Female tattoo enthusiasts tend to favor fruity body art such as a strawberry tattoo which is a cute and colorful alternative to the more commonly requested cherry design. This particular fruit is a symbol of fertility and passion, feminine principles and temptation but it is also widely associated with love. Believe it or not, the strawberry is related to the rose family so it is not just the red color and connotations with romance that these two popular tattoo designs have in common.
The strawberry’s link with love and romance goes all the way back to ancient times, when the goddess of love, Venus, was symbolized by this particular fruit due to their heart-like shape and bright red color. There is also an ancient myth about sharing a double strawberry as any couple who do so are fated to fall madly in love with each other. The French also associated the strawberry with matters of the heart and served it to newlyweds for its aphrodisiac properties so modern day lovers may opt for a strawberry tattoo as a symbol of their eternal love.
Monks in the 15th century started using illustrations of wild strawberries in their manuscripts and miniatures. These were frequently used in conjunction with depictions of the Virgin Mary or Madonna and Child, where they were widely used to adorn the margins or even within the pictures themselves. This is due to its religious connotations as strawberries have a leaf that is split into three sections so this is believed to represent the Holy Trinity and also symbolizes the feminine ideal, peace and perfection of spirit. You may also come across strawberry designs carved in stone around the pillars of ancient churches and cathedrals as medieval stone masons often used these to signify virtue and perfection and tombstones today can still be found with this feature.
Strawberries are often used in spring rituals in some cultures including Bavaria which holds an annual festival honoring this fruit. According to Bavarian folklore, farmers should make an offering to the elves in the spring to ensure their cows produce plenty of milk and a healthy offspring. They do so by tying little baskets of strawberries to the horns of their cattle from which the elves can help themselves and then bless the cattle for their generosity. This is also an idea for a more unusual strawberry tattoo, featuring this image combined with an elf or two for a unique and individual take on the more popular fairy designs.
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