The dragonfly is a unique and interesting insect and makes for a lovely tattoo.  Dragonfly tattoos often resemble fairy tattoos and many fairy legends are believed to have originated from people who mistook dragonflies for fairies while foraging in the forest.  Whether or not this is the case, the dragonfly with its long, slender body and two pairs of wings has an elegant look that may be displayed as a strong black tattoo or in a wide array of vibrant colors in any shade of the rainbow and then some.

To some people the dragonfly may seem a pest, but that is usually because they do not recognize the differences between many members of the insect family and wrongly blame all of them for the annoyances caused by a few.  In fact, dragonflies eat other pesky insects such as mosquitoes and don't bite humans themselves.  This makes them quite useful and perhaps wearing dragonfly tattoos could be useful in keeping mosquitoes away like a scarecrow does for crows?  It is worth a shot, anyway. 

The symbolism of dragonfly tattoos may come from Japanese legend.  According to the story, a dragonfly once ate a horsefly immediately after it had bitten the emperor.  The emperor was so pleased with this that he named what is now the island of Japan, Asitsushuma, which means the "Isle of the Dragonfly".  Dragonflies in Japan are regarded as symbols of success, happiness and victory.  This is the symbolism that leads many people to choose dragonfly tattoos, with happiness being the most popular interpretation.  A person may have a tendency to get a dragonfly tattoo following a happy event in their lives such as their wedding or the birth of a child.

The placement of dragonfly tattoos may also have significance.  A dragonfly is usually portrayed with its head and the top and tail down with its wings outspread.  This is the symbol of the dragonfly.  This tattoo looks particularly nice on the back of the neck, lower back or even as an ankle tat.  If you are looking to get a dragonfly tattooed on your body you will want to choose your tattoo artist carefully.  You might even want to preselect your tattoo design on the internet before heading to the tattoo shop for your ink.  This way you can be sure to get the exact dragonfly tattoo design that you want since this is a decision you will be living with for a long time to come.