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What does a lamb tattoo mean? Sheepish ink trends on TikTok

This month has seen interest in lamb tattoos rise as TikTok users search for the meaning behind this adorable ink.

Over the past year, we’ve seen a number of TikTok users uncover the hidden meanings behind popular tattoo designs. From a dainty butterfly outline to the�figure of Aphrodite, having such symbols inked on your body can clue in other tattoo enthusiasts to a widely known hidden meaning, revealing something about yourself or your past.

The latest ink to trend on the social media platform is the tattoo of a sheep or a lamb. As users question what this design means, we take a deep dive into all the interpretations of the trending ink.

New Zealand Considers Taxing Farmers For Agricultural Emissions
AUCKLAND, NEW ZEALAND – JUNE 14: Lambs gather in a gateway on the Dill farm in Kaipara Hills on June 14, 2022 in Auckland, New Zealand. Fifth-generation farmer Steve Dill runs a 510-hectare sheep and beef farm in Kaipara Hills north of Auckland. The steep hill country farm winters 2000 sheep and 400 cattle. Steve Dill recently registered the farm as part of New Zealand’s Emissions Trading Scheme. The farm also plants up to 2000 trees each year along streams and riverbanks (known as riparian planting) to help protect and improve waterways. New Zealand is considering a proposal to tax farmers for agricultural emissions as part of the country’s plan to cut greenhouse gas emissions. Under the He Waka Eke Noa plan, farmers would be charged for the methane emissions from the animals they keep and would be the first in the world to do so. Under the proposal, farmers will have to pay for their gas emissions from 2025. (Photo by Fiona Goodall/Getty Images)

TikTok users refuse to give meaning to lamb tattoo

Interest in the meaning behind a lamb tattoo has risen after a TikTok user shared a video about getting the design. The user posted the video on December 20, which has been viewed over 1 million times as of publication date.

In the video’s text, it reads “the inside of my brain knowing that I have to say ‘IDK I just really like sheep’ now that I have this tattoo,” alongside audio of a woman screaming in distressed.

Without providing the meaning of the tattoo, this had many users in the comments speculating on what the sheep design could represent. The TikTok user who posted the video confirmed that they got the design of a lamb just because they like the animal, rather than there being some hidden meaning, as we’ve seen with other tattoo designs.

https://www.tiktok.com/@babyyodaextremist2/video/7179357153894124846

Twilight lovers revisit ‘lion and lamb’ tattoo designs

When prompted to give a meaning behind their lamb tattoo, some TikTok users suggested to the original poster that they say they were inspired by Twilight.

One of the most iconic quotes from Stephanie Meyer’s Twilight saga comes from our protagonist’s ultimate love interest, Edward Cullen. In the first novel, and screen adaptation, Edward says to Bella: “And so the lion fell in love with the lamb…” She then responds with “What a stupid lamb,” before Edward adds, What a sick, masochistic lion.

A number of Twilight fans have shared their ‘lion and lamb’ tattoos on social media, showing the strength in the Twilight fandom, over 17 years since the first book was published.

Christianity offers alternate meaning to lamb tattoo

While Twilight can serve as a meaning for a lamb tattoo, its meaning can also be found in Christian faith.

In the Christian Bible, the ‘Lion and the Lamb’ passage is found in Revelation 5:5-6. The symbols of the lion and the lamb are used to refer to Jesus Christ in two states. The lamb reflects Christ’s sacrifice, the lion represents Christ resurrected.

As the Lion of Judah, Christ fulfils the prophecy of Genesis 49:9 and is the subsequent Messiah would would come from the Tribe of Judah. As the Lamb of God, Christ is the ultimate sacrifice for sin.

Are we reading too deep into tattoo meaning?

A tattoo is an incredibly personal thing. The ink can stay on your body forever and becomes as much a part of you as your hair color, style, fashion sense, and is representative of your personality. As such, many people believe that all tattoos bear some significance or meaning to the individual they’re inked on. However, this is not always the case.

Recent months have seen TikTok taken over by tattoo lovers searching for deeper meanings to body art. But what about the individuals who get tattoos for the fun of it, or simply because they like the design?

The viral TikTok video about the sheep tattoo raises questions about whether we’re reading too deep into the meanings of tattoo designs. So, maybe a sheep tattoo can just be a sheep tattoo, without having to reveal any personal secrets.

Sheep Shearing Ahead Of Summer In New Zealand
AUCKLAND, NEW ZEALAND – DECEMBER 19: Sheep are mustered ahead of shearing on December 19, 2022 in Kaipara Hills, New Zealand. Fifth-generation farmer Steve Dill runs a 510-hectare sheep and beef farm in the Kaipara Hills north of Auckland. The steep hill country farm has 2000 sheep and 400 cattle. Cattle and sheep produce methane as a byproduct of the feed they eat. The gas is a contributor to global warming. Finding ways to reduce the amount of methane produced by farm animals is a growing area of research, and some surprising recent innovations have been made – such as breeding sheep that produce less methane and changing the feed to kelp. (Photo by Fiona Goodall/Getty Images)