Hamsa tattoo symbolizes the Hand of God. It brings it’s owner happiness, luck, health, and good fortune.
The hamsa hand has a wide variety of different spellings which include hamesh, hamsa, chamsa, and khamsa. It is also identified as the Hand of Miriam, Aaron and Moses’s sister, and the Hand of Fatima.
The hamsa hand has two main styles. One style is shaped like a regular hand, and the other has two symmetrical thumbs; the second of the two styles being the most popular. The wearer of the hamsa hand can wear it facing up or down and it is believed to give the owner success, harmony, and protection from the Ayin Ha’ra, also known as the evil eye. Reflecting inner vision and understanding, the hamsa hand sometimes includes an eye symbol. It is commonly used in jewelry and as decorative adornment.
The hamsa hand has a variety of meanings and interpretations, depending on the culture. The word, hamsa, derives its name from the five fingers on the hand. In Hebrew, the number five is hamesh and the fifth letter of the Hebrew alphabet is Hey, one of God’s holy names. Hamesh is representative of the five books of the Torah. In Judaism, it is also interpreted to be the Hand of Miriam, and symbolic of the owner’s five senses in an effort to praise God. In Arabic, it is khamesh. In the Sunni culture, the hamsa is associated with the Five Pillars of Islam. For the Shi’tes, it symbolizes the Five People of the Cloak. In the Islamic faith, it symbolizes as The Hand of Fatima, the daughter of the Prophet Mohammed.
Rich with spiritual meaning, Hamsa tattoos are meant to protect and guide you as you journey through life. Today it has become a powerful and intricate tattoo design idea within which many artists have created a vast number of unique interpretations on the theme. Enjoy these outstanding Hamsa tattoo designs:
↑ 6. Traditional mix with elephant and lotus by Gail Reilly, southboundstudiosaz
↑ 7. Traditional mix with western influence in soft pastels by Little Jenn Small, experttattoo, NC
↑ 13. Traditional outline with geometric Star of David, tearful eye and flowers by Shannon Archueleta, shannonarchuleta.com
↑ 16. Black and grey traditional eastern design mixed with realistic western influence on torso by Paul Marino, rawpowertattoo
↑ 19. Traditional design framing beautiful line composition and realistic eye by Phil Gallagher, irishbuddha.com
