Hannya | Tattoo Meanings

The mask Hannya represents a jealous female demon, a snake and sometimes a dragon in traditional Japanese plays and Shinto ritual dances. The mask has menacing eyes, mouth and teeth, and devil horns. Its expression is at once demonic, angry, frightening, dangerous and tormented, touching, melancholy and sad.

There is a concept of a hell, in Japanese Buddhism, in which hannyas are the representation of the confusing human feelings such as passion, jealousy, and hatred, all capable of turning men and women into a terrible monster. They are a representation of torment, insanity, jealousy, compulsion, anxiety, and deep anger.

The image of the mask together with cherry blossoms is a combination of symbolizes the short life, which should not be wasted by bad feelings.

Along with a snakeHannya mask symbolizes feminine power and its duality that involves the beautiful side and the impulsive side.

With waves and flowers, the mask symbolizes the flows of life, the ups and downs, happiness and sadness, calm and terror.