What does a Forget Me Not flower tattoo mean?
Introduction
One of the main reasons why tattoos in the 21st century have proved to be so popular is because there are tattoos out there for everybody.
It doesn’t matter whether you’re looking for a macho and edgy tattoo, a humorous tattoo, a meaningful quote, a portrait, or a calming and peaceful tattoo, you’ll almost certainly be able to find exactly what you’re looking for.
When talking about popular tattoo ideas and suggestions, you simply cannot overestimate flowers.
Sure, flowers such as roses are perhaps a little overdone and cliched when it comes to tattoos, yet others are vastly underestimated and under-appreciated.
Forget me not flowers, for example, are not as well known as some other types of flowers out there, yet they are quickly becoming one of the more popular tattoo design ideas for the 2020s.
But what exactly are forget me not flowers, and more importantly, why are so many tattoo enthusiasts choosing this particular flower to decorate their bodies with? Let’s take a look, shall we?
Here are several common forget me not tattoo meaning explanations.
Forget Me Not Tattoo Flower Meanings:
Forget me nots, or forget-me-nots as they are sometimes referred to, or the much cooler sounding ‘scorpion grasses,’ are a species of flowering plants that have a name derived from the ancient Greek word for ‘mouse’s ear,’ which is Myosotis.
Most species of forget me not plants are what are known as ‘biennial,’ so they will easily self-seed.
In case you’re wondering about the unusual name, these flowers get their name from a legend of German origin.
The legend tells of a knight who, while trying to get beautiful blue flowers for his lover, sadly died.
In his last breath, he called out to his lover, ‘forget me not,’ basically meaning he was asking his lover to always remember him.
Here’s a look at a few possible forget me not tattoo meaning explanations.
Forget-me-nots represent remembrance
Perhaps the most obvious and most popular forget me not tattoo meaning explanation is that forget me not flowers represent remembrance.
Because of the name, and indeed, the German legend behind the name, a great deal of people choose to have forget me not flower tattoos to remember something or someone.
This could be a deceased loved one or pet, a significant date to them, or even a significant date in history.
These stunning blue flowers serve as a visual reminder because of the name and the historic legend behind them and are, therefore, ideal when used as part of a tattoo designed to remember something or someone.
Forget me not flower tattoos are romantic gestures
Despite the tragic backstory behind the German legend of how these gorgeous blue flowers got their name, the legend itself is really quite beautiful, and quite romantic.
A knight gathering flowers for the woman he loved?
Come on, how can you say that that isn’t romantic?
Because of this, we’ve seen a lot of couples in love having matching forget me not tattoos, perhaps featuring the name of their partner, a wedding anniversary date, or even a portrait of the two of them together.
As far as forget me not tattoo meaning explanations go, these flowers can, of course, signify love, making these types of tattoos specifically romantic.
We also find people having these tattoos as a way of showing their partners how much they love them.
Essentially, they are doing what the knight did and are getting flowers for their partner.
The only difference is that they are getting flowers tattooed on their bodies, rather than actual flowers, which require water and attention and will eventually shrivel up and die anyways.
Forget me not tattoos represent independence
Perhaps one of the lesser known forget me not tattoo meaning explanations that we’re going to be looking at today is the fact that forget me nots represent independence.
For people who are proud that they are independent, perhaps those who have overcome a tough period in their lives, or who are proud to have finally gotten their act together and “grown up” forget me nots are very appropriate flowers.
Forget me nots are self-seeding.
They thrive in the wild, they don’t need somebody to plant them, water them, prune them, and care for them, they do all of that themselves.
For people who are proud of their independence, and who want to show the world that they don’t need help from anybody else, a forget me not tattoo makes for a very apt design.
Forget me not tattoos represent beauty
Just one look at a forget me not will tell you all you need to know about why these stunning blue flowers are so popular.
Forget me nots are typically a gorgeous light blue color, with hints of white, yellow, and even a touch of violet.
They really are beautiful flowers, and as a result, they make for beautiful tattoo designs.
If you want a tattoo design that represents beauty and elegance, look no further than a forget-me-not tattoo.
Some people will get the flowers themselves, while others may combine them with images, quotes, names, portraits, or other things that they deem to be beautiful.
Forget me not flowers represent reflection
Another forget me not tattoo meaning that people often don’t consider, is the fact that forget me nots represent reflection.
Reflection and remembrance may be closely linked, but the two are still uniquely different from one another.
People who wish to reflect on a special memory or even a significant memory or period of time in their life, often have a forget me not tattoo to help them achieve that.
Whether it’s the date of a first kiss with a partner, a holiday or vacation, a special person, or anything else, if you wish to reflect on a time, place, person, or item, a forget me not tattoo would go down a treat and would work very well.
Respect
The forget-me-not flower also embodies reflection. This theme resonates with those who carry emotional burdens, making the forget-me-not a popular choice for tattoos symbolizing personal struggles.
Individuality
Forget-me-not tattoos, like all tattoos, are deeply personal.
Each person who chooses to ink this delicate flower on their skin does so for unique reasons, and the meaning it holds for them can vary greatly.
For some, it could be a symbol of a significant life event, for others, it might be a tribute to someone special.
This versatility adds to the allure of forget-me-not tattoos, making them a popular choice among many.