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Every tattoo is a statement (even if it says ‘drunken mistake’); from crosses to butterflies, birds and even punctuation marks.
“People get tattoos for an aesthetic reason and don’t realise there are often centuries-old stories behind the imagery,” says author Trent Aitken-Smith, 44, a long-time body-art fanatic and editor of industry bible Tattoo Master.
The Tattoo Dictionary, documents the rich history behind individual designs – from seafarers to mobsters. “Tattoos grew up in the underground,” he adds.
In his book he details a selection of the most popular designs and the history and iconography behind them. Whether you have any of these tattoos, or are thinking of getting one, we’ve handpicked some of the most notable ones to reveal more about their symbolism.
jesus
“Sailors would get Jesus on their back, hoping that seeing his face would mean their officers would go easy on whippings,” says Aitken-Smith.
Swallow
“In sailors’ terms, it meant that you’d sailed more than 5,000 nautical miles [9,260km],” says Aitken-Smith – with a second if you had doubled that number.
Stars
In Russian prison terms, having stars on your chest or shoulders means you’re a high-ranking criminal, explains Aitken-Smith’s book.
Rose
A rose bush was said to have grown from the blood of Adonis, Aphrodite’s love, and is seen as a symbol of undying love. In Christianity, the five rose petals symbolised Christ’s five wounds from the Crucifixion. The rose is also closely linked to the Virgin Mary.
Die/dice
“When tattooing a pair of dice, it is common to use three and four dots on the visible faces to make a total of seven,” says Aitken-Smith. This is because of number seven’s lucky status and in the dice game Craps a throw of seven will win.
Numerals
Gangs often use numbers to signify membership. People bearing 81 may be in the Hells Angels (8 = H; 1 = A). A 12 signifies US prison gang the Aryan Brotherhood.
Butterfly
In its simplest form, explains Aitken-Smith, the butterfly is a “symbol of transformation, renewal, and resurrection, but has also been associated with the soul in many cultures.”
Kanji
Kanji are ornate symbols based on ancient Chinese characters that form part of the Japanese writing system. “Just as with English homographs, many kanji characters have multiple meanings,” warns Aitken-Smith and wearers can end up with kanji characters that express a different meaning than what they intended.
Keys
Keys are a symbol of the desire to protect what is valuable to us and those that we are close to. “Often, in art as well as in tattooing, a lock is shown alongside a key – often as a metaphor for love and the key to one’s heart,” says Aitken-Smith.
Pachuco Cross
“A gang tattoo associated with Chicano (Mexican- American) gang members, a pachuco cross is usually worn between the thumb and the fore finger of the left hand” says Aitken Smith.
Tattoos like this are often used as part of initiation rituals for new members, as well as to show solidarity and allegiance.
Semicolon
“The semicolon started as a mental health support group,” says Aitken-Smith. It was adopted by campaigners in 2013, and marks membership to Project Semicolon.
Ta Moko
Ta moko is the traditional form of permanent body art used by the Maori people of New Zealand. It is different from tattooing in that ta moko is applied using a chisel method, as is done in traditional tattooing. The main focus of Maori tattooing is the face as the head is deemed the most sacred part of the body.
Teardrop
One of the most common prison tattoos, the teardrop has come to symbolise many different things to inmates around the world, such as the wearer has committed murder or had a sad life.
“In some circles, the outline of a teardrop (i.e. one that is not fully shaded) is used to show that someone close to the wearer has been unjustly killed and that they are seeking revenge. Once the revenge has been carried out, the teardrop is completed by being filled in,” says Aitken-Smith.
Winged Skull
In the 1930s, the US motorbike manufacturer Harley-Davidson wanted to capitalise on the boom in motorcycle culture and created the winged-skull logo. Motorcycle gangs, such as the Hells Angels caught on and adopted the logo as its own, seeing it as representing the “fleeting nature of life and the endless cycle of life and death.”
This is just a selection of the designs featured in Aitken-Smith’s book. The dictionary reveals the true meanings behind 200 popular designs, listed in alphabetical order with illustrations.
