These memento mori tattoo ideas are suitable for both men and women. Memento mori means “remember that you will die” in Latin. It is a reminder to live life to the fullest and enjoy every moment.
The common design used to represent memento mori is a skull or skeleton. Other motifs you’ll sometimes see are the hourglass or a coffin. Some people get memento mori tattoos because they have lost a loved one and want to remember them.
Others choose them as a reminder to live life to the fullest and not take anything for granted. If you’re looking for inspiration for a memento mori tattoo, let these beautiful works of art inspire you.
This collection of tattoos shows us that memento mori tattoos can range from simple to detailed, still look great, and get the message across.
Thirst Aid Tattoo
This “thirst aid” tattoo is a creative memento mori tattoo. Not only is the design itself wonderful, but the colors, shading, and handwriting look great too.
Memento Mori Arm Tattoo
The arm is a great location for your tattoo. Talk to your tattoo artist about different font options for your text. I personally really love typewriter-style fonts for quote tattoos.
Lowercase Memento Mori Tattoo
Consider getting your tattoo in all-lowercase text. This can give your tattoo a more delicate look if that’s what you would prefer. The inner arm is the perfect location for this type of tattoo.
Memento Mori Tattoo on the Stomach
If you want a tattoo that can be easily hidden, the stomach is a great location. This is also a great location for showing off your tattoo when at the beach or gym.
Memento Mori with Butterfly
The addition of the butterfly makes this tattoo even more special because the butterfly represents transformation and change. That makes this tattoo perfect for someone who is going through a major life change.
Memento Mori on Back of Leg
If you’ve ever considered getting a leg tattoo, here’s a great idea. Not only is the location awesome, but the font looks great too. Men will be inspired by this tattoo.
Script Memento Vivere Tattoo
Memento Vivere is a Latin phrase that translates to “remember you must die, so remember to live.” This is the perfect reminder to try to enjoy each day that you have on this earth.
Clock and Compass
Here’s a tattoo that includes a really well-done work of art that showcases a half-clock and half-compass design. This is a great tattoo for someone who wants something a little different.
Skull with Olive Wreath
Here’s a tattoo of a skull wearing a kotinos, also known as an olive wreath. The Kotinos was a branch of an olive tree that was used in ancient Greece as a symbol of peace.
Memento Mori with Skull
I love this tattoo because it’s the classic memento mori tattoo that you would expect to see. Consider different handwriting options and skull designs when working on your tattoo.
Skeleton Having a Drink
This tattoo resembles a negative space tattoo. If you’re looking for inspiration for a tattoo that stands out and is sure to get plenty of compliments, let this art inspire you.
Memento Mori Handwriting
If you like handwriting quote tattoos, you can get the words “memento mori” tattooed using your favorite font.
Skull in Flower
I can’t get over how absolutely stunning this tattoo is. It features a skull sitting within a growing flower. The tattoo is both dark and beautiful.
Skull within Butterfly
If you take a closer look at this butterfly tattoo, you can see that a skull has been drawn within the butterfly wings. This tattoo would also look great with colored ink.
Living Hand and Skeleton Hand
I really like how this is the perfect design for representing “memento mori” and “memento vivere.” If you don’t prefer the longer nails in this design, short nails would look just fine too.
Memento Mori Chest Tattoo
The chest is a cool location for a tattoo, and this memento mori tattoo is no exception. It’s perfect for someone who wants a tattoo that is both personal and visually stunning.
Memento Mori Wrist Tattoo
You can’t go wrong with a simple wrist tattoo. This memento mori tattoo is perfect for anyone who wants a reminder that life is fleeting. It’s a beautiful and subtle way to keep something important top of mind.
Small Memento Mori Tattoo
This tattoo is perfect for anyone who wants a small but meaningful tattoo. The way the word “memento” curves makes this tattoo design look amazing.
Memento Mori in Skull Mouth
Take a closer look at this tattoo, and you can see that the artist used the dot shading technique. That simply means that they used small dots to create the shading effect.
Sketch Tattoo
Here’s a tattoo that utilizes the sketch/trash polka art style. Trash polka tattoos are a type of tattoo that usually features dark, distressed text and images with splashes of color.
They are often inspired by punk rock and street art, and they can be very edgy and eye-catching. Memento mori tattoos are a great way to remember loved ones or to remind yourself to live life to the fullest.
These tattoos can be simple or detailed and still look amazing. I hope you enjoyed this collection of memento mori tattoos, and I hope it inspired you to get one of your own.
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