The phrase “Memento Mori” is actually Latin which translates to “remember you must die.” Even though it sounds like a horrible message, it actually tries to tell you the importance of life and many people love Memento Mori tattoos designs. This concept is usually displayed through different types of cultural artworks. People even get tattoos of this theme to make themselves remind of this message whenever needed.
Memento Mori tattoo designs usually have structures of a skull, hourglass, or anything that relates to death. They can be portrayed beautifully with different designs on your chest, arms legs, etc.
If you are looking for such a design for yourself, you are in the right place. You will find a bunch of different designs and styles of tattoos that will portray the message “Memento Mori” wonderfully on your body.
It doesn’t matter which body part you have selected to get this tattoo. You will find all kinds of designs that will fit perfectly wherever you want to get them. Dark aesthetic, funny doodles, graceful designs – there is a design for all.
Now without wasting any more time, let’s dive in and find out the perfect tattoo for you!
30 Memento Mori Tattoos Designs And Meanings
Memento Mori tattoos mean the idea of having to die someday. People usually get it to remind themselves and the world about the importance of life and that you must die at the end of it. This concept is beautifully represented by a skull, hourglass, rose, candle, etc. Each one of them means something which ultimately indicates the end of life.
Hourglass Memento Mori Tattoo
Hourglasses have sand inside which indicates the passing time every time you flip it. When you get a tattoo of an hourglass, it usually means the time that you are losing in life. And when there is the phrase “Memento Mori” in the tattoo, the message of eventual death becomes clear.
1. Life And Death
Life And Death is a gorgeous tattoo to cover up your entire sleeve area. The artwork gives you a message to remember to live and also remember that you must die.
2. Time Is Up
You can see a skull as the center of attention in this tattoo. It has an hourglass over its head which is glowing and reminding you of the draining time.
3. Limited Life
This design is best suited on hands or legs as it has a long hourglass structure. The hourglass has a dark aesthetic with a skull lying in the bottom and a flower blooming to the side.
Memento Mori Skull Tattoo
The skull of a body is seen when someone is dead. We are all going to lose our beauty someday and turn into a lifeless skeletons. Tattoos of the skull show the consequences of life and remind us to enjoy it while it lasts. It is one of the most popular tattoos of Memento Mori.
4. Art Of Mortality
Now this tattoo is a true work of art. It has different artworks at different levels. At first, it has the skull-hourglass combination, then a set of hopeless eyes, after that a sculpture of a rising hand, and lastly a geometric structure.
5. Reflection Of Terror
The tattoo above reminds you of death with a handsome man looking at a reflection of his skull. The orange color gives the tattoo a warm aesthetic even though it delivers a cold-hearted message.
6. Whisper Of The Skull
If you have this tattoo, people are definitely going to know that you love dark themes. The skull in this tattoo looks deadly with the immortal message of mortality held between its teeth.
Minimalist Memento Mori Tattoo
Tattoos with the message “Memento Mori” don’t always have to be gorgeous with skull and hourglass pictures. It can simply just be the words themselves and mean the same thing. Minimalist tattoos of these words are super simple and tell people about your simplicity a lot.
7. Embracing Mortality
The tattoo with the words “memento mori” is written in a beautiful font on the side of the chest. It shows that you are embracing the fact of mortality with no regrets. The font contrasting with the message makes this design unique.
8. Gentle Decay
This artwork on the back of the arm gives the message “MEMENTO MORI” with visual representation. The hand on the right is vibrant and alive while the hand on the left is just bones with a lifeless aura.
9. Delicate Reminder
You can get this super bold “MEMENTO MORI” tattoo on your chest as a reminder of death since this is the truth of the world. Since it is on the chest, you can hide it anytime you want and also show it off whenever you are not wearing a shirt.
Tempus Fugit Memento Mori Tattoo
“Tempus Fugit” means time flies. It fits perfectly in this category of tattoo as Memento Mori reminds you about death. Life is short and time flies in the blink of an eyes. You can get a tattoo of these designs to remind yourself of the short life you have and enjoy it fully while it lasts.
1o. Inevitable Elegance
The tattoo above has a spooky hourglass with an eye inside of it. The eye is shedding a drop of tear and the bottom of the hourglass has the words “Memento Mori” in a horror font.
11. Wisdom Of The Hourglass
The layout of the design looks like a doodle which tells about your sense of humor. It has a skull at the bottom of the hourglass and waves and thunder on top.
12. Skull, Hourglass, And Beyond
You can see a super graphic tattoo above with a realistic drawing of a skull. It has the classic skull and hourglass combination with roots growing on the surface of the skull showing how old it is.
Forearm Memento Mori Tattoo
Your forearm has a lot of space but because of its rectangular area, you have to choose the design of your tattoo wisely. Tattoos of Memento Mori has a lot of designs that cover your forearm beautifully and look like it tell you a story. Take a look at the best ones picked for you and decide which one you like the most.
13. Cracking Dreams
The skull in this design has cracks and holes showing how harsh life has been. It reminds you of the harsh reality of life and the eventual death at the same time.
14. The Beauty Of Mortality
This is a very unique tattoo of the Memento Mori concept. It has an upside-down rose with a super detailed fish on top. The beauty of this tattoo is further enhanced with all the lines and shading.
15. Fight For Life
This super energetic tattoo has a man with wings flying towards the adventure of life and death. The bone hand of death is about to meet the flesh hand of life with a bright sun rising behind.
Memento Mori Chest Tattoo
Your chest is one of the largest areas for getting a tattoo. You can either get heavy designs to cover it up entirely or you can choose from the simple ones to just decorate it a little. Here are some of the best tattoos that deliver the message “Memento Mori” beautifully through stunning artwork and words.
16. The Last Touch
How realistic do these hands look? The hands look like they are about to hold each other for the last time. The message saying “memento mori” tells them that death is near.
17. Graceful Reminder
The tattoo over the collarbones almost looks like a beautiful neckless. It has two delicate branches with leaves and a message saying “memento mori” in the middle.
18. Never-Forever
If you love gorgeous and colorful designs, this one is perfect for you. You can see an incredible pair of wings in the shades of black red and yellow covering the entire chest. It has a bright red rose and an hourglass filled with crimson sand.
Skull Memento Mori Tattoo
19. Death Is Here
The devil of death is here in this tattoo. It is wearing its classic black gown and prepared to take your soul with its weapon covered in blood. It reminds you of the death brutally.
20. The Clock Is Ticking
The hourglass in this tattoo shows how the sand is forming a skull. It could be an indication of passing time leading to death someday. The details and finishing of this tattoo are clean and top-notch.
21. Harsh Reminder
The skull in this tattoo looks evil yet amusing. It could be a reflection of your funny and dark sense of humor. The skull is wrapped with the message “Memento Mori” to be a constant reminder of mortality.
Amor Fati Memento Mori Tattoo
The main concept of Amor Fati tells you to embrace whatever comes in life regardless of them being positive or negative. The phrase is Latin which translates to “love of fate” or sometimes “love of one’s fate.” This concept blends well with Memento Mori as both teach you about embracing and enjoying life and accepting its end someday.
22. Deadly Skull
This Deadly Skull is perfect to design your neck. The skull has a red glow beaming from inside that gives a sense of danger. People will definitely understand your dominating personality from this tattoo.
23. Colorful Brains
Instead of a skull, this tattoo has a brain colored in red. It has the message of death and the fate of love with a pretty yellow flower beneath in between a few vibrant leaves.
24. Sand And Sunshine
Memento Mori Tattoo Traditional
The traditional designs of tattoos that represent “Memento Mori” are usually colorful and graphic. These tattoos have pictures of skulls, roses, daggers, etc. in quirky designs and the colors make these look vibrant and chaotic. If you get one of these designs, you will portray your personality as someone who loves both colors and reality in their life.
25. Dagger Of Love
The colorful tattoo shows a dagger piercing through a heart and then a skull. The flowers decorating this structure show your admiration for this concept of mortality. You can also write your name on this tattoo to represent yourself as the skull.
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Memento Mori Hand Tattoo
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Final Verdict
So, did these designs also give you the chills like they did to me? All of them are uniquely beautiful whether it has a watercolor or a dark aesthetic. They remind you about the most important thing – the value of your life.
Pick your favorite design and show it to your tattoo artist to change the vibe of your look. You can also modify by mixing up different elements from different designs and creating a version that matches your style the best.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the meaning of the memento mori tattoo?
Memento Mori tattoos are there to remind you of your short time on this planet. Even though they come in spooky designs, it truly means that you should always remember that your life ends someday and not take it for granted.
Is Memento Mori a good tattoo?
Memento Mori is a good tattoo for people who are looking to get some kind of modern art that portrays an ancient concept. These tattoo designs are classy and mysterious to people who are unaware of this phrase.
Why is Memento Mori famous?
The concept of Memento Mori has been popular since the seventeenth century when people started to realize their limited time on earth. Since it is inevitable for literally every living being, it became famous and people began to think that their time on earth is nothing but a preparation process for the afterlife.
What celebrity has a memento mori tattoo?
You probably won’t believe but super popular celebrities like Johnny Depp, Harry Styles, Ellie Goulding, and even Rihanna have a Memento Mori tattoo. It is so trendy that many people started getting it to relate to celebrities!
What does Memento Vivere and Memento Mori tattoo mean?
Memento Vivere means remember you to live while Memento Mori means remember you must die.
Is Memento Mori dark?
Tattoos that show the concept of Memento Mori are usually dark but you can add your style and get a colorful design to show off your fun-loving energy.
