In India, there are many myths and legends around the Hindu deity Kai who is a frightening and rather horrific looking goddess associated with the dark forces of death and destruction. Over the centuries these tales have evolved to explain the forces of the universe and the will of nature have combined to impact on our human lives. As a Hindu, one would recognize Kali as the ‘Terrible Mother’ who’s powerful influence threatened to disturb the balance of the universe as a whole. So why would one choose a Kali tattoo and what would this represent to the individual?
Over the centuries Kali has long been associated with the breakdown of order and perhaps due to her connotations with death and dark forces, she has been a popular symbol for the criminal elements of society. In many paintings and sculptures Kali is depicted as a jet black figure, with a large snake adorned with skulls wrapped around her naked body. There are several gruesome features that catch the eye including her sharp fangs and blood red tongue protruding aggressively from her bloody mouth. In some more macabre depictions she is adorned with children hanging from her ears like ornaments and sporting serpents as bracelets around the wrists of her four arms. These extra arms give her additional hands to hold her swords of destruction, as well as showing off her invincibility by clutching the head of a demon. As such, she is beyond fear so many invoke her image to free them from their own fears so perhaps a tattoo of this nature could symbolize the courage to find that freedom within oneself.
Most other goddesses who represent the mother give life, unlike Kali who disperses and destroys lives at will. She is often pictured in the company of jackals and goblins, particularly on funeral pyres and other rituals associated with death. There are also some sects who worship Kali as they believe the key to liberation from fear and anxiety lies in acceptance rather than avoiding the existence of death and destruction in the world. By honoring these powerful forces they can free ultimately free themselves by releasing the bonds of ignorance that hold us captive.
On a more positive note, the name Kali means time giving connotations of the power that time has over humanity and the transience of all life forms. This could also be a symbolic expression of a Kali tattoo reminding us that life is short. While time may be eternal, it is constantly passing us by and there is nothing we can do to change this no matter how much we desire it was otherwise. In western civilizations, Kali is seen as the destroyer of ego and symbolic of a life lived without the restrictions of one’s egotistical limitations. Despite her fearsome appearance and reputation, women may also be drawn to Kali as she is a potent female symbol with the power to unbalance the cosmic energy of the universe, no mean feat in itself for a man or a woman! Some may even see the Kali image as support, a lucky talisman when inked on the skin as body art. There have been many legends that portray her as a blood thirsty, wild and crazy individual who was so out of control that even other gods feared her including the god Shiva. However, folklore suggests that the only way to fully restore the cosmic harmony of the universe would be for Kali and Shiva to unite in marriage. In more recent times, the Indian nationalist movement used Kali the Mother Goddess as a symbol for India during the late 1800’s. With both positive and negative connotations this is certainly an unusual if not controversial choice of image to use as a tattoo design.
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