There is a beautiful legend in Greek Mythology that tells us Aphrodite, goddess of Love, gave the Rose its name. Chloris, the goddess of flowers, created it when she found the lifeless body of a beautiful nymph in the forest.
Chloris called upon the other deities to help her right the wrong of this nymph's death. Aphrodite gave her beauty, Dionysus, the god of wine, added nectar to give her a sweet perfume, the three Graces gave her charm, brightness and joy.
Chloris then called upon Zephyr, the West Wind, to blow away the clouds so Apollo, the sun god, could shine and make the flower bloom.
The rose has a long history - fossilised roses have been found that are several million years old. Western civilisation has always regarded the rose as a thing of perfect beauty. The rose image has been used on royal standards, coats of arm, castle and palace decorations. Countless paintings, embroideries, etchings, carvings and photographs have features the nrose. Its message of beauty and love and its simple elegance has endured though time.
It has always stood as an expression of love. It is not surprising that a great many women have it has a favorite tattoo. It can be used simply as a beautiful decoration or as a memento of a loved one or an event in one's life. In fact, it serves all purposes very well.
Rose tattoos have kept there place as the most popular flower tattoo. It is up to each person to decide the color,size and placement of the tattoo and the message she wants to send. Whether done for decoration or love the image of the rose is a thing of lasting beauty. Popular places for rose tattoos women are shoulders, lower legs, ankles and feet.
The rose has appeared on the shoulders, ankles and other body parts of women celebrities. One has a stemmed rose on her ankle while another has a heart and a rose on her lower leg, obviously an expression of love.
Some people like to be different - a tattoo of a rose and skull appears on the upper arm of one supermodel. Others like to be daring, with a rose tattoo on a breast. There is no doubt rose tattoos will stay favourites as, like roses themselves, they depict timeless beauty and elegance and give us all a great deal of pleasure. William Burnell
