Rome built its founding myth on a she-wolf. Romulus and Remus were suckled by one, the Lupa became an emblem of the city, and her image went onto the coinage.
The same word was also Roman slang for a prostitute, and the brothels were called lupanaria after it.
So the single most honoured female figure in Rome's origin story and the most contemptuous term the language had for a woman were the same word. Nobody appears to have found this awkward at the time.
It is a fairly complete summary of how a culture can revere something and despise it simultaneously, and it is worth knowing when you wear the image.
At 15 by 21 cm this will usually go somewhere that curves: a hip, an outer thigh, a shoulder or the upper back.
Press the centre first and work outward, letting the edges follow the curve rather than trying to flatten the sheet against it. Do not stretch the skin while applying, because it springs back and wrinkles the design.
A second pair of hands helps for anything on the back.
A narrow-muzzled face with large upright ears, looking straight out at you, drawn in fine black line work with no colour. The flowers sit below the chin and run down one side, open blooms and leaf sprigs tapering to a point, which softens the face without weakening it.
See our top wolf tattoos for women and the wolf temporary tattoo range.
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