A Transmutation Circle Tattoo
There has recently appeared a new trend in tattoo art – a transmutation circle tattoo design, which is especially popular among the representatives of a younger generation, anime fans.
A transmutation circle is a fictional element of manga and anime series Fullmetal Alchemist. It is a combination of circles, lines and alchemical symbols, but text written on them, as well.
The main character of the series is an alchemist Edward Elric whose little brother Alphonse has nearly died in an accident but Edward managed to save his life by transmutation. At the same time – as in the process you can gain something only by sacrifice something equally valuable – Edward lost much. That’s why the two brothers went travelling in order to find the Philosophers Stone that cab compensate for the lost.
Transmutation circles are drawn on gloves, or tattooed on hands and when a person who wears them snaps his or her fingers a spark is created, which means that reaction is initiated. And the desired action can be performed. Some characters of the series have an ability to control fire with the help of their transmutation circle tattoo or can initiate explosions. At the same time an alchemist can simply put the thing he wants to transmute in the centre of the circle or can draw it in the place where transmutation will be performed.
Transmutation circle is not a source of energy, it is only a catalyst. It acts as a medium through which energy circulates between the alchemical source and the alchemist’s body. As the energy of an only person is not enough, in the Fullmetal Alchemist series there is one more source of it, the parallel universe where warring action of World War I take place and dying people provide large supplies of energy.
In the original manga there’s not such kind of the parallel world and its characters use alchemy without transmutation circles at all –just by clapping their hands of without movements at all.
So a transmutation circle tattoo is some kind of a mythical tattoo that can show a person’s “identity,” namely manga or anime fun.
