🧑‍⚕️). The symbolism of the caduceus is sometimes ambiguous, like many symbols and archetypes. If its thickest part touches one, one dies. On the contrary, a dead person comes back to life if the thinnest part touches him. It is a stick of life and death. The caduceus is an emblem of the phallus to which the two snakes, male and female, of desire (sexual passion), are coiled. Indeed at the moment, it's the universal symbol of healing and medicine fertility.

The legend tells of Caduceus of Hermes that Apollo exchanged with Hermes his half-brother a gold wand for a lyre. Hermes used it one day to separate two snakes, but the snakes wound around it in opposite directions. The symbolism later took hold, and the emblem of the Greek God Hermes (Mercury for the Romans) always accompanied Hermes.

The snake tattoo, associated with the cyclical nature of the universe (cycle of life)...

The universe 🌌 is a cycle. And this is prevalent in every culture in the world. The Greeks then left us a beautiful legacy to symbolize this cyclical side: Ourobouros. It is a snake that bites its tail, thus testifying that in the universe, the end of one thing is the beginning of another. All events, therefore, take place in a cycle that keeps coming back again and again. You could get such a tattoo to signify that in your life, the wheel is turning. You always get up from your bad times!

But also...

Some tattoos have a more than mythical scope. It was sometimes taking their source from various religions and ancient beliefs. Thus, it is rather frequent to attribute them more or less diverse meanings, sometimes very ambivalent. It is notably the case of the snake tattoo. This is certainly a very strong symbolism. In the tattoo or other areas, the snake has a very strong meaning ... So strong that it can lead to confusion! 

We meet the serpent, in the Hebrew Genesis, on the Tree of Knowledge. The tree is the axis of the world. Its roots plunge into the fertile earth that nourishes it; its foliage reaches the sky. At its two extremities, the celestial pole and the subterranean pole are opposed. On either side of the tree trunk, Adam and Eve represent the two opposing but complementary principles, male and female these are symbols of love Garden of Eden 🌳. The serpent will make them human by making them taste the fruit of knowledge. Their consciousness will open up, but it will cause them to fall painfully into the matter. The conscious (the day, the sky) automatically generates its opposite, the unconscious (the night, the underworld).

The feathered serpent to symbolize the duality of life

There is a type of snake tattoo that reproduces it with feathers. The feathers placed on the snake make it an extraordinary being. But it is not this extraordinary character that represents the strongest symbolism. It is rather to the ambivalence that emerges from it that the strong meaning of the feathered snake tattoo is due. Indeed, the snake in itself, moving by crawling, testifies to the attachment to the earth.

At the same time, the feathers, associated with the birds flying in the sky, make one think of an attachment to the sky. In this ambivalence, one can glimpse the uniqueness of the world despite all its diversity. This is what you would express if you get a tattoo of a feathered snake.  

Tribal snake tattoos (Traditional Tattoo)

Each Aboriginal society records its history and culture using a unique set of tribal tattoo models. The patterns have special significance; they use traditional snake models inspired by real snakes. They are usually related to the spiritual world and elements of nature in that area. Conversely, snakes are among the oldest religious symbols in human history, FYI they were often engraved in black and white snakes.

From the Germanic tribes of ancient Europe to the Native Americans of the Midwestern plains, many cultures around the world have associated these amazing creatures with countless deities and characters in local folklore. If you have a strong spiritual connection to your native heritage, the tribal snake tattoo is a great way to express your thoughts to the world.

Provisional Tattoos (alternative solution)

A lot of people see body art, like tattoos, as a way to express themselves artistically... maybe you do! And while these tattoos can bring a unique asset to your body, it's important to consider the consequences and risks of permanently inking your skin in a tattoo parlor - and weigh them against the option of a temporary snake tattoo! We have many symbols, the tiger and the snake, the eagle and the snake, the dragon and the snake, the skull and the serpent, and a lot of other snake designs. You can look at us as tattoo artists.

If you're afraid of taking the next big step, or if you just want to try new experiences, we have the solution for you: temporary snake tattoos! It's a tattoo that looks a lot like the real thing but doesn't have the negative effects of a real tattoo. Here you have the best snakes tattoos.

List of Snake Tattoos

There are countless examples here below, what do you prefer Rattlesnake, crawling snake, scaled snake, neo-traditional 🐍. You will get the most common snakes tattoos and a lot of snake tattoos ideas!