Doja Cat debuts new back tattoo of a bat skeleton

[pumkinbutter]

Doja Cat debuts new back tattoo. pic.twitter.com/DsFBKuVGK0
- Pop Base (@PopBase) May 5, 2023

Doja Cat got a tattoo of a bat skeleton on her back. She revealed the new tattoo on Instagram, and also posted a variety of things that bats can symbolize.
source

Comments

[theylezharold]

[__onthebound]

I get it. I think it's super cool, esp when I think about skeletons running or eating and how interesting is that these are the things that we are built around and move. But I never wanted to get one tattooed or any skeleton themed anything

[slaughtermatic]

If you're goth you're goth 💀

[artsyfartsy01]

I mean I have two dancing skeletons on my back and a skull on my arm so, yeah

[theylezharold]

Is it a goth thing? I'm genuinely curious.

[artsyfartsy01]

Not for me personally, I'm not goth.
Both tattoos have to do with art history (I'm an art historian), on my arm I have a skull on a pile of books referencing vanitas paintings, 16th and 17th century still lives with a lot of symbolism about life and death.
The dancing skeletons are very joyful and cute (in my opinion lol), it's part of a medieval allegoric tradition called the Danse Macabre. They're usually different skeletons or other 'dead', personifying a labourer, a pope etc, to show that death is the great equalizer. This is also a timeperiod with a lot of plague so the need to make death less scary is very present. 'My' skeletons are from a 15th c woodcut in the Liber Chronicarum which explains the history of the world from creation to end.
The whole book has been digitized and can be viewed for free! It's page 571:
https://collections.nlm.nih.gov/bookviewer?PID=nlm:nlmuid-9414971-bk

[theylezharold]

Thank you, that book seems fascinating! I can't see it on mobile but I will be finding a way to view it on a laptop soon! Mine broke and it's been rough without one tbh.

I love your explanation, it helps me understand the historical context which I was/am very much missing. I really appreciate the education and information. I wish I could take classes by you and by beaucadeau!

[artsyfartsy01]

that's so nice, thank you! more knowledge = more better, I say <3