Although we see this as an exciting game to play with family and friends around the dinner table, when this idea was first designed, it was not a game at all. The Etruscans were a rich civilization of people in ancient Italy. It was this civilization that began with the idea of the ‘wishbone.’ Birds have always been an image of good luck and a means of looking into the future. In ancient times, many people held to the magic of the world then, not knowing much about the world as we do today. The Etruscans believed in the telling of the bird. After they killed a bird for a meal, they took out and saved the furculum bone of the creature.
The function of this bone is to enable the flight of the bird. This is why the ancient Etruscans believed this bone had a sort of mythical power within it. These people did not break the bone in half. This bone was much more powerful for them, and when the bone was taken from the remains, it was left out to dry. To make a wish, they rubbed their hands over and stroke the bone, just like the famous genie in a bottle concept. While stroking the bone, they made a wish that would not only benefit them, but the wish would help all of the Etruscans as well.
Roman And Britons
The Romans introduced the breaking of the bone broken in half. The reason why the Romans would break the wishbone in half was because of the scarcity of birds in their area. The reason for that was because crushing the bone in two and given to two different persons would weaken the effects of the wishbone, yet at the same time, both parties would receive a piece of the magical bone to grant wishes from. However, once the Britons learned of the wishbone, they turned it into a completely different meaning. The Britons took the wishbone and turned it into a game. In the 17th century, the wishbone was used as a prediction for who would be the next to get married. Like catching the bouquet at a wedding, they would take the wishbone and place it on their nose.
The participant was most usually a woman. While the individual was balancing the unbroken wishbone on the tip of their nose, they had to make a wish before the bone fell to the ground. Sometimes, if the bone fell to the ground, the loser had a second chance at it. The wishbone was then broken in half, and if the loser guessed in which hand was the longer piece, he would then be predicted to be the next to marry. This idea was spread throughout many colonies and eventually worked its way up to the United States.
Wishbone Tattoo Designs
In many cultures, the idea of the wishbone and its magical wishing powers is most known to many people. The symbol of the wishbone by itself is connected to people’s deepest desires. If you are interested in having good luck charms tattooed on your body, the wishbone design is perfect for you. The wishbone is considered as a symbol of good luck and hopes for the future, and it is an interesting way of showing that you are optimistic and have wishful thinking. There are many different designs of wishbone tattoo that you can choose from.
Broken Wishbone Tattoo
A broken wishbone is a funny way to show off your wishbone tattoo. Even though a wishbone that is not broken is a great design, however, if you want to add a bit more story to the wishbone, having a clean crack or displacement of the pronged bone can make a unique tattoo. The placement for such a tattoo depends on the wearer. Since the graphic is simple, it can fit in well with any other tattoos you may already have.
If you want this to be a bigger image or even a medium-sized image, it is best to place this tattoo somewhere where you have a lot of free space to get inked. One option is to have a classic black and white tattoo, or you could add color if you want more of a flashy piece. If you already have a collection of small tattoos, this tattoo is also popular as a wrist or thumb tattoo. Due to how simple the design is, the placement for the tattoo is infinite.
Wishful Hands Tattoo
This is another popular wishbone tattoo design. Most often, it is done in a medium-size. The reason for that is because you must accompany a pair of hands with your wishbone. That’s like in the old folklore tale of breaking the wishbone, the person wearing this larger piece has his wish granted, which this image depicts. This tattoo, with two hands at either side of the pronged bone, ready to grab and snap, is a unique way of having the wishbone tattoo. The choice of whether you show which hand wins or not is up to you.
