A BLOG BY LINDSY READ

Saturday, January 05, 2013

Narnia Tattoo Story

My tattoo was finished this week and I am finally ready to tell its tale.  Most tattooed people do not talk about their tattoos. While I understand that tattoos [usually] have deep, personal meaning, I don't understand how some people will put something on display and then get offended or irritable when asked about it. When asked, I will probably just explain that this tattoo is based off the Chronicles of Narnia book series and let that be the end of it. But, this tattoo means so much more to me. 

I shared a bit in this post about The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, the fifth edition of The Chronicles of Narnia. There is a boy named Eustace Scrubb and he is the worst. He is selfish and mean and snotty.  His bad attitude turns him into a dragon and he can't change back to himself. Sometimes I feel like Eustace. (Okay, if I'm being honest, I feel like Eustace a lot.) Eustace doesn't want to be an ugly dragon so Aslan appears and rips the dragon skin right off of him. This isn't easy; it hurts. Eustace says, when relaying what happened to his cousin, Peter, "The only thing that made me able to bear it was just the pleasure of feeling the stuff peel off...."  Intense pain, but sweet relief. I love this story of transformation. C.S. Lewis wrote The Chronicles of Narnia as an allegory about his faith. The lion, Aslan, represents Jesus and Eustace is the ugly little jerk in all of us; the selfish brat who turns into a dragon. But, we don't have to be dragons. We can feel sweet relief, we can dance with Aslan, we can be forgiven and given a new chance at life. That is what Jesus has done for me and that's what my tattoo is all about.




I am so happy that it's done, paid for, and done. This has been quite the process. Until now, I'd never been under the needle for more than a half hour. This Narnia piece took about 9 hours total. I do not like to sit for that long but I had a good time chatting with the artist, Scott, and I highly recommend him. He's the shop owner at Flaming Dragon in Tacoma, WA.  

I am continuing my tattoo link up!  Feel free to share your tattoo stories - with photos, of course! If you dont have tattoos or want one but would never get one, share those stories, too. Just click the link below and be sure to add my widget to your page, too!

To read about and see the process, see: Tattoo Round II | Narnia
 

15 comments:

  1. Love this! what a beautiful meaning and a beautiful daily reminder! p.s. 9 hours?? holy shamoly!

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  2. I love the meaning behind your tattoo. And it looks fabulous, too!
    (I did not mean to rhyme, just then.)

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  3. What an awesome meaning behind your tattoo! I love it. :)

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  4. i have a tattoo! it's just one word on my wrist. i got it before i knew wrist tattoos were a thing. but i love it anyways! yours is gorgeous!

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  5. that looks amazing. i'm a new follower.

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  6. This is fabulous! The minute I saw the picture I didn't even have to read your story...I knew the exact page the tattoo was inspired by. The first time (and second and third...) that I read that section, I cried. There is something so true and real and honest about the exact words Lewis used that always - well, rip me open. LOVE IT.

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  7. Hi there, I log on to your blogs regularly.

    Your story-telling style is witty, keep doing what you're doing!

    Have a look at my website visit website

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  8. "There was a boy called Eustace Clarence Scrubb, and he almost deserved it." I love this. I have a narnia tattoo too and it makes me so happy :)

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  9. "There was a boy called Eustace Clarence Scrubb, and he almost deserved it." I love this. I have a narnia tattoo too and it makes me so happy :)

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  10. I think I'll get a tattoo someday, I just haven't landed on the right thing and of course, I want it to be meaningful so I'm just waiting for inspiration.

    I love yours!

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  11. I’ve wanted to get a boat tattoo for close to 7 years but never had a specific boat in mind. To me, the boat signifies a great story where you may go through many storms, and it may feel like you’re lost in the middle of the ocean but God will always be there to calm the waters and pull you through it. One of my favorite stories is when Jesus was out on the boat with his disciples and a storm brews while Jesus is napping. His disciples freak out and are all “BRO, how can you be sleeping when we’re about to die? Can’t you see we’re freaking out.” to which Jesus replies “Chill, you know I’ve got this. Have you no faith?”. Of course, that’s loosely translated :)

    Several years ago, I was re-reading the Voyage of the Dawn Treader before the movie came out so I could make my comparisons. I noticed a drawing of the Dawn Treader as a chapter heading. I snapped a picture of it and had it as my phone wallpaper for the following years just to see if I got tired of seeing it. I didn’t and I was reminded of the wonderful adventures of the Pevensie children and how they grew in their faith in Aslan. It also reminded me of the joy of experiencing the stories with my dad and how we would geek out about it. It also reminded me of the simplicity of childhood and to remember what it’s like to have faith like a child.

    I waited for the right moment to get that boat tattooed and after battles with cancer, the loss of both of my parents and my sister, I felt that it was time to permanently have these reminders all captured through one image. I had the perfect tattoo artist in mind for the execution of this tattoo and he was stoked on the chance to do it just a month ago.

    All in all, there are a bunch of cheesy reminders but it means a whole lot more to me than I could ever explain.

    Here it is:
    http://instagram.com/p/qW4xRCt49V/?modal=true

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    Replies
    1. Oh wow! What an amazing story - and thanks for sharing!! xo

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