That being said, I thought I would share this classic. It's a tattoo of Hercules by Noah Minuskin. You can see more of his artwork here.
Like many others, Hercules decided to ask the Oracle at Delphi what to do. The Oracle advised Hercules to go Eurystheus, king of Mycenae, and serve him for twelve years. The king could not think of any task that would be grueling enough for the son of Zeus, so, Hera came down from Olympus to lend a "helping" hand. (And by "helping hand" I mean that she came up with tasks so difficult, the death of Hercules seemed imminent). Together, they came up with the now infamous tasks known as the "Twelve Labors."
- Slay the Nemean Lion, a lion with impenetrable golden fur
- Slay the nine-headed Lernaean Hydra [depicted above], an ancient serpent-like monster that for each head cut off, it grew three more in its place
- Capture the Golden Hind of Artemis, Goddess of the hunt, wild animals, wilderness, childbirth, and virginity. Twin sister of Apollo
- Capture the Erymanthian Boar, the giant boar of Arcadia
- Clean the Augean stables in one day, stables containing over 1,000 immortal cattle that had not been cleaned in over 30 years (I suppose they didn't have janitors back then)
- Slay the Stymphalian Birds, man-eating birds and pets of Ares, God of War
- Capture the Cretan Bull
- Steal the Mares of Diomedes, one of the best warriors for the Achaeans during the Trojan war and later King of Argos
- Obtain the girdle of Hippolyta, Queen of the Amazons (I wouldn't mess with her)
- Obtain the cattle of the monster Geryon, grandson of Medusa
- Steal the apples of the Hesperides, nymphs who tend a gorgeous garden
- Capture and bring back Cerberus, the three-headed dog of Hades (he's basically a giant watchdog)
The tattoo above beautifully depicts a muscular Hercules in the process of defeated in the Lernaean Hydra. My guess is that the building behind Hercules is the building atop Mt. Olympus, home of the Greek gods. Personally, I love how Hercules looks similar to many famous statues of Zeus, which makes the style of the tattoo very representative of the subject matter. After reading the feats of Hercules, it is easy to conclude that this tattoo, like Hercules himself, represents insurmountable strength and courage.
If you know anything else about this tattoo, its owner, its artist, or you have any questions, please visit the contact link at the top of the page and send me an email!
Remember, ink tells stories on skin as much as it does in books!
Kayla