Likewise, the Yoruba people of West Africa often attributed domestic and wild animal traits to persons. The Ashanti People revere the elephants which are considered leaders reincarnated. Even though elephants themselves are not violent animals, their association with war comes more as symbol of victory, rather than helping the aggressors. It’s considered an animal of great influence, often in the role of King or even mediator helping other animals sort out their conflicts.Īnother important symbolism for the elephant is victory in war. Thus, in India, a white elephant is associated with rain and is often depicted flying in the sky like a white cloud.Įlephant is native to Africa, which lead many different cultures around this vast continent to adopt this majestic animal in their folklore.Īfrican cultures are not monolithic, however we can find some common symbolism related to elephants. In Indian mythology, a deity named Airavata is a white elephant who carries Indra, the god of war and monsoons. In addition to Buddhism, a white elephant appears in other cultures. It is the most positive animal symbol known with no negative consequence. The white elephant is a rare animal and their appearance today will still be considered a phenomenon of the gods. With different species, the white elephant having been chosen by Buddha was because he wanted to use it for his many incarnations. Practitioners of Feng shui believe that a stature of an elephant with their trunk up can improve the inflow of good fortune in your life. In ancient China and Cambodia, elephants were used in wars to win battles as far back as the 6th century BC.Įlephants also have regal meanings to them, stemming from Chinese emperors giving their status important positions at the palaces.īecause elephants were known for their strength, ancient emperors placed elephant statues in front of their palaces for protection and to bring good fortune. The wisdom and longevity symbolism comes from the fact that elephants (unlike many other animals) can reach up to 70 years of age, and it’s believed that they retain all its wisdom throughout. In Asia, the elephant is generally considered a symbol of good luck and the animal is a symbol of good fortune.įurthermore, many Asian cultures attribute divinity and benevolence to elephants, as well as wisdom, loyalty, strength, fidelity and longevity. Then there’s Baku, the mythic creature with the head of an elephant and body of a tiger, can help remind you that you are walking through both the intellectual, esoteric and intuitive realm of dreams and the mundane world of the physical realm. So, getting a sacred elephant-headed God in the design for your Ganesha tattoo, for example, can remind you of your ability to break through obstacles and clear the way when you need to navigate through difficulties. Like the bear, wolf, or lion, the elephant doesn’t back down when it’s needed to be fiercely protective.įurthermore, elephant’s have been an animal used as different deities. This makes them a great choice for a tattoo for women, especially women relating a lot to their role as mother and family person.īesides their great loyalty to each other, an important trait why elephant tattoos are done to symbolize one’s devotion to their family is because of elephant’s trait of strong protection.Įlephants are known for their protectiveness – an elephant will personally endanger themselves to protect their calves and their herd. The leader of an elephant herd is the oldest female, who is the holder of the herd’s experience and knowledge to survive.īecause of that, the female elephant remains with her mother and grandmother, to learn everything she can in order to ensure her herd’s survival. In fact, elephant herds are matriarchal societies. One of the main meanings that the elephant is used for is to show unwavering dedication to one’s family (herd).Įlephants are highly social animals, they live in large herds and never leave them for the rest of their lives. “Plato told me that everything I needed to know about life can be seen in elephants.” To further solidify its long standing positive meanings, on an ancient Grecian tablet were carved the words:

The world’s most gentle giant has a fairly positive symbology, and its meanings include among many others: The impact of the elephant animal symbology surpasses these boarders, as the elephant spirit animal appears in the devotional beliefs of people around the world.

This animal is an important figure in cultural mythologies of African and Asian religions. As omnipresent as they are in many cultures, elephants are actually native only to Africa and Asia.

Simple elephant outline