] Hesjedal Media: Koi Fish Tattoos

Friday, August 27, 2010

Koi Fish Tattoos

 
Koi Fish Tattoos
The image of five Koi are also referred to as "living jewels," and so are likewise associated with luck and good fortune. With regard to the Chinese "Dragon Gate" legend, koi fish are also seen as symbols of high aspiration and accomplishment. Generally, koi fish tattoos' meanings include strength of character and the temerity to face adversity and seemingly impossible odds.

 That it can remain stoic in the face of imminent death is a quality likened to the samurai warrior's unflinching courage to face the sword. It is said that this fish, if caught and placed on a cutting board, can lie still and wait for the knife to drop-without a quiver. The koi is a celebrated symbol in Japan-mostly associated with exceptional courage. While the fish originated from China, it is the Japanese who have made it a household name. An old Chinese legend tells of koi brave enough to swim up the waterfalls of the Yellow River, and that any fish that could reach the point in the river called "Dragon Gate" would turn into a dragon.

 Koi are vigorous fish that can swim upstream. This special breeding has produced the multi-colored varieties of koi fish that people now collect. "Koi" is simply "carp" in Japanese, but the expensive fish that we are all familiar with are carp that have been especially bred since ancient times in China.  The image of the koi fish is often used in tattoo designs not just because of its obvious elegance and vibrant colors, but more because of the symbolism surrounding it.

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