# Tattoo of the Tetragrammaton **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [May 10, 2010, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tattoo-of-the-tetragrammaton/538975 "2010-05-10T22:57:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Ace309](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ace309/32/1050_2.png) [@Ace309](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ace309)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2010, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tattoo-of-the-tetragrammaton/538975/1 "2010-05-10T22:57:14Z")
A friend of mine is considering getting a tattoo that involves the Hebrew tetragrammaton in a context not inherently offensive. I think that’s an exceptionally bad idea. Her argument is that because she’s not Jewish, and therefore the taboos regarding the tetragrammaton don’t apply to her, she isn’t doing anything that would be seen as offensive. What say you? ---
**Author:** ![kidneyfailure](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9f8e36/32.png) [@kidneyfailure](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kidneyfailure)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2010, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tattoo-of-the-tetragrammaton/538975/2 "2010-05-10T23:19:52Z")
If she’s not Jewish then why the hell does she want to get a tattoo like that? ---
**Author:** ![Kyla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/eada6e/32.png) [@Kyla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kyla)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2010, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tattoo-of-the-tetragrammaton/538975/3 "2010-05-10T23:21:37Z")
I had to look up the term “tetragrammaton”, ha. I’m a Jew and an atheist and I’ve surprised my own self by finding this idea mildly offensive. If I saw someone with that tattoo, I wouldn’t…I don’t know, come up to her and tell her she idiot or anything, but I would definitely feel negatively toward her. It strikes me as disrespectful. ---
**Author:** ![Ace309](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ace309/32/1050_2.png) [@Ace309](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ace309)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2010, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tattoo-of-the-tetragrammaton/538975/4 "2010-05-10T23:30:53Z")
> [@kidneyfailure](#): > > If she’s not Jewish then why the hell does she want to get a tattoo like that? This is her explanation: > [@](#): > > So the new tattoo has the hermetic alchameic symbols for salt, sulfur, mercury and water (which is the 4 elements that make up the human body - > so that is the symbol for physical body), then it has the 4 letters in the Hebrew language that is the word of god, and tarot which is the link between the physical body and the divine It’s possible I don’t appreciate the significance of this group of symbols. ---
**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2010, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tattoo-of-the-tetragrammaton/538975/5 "2010-05-10T23:31:24Z")
She may not mean it as disrespectful, but it is. ---
**Author:** ![kidneyfailure](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9f8e36/32.png) [@kidneyfailure](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kidneyfailure)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2010, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tattoo-of-the-tetragrammaton/538975/6 "2010-05-10T23:38:14Z")
Traditional Jewish law prohibits tattoos and restricts the writing of the name of God, so your friend is being doubly offensive (or, at least, insensitive). Her not being Jewish means she probably wouldn’t care about that, though I still wonder why in that case she’d even want a tattoo like that. ---
**Author:** ![Maggie\_the\_Ocelot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/df705f/32.png) [@Maggie\_the\_Ocelot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maggie_the_Ocelot)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2010, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tattoo-of-the-tetragrammaton/538975/7 "2010-05-11T00:05:28Z")
It’s rude at best. Yes, it’s not her holy symbol, but IMO if you have the option about being polite about other people’s taboos and issues, and doing so won’t cause you harm, you should do so. The whole _point_ of the tattoo is the holiness/magical aspect of it, from my reading of the explanation. Why not use some other symbol of the Divine? There’s millions of others, why pick the specific one that has the taboo about being written/pronounced/destroyed? ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2010, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tattoo-of-the-tetragrammaton/538975/8 "2010-05-11T00:09:52Z")
[Tetragrammaton.](http://www.esquinamagica.com/images/tetragrammaton.jpg) I don’t think this is a good idea, either, for the reasons already given. It doesn’t mean anything to her, sure, but since it makes no difference to her, why not err on the side of using a symbol that isn’t likely to give offense? ---
**Author:** ![Ace309](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ace309/32/1050_2.png) [@Ace309](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ace309)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2010, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tattoo-of-the-tetragrammaton/538975/9 "2010-05-11T00:15:55Z")
If anyone who answered ‘No’ is willing to offer their opinion, I’d appreciate it. I’m clearly in the Bad Idea camp, for basically the reasons **Cat Whisperer** and **Oni No Maggie** stated. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2010, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tattoo-of-the-tetragrammaton/538975/10 "2010-05-11T00:21:16Z")
Jews tend to go out of their way to not write the word God out so that you don’t accidentally deface it. So I don’t think that they think the tetragrammatton prohibition applies solely to them. Just because they probably won’t threaten violence against you doesn’t mean they won’t be offended. Furthermore, her actual tattoo will be considered profane. I can’t see a reason for doing this knowingly without trying to be offensive. As she seems to be at least quasi-spiritual, I don’t believe that is her intent. And if she’s going for that concept of God, I think an West Asian divine name would be more appropriate. Or even just a pagan one. My friends that seem to think like this practice one of these religions. ---
**Author:** ![Speak\_to\_me\_Maddie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/58956e/32.png) [@Speak\_to\_me\_Maddie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Speak_to_me_Maddie)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2010, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tattoo-of-the-tetragrammaton/538975/11 "2010-05-11T00:48:06Z")
It just strikes me as nonsensical. If your friend worshiped Yahweh then she wouldn’t want a tattoo like that (or a tattoo at all), since her god forbids it. If she doesn’t worship Yahweh, then why would she want to use his name as a meaningful representation of the divine? I’m not offended by it. It just strikes me as kinda stupid. Now a tattoo of this [Tetragrammaton](http://www.arniesairsoft.co.uk/news/april04/Equilibrium-LobbyCards-PL02.jpg) is a different story. ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2010, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tattoo-of-the-tetragrammaton/538975/12 "2010-05-11T00:55:44Z")
If she is into Kabbalah or is a Ceremonial Magickian, then it may have some meaning and context for her. Really none of your damned business. ---
**Author:** ![cwthree](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9de0a6/32.png) [@cwthree](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cwthree)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2010, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tattoo-of-the-tetragrammaton/538975/13 "2010-05-11T01:04:05Z")
She’s not Jewish, so it’s neither here nor there that it violates any number of Jewish laws and/or traditions. However, it sounds like something she’s likely to regret if she ever converts to a religion that takes a dim view of this particular brand of mysticism. She might also be uncomfortable with it if she ever becomes involved with someone who’s more than nominally Jewish. But it’s her body, and she can put whatever statement she wants as long as she can handle any consequences that may arise. ---
**Author:** ![phouka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c5a1d2/32.png) [@phouka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/phouka)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2010, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tattoo-of-the-tetragrammaton/538975/14 "2010-05-11T01:13:02Z")
> [@tattoo girl](#): > > So the new tattoo has the hermetic alchameic symbols for salt, sulfur, mercury and water (which is the 4 elements that make up the human body - so that is the symbol for physical body) Holy crap, literally. Salt is not an element. It’s an ionic compound. Sulfur may be present in the human body, but not in anything like the amounts calcium, potassium, and iron are. Mercury shouldn’t be present in the human body at all. It does bad bad things to the nervous system and kidneys. Water? Again, not an element, but a covalently bonded compound. You know, I’m all for having a system of faith in your life, but this little girl needs to spend the money she saved for a tattoo on a basic science textbook and get busy. ---
**Author:** ![Ogre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ecb155/32.png) [@Ogre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ogre)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2010, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tattoo-of-the-tetragrammaton/538975/15 "2010-05-11T01:17:49Z")
> [@Chimera](#): > > If she is into Kabbalah or is a Ceremonial Magickian, then it may have some meaning and context for her. Really none of your damned business. This. Mind your own, and let her do whatever she wants. ---
**Author:** ![IvoryTowerDenizen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ivorytowerdenizen/32/17937_2.png) [@IvoryTowerDenizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IvoryTowerDenizen)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2010, 1:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tattoo-of-the-tetragrammaton/538975/16 "2010-05-11T01:21:52Z")
I just don’t believe in co-opting symbols that are important to other people. ---
**Author:** ![Ace309](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ace309/32/1050_2.png) [@Ace309](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ace309)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2010, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tattoo-of-the-tetragrammaton/538975/17 "2010-05-11T01:26:20Z")
> [@Chimera](#): > > If she is into Kabbalah or is a Ceremonial Magickian, then it may have some meaning and context for her. Really none of your damned business. Well, in my defense, she did ask if I liked it. ---
**Author:** ![Green\_Bean](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/green_bean/32/1760_2.png) [@Green\_Bean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Green_Bean)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2010, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tattoo-of-the-tetragrammaton/538975/18 "2010-05-11T02:04:52Z")
So wait a minute here…since when did Jewish stuff become hip? I mean, I knew about Madonna and her Kabbalah thing, but I had no idea it had spread beyond that. You know that feeling you get when some obscure band that you’ve been following hits it big, and you just want to say “They’re mine! I had them first!” That’s how I feel. Except more squicked out. And I’m not even the slightest bit religious. This tattoo is a horrible idea. I’m with **Kyla**. I’m surprised at myself, but I’m a little offended. ---
**Author:** ![Ogre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ecb155/32.png) [@Ogre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ogre)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2010, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tattoo-of-the-tetragrammaton/538975/19 "2010-05-11T02:06:29Z")
> [@IvoryTowerDenizen](#): > > I just don’t believe in co-opting symbols that are important to other people. How do you know it isn’t important to _her_, for whatever the reason? ---
**Author:** ![fubbleskag](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c2a13f/32.png) [@fubbleskag](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fubbleskag)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2010, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tattoo-of-the-tetragrammaton/538975/20 "2010-05-11T02:09:50Z")
I’m surprised at how many of you are offended by this. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tattoo-of-the-tetragrammaton/538975.md?page=2)