Meanings - Pharaoh Horses

Pharaoh Horses - This image became a back piece and chest piece staple in the tattoo business from the turn of the twentieth century up to the 1950s. One of the earliest examples of Pharaoh’s Horses is from Gus Wagner

In biblical times, horses were a symbol of wealth, status and, in warfare, power.  While the galloping steeds of Pharaoh's Horses convey a sense of power, majesty and grace, the implied reference to Exodus 14 suggests a symbolic warning against the singular pursuit of a tragic course without regard to the consequences: "The water flowed back and covered the chariots and horsemen—the entire army of Pharaoh that had followed the Israelites into the sea. Not one of them survived (Exodus 14:28)." In this vein, Pharaoh's Horses could be seen as a thematic variation of the Sailor's Grave tattoo image.

Pharaoh's Horses symbolizes the struggle and triumph of the human spirit over oppression. In Exodus the Hebrews were slaves fleeing from bondage. Pharaoh pursued them into the Red Sea where the Hebrews decisively won their freedom, and Pharaoh lost his entire army. The human spirit desires to be free. When confined, it is a force to be reckoned with. Its power has moved oceans, defeated armies and brought down empires. I had Pharaoh's Horses tattooed on my chest as a show of respect for the human spirit and to tap into its power.

*The drawings contained in the "meanings" section are created by Don Chuck Carvalho exclusively for that purpose. No drawing are copied, plagiarized or used without permission.