Sad to say, hyenas are one of those animals that has been credited with a bad reputation throughout human history. This is why in many African folk traditions these creatures are believed and thought to be the ‘scum of the Earth’. And just because of how they feed and above all, what they feed on.
This negative image may have started in prehistoric times. Hyenas are known to hunt primitive humans and it is this practice of hunting humans and digging for carrion that has led these animals to gain a reputation for evil and ugly animals. In various West African cultures, hyenas were seen as filthy, immoral animals that lived with witches. Specifically, in some places in Tanzania, there is a legend that when a hyena howls the night a child is born, this child will grow up and eventually become a criminal.
Throughout the Midwest, hyenas are seen as incarnations of geniuses who have corrupted the world. Arab writer Al-Doumairy described hyenas as vampires that haunted the night and sucked the blood of brave people. This may explain the spread of the idea that hyenas are cowards. Even in Christianity and Judaism these animals are frowned upon and people are talked about very negatively. A legend holds that hyenas were never part of Noah’s famous ark but were spawned after the Great Flood through the exploits of an obscene dog and a mischievous cat. And in many films and cartoons they are treated as stupid and this is seen in the constant laughter that almost always presents.
However not everything is bad and for example the Tabwa people of East Africa and Southwest Tanzania have a creation story in which the hyena warms the Cold Earth by creating the Sun. In some rural parts of Afghanistan, India and Palestine, despite its disgusting reputation, hyenas are massacred to create love potions against loneliness.
The Meaning of Hyena Tattoos
They are usually associated with death, cowardice, and opportunism since they are scavengers and take advantage of their victims when they are already dead and cannot defend themselves. In addition they are also associated with immorality, impurity, corruption, stupidity and treason.
To finish and as we said before, not everything is negative, they are also associated with fertility and virility in parts of Afghanistan and India. Without further delay, let’s take a look at the best hyena tattoos for men.
