The dove, a beautiful white bird, is the universal symbol for Peace. The foundations for this go back to Biblical days particularly the Bible's Old Testament. It was in the Old Testament when God had unleashed such torrential rain that the world flooded. Only Noah, his family and the creatures and animals on board the Ark he had built survived. After Noah's ark had been drifting for days Noah sent off some of the birds in search of land and after a few days the Dove returned bringing with it an olive branch in its beak to show that land was nearby. Because of this the dove has since become a universal symbol of hope and later it became the recognized symbol of peace. This image has been known to many people for hundreds of years.
Since those days the dove has become a Christian symbol meaning to 'Rest in Peace'. It is for this reason that many tattoo wearers have a dove tattoo on their bodies along with the name of someone close to them who has passed away.
The symbol of a pair of doves is synonymous with everlasting love, prosperity, fidelity and a happy home life and this is why at many weddings doves are released by the bride and groom. Doves are known to have life long partners, they work in unison to build their nests and raise their young and are incredibly loyal to each other.
The dove tattoo represents different things for different people including:
* The universal symbol of peace and hope
* The dove symbolizes purity and gentleness
* Everlasting love
* Christian symbol for Rest In Peace and the Holy Ghost
* In ancient Greek myth it was a bird of Athene which represented the renewal of life
* It is interpreted as a symbol of long life in Chinese culture
* The Dove is also a powerful Christian symbol of the Holy Spirit
* It is believed by some that the flight of a released dove symbolizes the release of the soul in death
These days tattoos are generally worn and shown off as a means of expressing the wearers opinion to certain aspects of life in general. The dove tattoo has often been used to make certain statements. To many people who dislike tattoos and other forms of body art the changes in the style of tattoos available these days, including the dove and other peace, love and harmony symbols, has made them reconsider their views on tattoos.
The traditional stereotypical views about body art and tattoos is that it is representative of anti-social behavior and a means of segregating the tattoo wearers from the rest of general society. This view may be correct in regard to certain aspects of the origin of body art but clearly does not capture the true reason that many people choose to have a tattoo. In the case of a person wearing a dove tattoo it would clearly indicate the opposite of anti-social behavior.
As is the case involving other controversial aspects of life it is quite ignorant and foolish to make general statements when there are of course quite different positions to consider. Often people opposed to body art and tattoos take the moral high ground in their views and are unwilling to consider another person's opposing views even if supported by sound facts. It is strongly believed that the large increase in the number of people wearing tattoos, particularly those who are well educated and from good backgrounds, may improve the image of tattoo wearers in general. Perhaps the peace, love and harmony symbol of the dove tattoo could maybe help to positively influence the general public's opinions on the subject.
