Meaning of hippopotamus tattoos

The hippopotamus is a large herbivorous mammal found in sub-Saharan Africa. Its name comes from Greek and means "river horse". It is a strong, aggressive animal with unpredictable behavior, considered one of the most dangerous in the world, but is vulnerable to extinction due to loss of habitat, hunting, and the sale of its skin and teeth.

Within shamanism, it is called ?king of the river?, considered a symbol of strength and courage, associated with the development of people's mental behavior.

They live in herds, with a dominant male that will fight for his territory until he dies. The female hippopotamus, on the other hand, has its aggressive behavior as a justification to protect its young.

In Egypt, it was an important deity, which could be represented as either male or female. As a male, it was a negative and evil side, linked to aggressiveness, which endangered navigators and destroyed crops. As represented in the feminine, on the positive side, it was associated with maternal and protective goddesses. Many people used hippopotamus amulets as a form of protection for children and pregnant women.