Janus Tattoo

The Roman god Janus could also be called the face(s) that launched 1000 tattoos.

So many tattoos are of or inspired by this historic figure and deity.

Janus symbolizes some of the very ideas that make tattooing as popular as it is today.

How Common Are Tattoos in 2020?

Tattoos are more commonplace than they’ve ever been.

An estimated 38% of adults in America between the ages of 18-29 are tattooed; and more people in diverse age ranges are softening to the idea all the time.

Tattoos are a 1.8 million dollar industry and growing exponentially.

Some folks think of themselves as tattoo collectors and don’t ascribe much meaning to each image they choose.

For someone with many tattoos, most of the designs on their body have less to do with the aesthetic and more to do with the space and time they were in when they got it.

Why Do People Get Tattoos?

For the average person, a trip to the tattoo shop is usually prompted by a major life event.

Tattoo clients may be motivated by any number of things, but it’s most common to want a tattoo during a transition period in your life.

When you go through a major life change it is natural to want to change your appearance.

The “you” from before the event feels so different, yet it looks the same on the outside.

Coco Chanel famously said that “a woman who cuts her hair is about to change her life,” and the same can be said for a person who makes a tattoo appointment!

Tattoos are often used as a way to mark the passage of time.

Moving to a new city, accomplishing a life changing goal, losing someone you love, getting married or having children are all reasons a person may get a tattoo

It also so happens that all of these transitional times are a perfect fit for a Janus tattoo.

It’s no wonder so many have this stoic character with them through this passage of time.

Who is Janus?

First of all, Janus is a very important god in the Roman tradition.

For reasons both political and proximal, Romans borrowed a lot of concepts from Greek mythology.

Which is funny, because Greek mythology was a bit of a melting pot of ideas to begin with.

*Janus – the Roman god of beginnings and transitions.*
*Wood engraving, published in 1878.*

Romans absorbed some of Greece’s practices and their cast of celestial characters, but it wasn’t out of the ordinary.

There was a lot of crossover within poly-theistic religions during this time period, so everyone borrowed from everyone else.

Most traditions wouldn’t have to reach to do this, because they’d have similar gods and goddesses by different names.

Janus, however, is a uniquely Roman god.

There are a few Roman only gods besides Janus, but our J-Man is special because of his enduring popularity.

It’s hard to beat the Greeks when it comes to household names from the mythological kingdom.

Janus is the god of beginnings and transitions.

Rather poetically, he is said to preside over passages and doorways.

In other texts about Janus, he is the actual living spirit of doorways and archways.

Janus is associated with physical doorways and thresholds, and tangible ideas like the beginning of the day or month.

But he has also come to represent spiritual transitions.

War to peace, life to death, etc.

Because of his association with beginnings and endings, Janus gave his name to the month of January.

It’s a perfect match with January being a time to take stock of the past year and make plans for what lies ahead.

There is a festival for Janus, similar to a Christian saint’s feast day, on Jan. 9th on the Roman Calendar.

What Does the Roman God Janus Look Like?

The most distinctive of Janus’s features are his two faces.

Janus has two faces, each facing in a different direction.

The reason for this has to do with Janus’s dual nature. Janus looks to the past while seeing into the future.

He is in an eternal state of transition.

Occasionally Janus is depicted with 4 faces, one for each direction.

Sometimes both faces are illustrated the same way, while other times one is a youthful face while the other has a long beard.

The latter image was immortalized on Roman coins.

Janus has also been paid tribute to in the form of paintings and sculptures from the ancient world.

What Does a Janus Tattoo Symbolize?

Janus is a perfect guide for someone who wants to commemorate a poignant time with a memorable tattoo.

As we explored above, most people are motivated to get tattoos during moments of great change.

There are those who get Janus inspired tattoos rather than the exact image of the god himself.

Some may get an old and young woman, or even a living person and a skull.

The forward and backward facing faces are a striking image to work with, and inspiring to many artists.

Common Themes in Janus Tattoos

Janus tattoos are typically done in black and grey, sepia tones, or muted colors.

They are often done in a portrait tattoo style to give them a classic Roman look.

Some people take the theme of duality even farther and make one side color and one black and grey, or they may even flip one of the faces upside down.

Typically a Janus tattoo is going to be of just the head on its own, or a bust.