Cheshire Cat Tattoo Meaning, Designs, Symbolism

The Cheshire Cat is a character from the novel Alice in Wonderland (Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland) by Lewis Carroll. It was first drawn by Sir John Tenniel in 1865 for the 1866 edition of the book.

The original English name of the cat refers to the northern English county called Cheshire, where Carroll was born in Daresbury in 1832 and spent his childhood.

The English phrase “grin like a Cheshire cat” means “big grin”. There are several theories about the origin of this idiom. One possibility is that this is taken from the Chester cheese (English Cheshire cheese), which was previously shaped in the shape of a cat.

The cat “grinned” because the Earls of Cheshire had the privilege of not paying taxes to the Crown. Another version is that a bad sign painter was responsible for the fact that many of the signs in old Cheshire inns depicted lions that looked like grinning cats.

Cheshire Cat Tattoo Meaning

Here’s a general overview of what this tattoo means.

• Optimism
• Cheerful
• Good sense of humor
• Sly
• Mischievous

Cats are traditionally seen as symbols of femininity, so a Cheshire Cat is rather abnormal as a character. It is believed that cats can travel to other realms of existence, including the underworld and afterlife. The guides act as guides through these worlds, protecting people from the dangers they encounter, in much the same way that mothers guide their children through life.

The Cheshire Cat has a masculine nature that contrasts with the feminine symbolism associated with cats. In the process of disappearing and reappearing, he often changes physically, meaning he is unpredictable and unreliable. Tattoo designs of the Cheshire Cat in various physical states represent syncretism between the real world and the imaginative world, and they are associated with an appreciation for magic and surrealism.

Cheshire Cat’s symbolism is inverted since it is male. Carroll cleverly demonstrates this with the Cheshire Cat, leading Alice astray. Instead of guiding her along the right path, the Cheshire Cat constantly points Alice in every direction. Alice’s Cheshire Cat forces her to choose her own path rather than simply follow her “guide”. There is a lesson to be learned here: don’t walk the path others are walking.

What does the cheshire cat symbolize?

A cat is a symbol of the moon and of the night. Cheshire Cat’s smile transforms into the moon and crescent in Walt Disney’s Alice in Wonderland. Cheshire Cats are as dark and mysterious as the night sky, filled with just as many wonders and dangers as the night sky.

Is the cheshire cat evil?

Kind of. Mischievous, deceptive, sly and tricky, the Cheshire Cat is a naughty creature. As a rule, he does not engage in evil-doings with ill-intent per se, but rather for his own entertainment. A very unpredictable and treacherous character, he goes between being an ally and a foe at the drop of a hat.

More tattoo meanings:

• Four leaf clover tattoos
• Thigh garter tattoos
• Lizard tattoos