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INKEDblog takes you beneath the skin of today's tattoo culture. Our mission is to celebrate tattooing as a modern art form which incorporates art, fashion, style, and pop culture. While paying homage and respect to the past, we look to present a contemporary take on the present and future of skin art.
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Friday Sep 16, 2005
Break the Tattoo Code - Sailor’s Tattoo Codes
Today Jessica Lund continues her look into the underground codes behind some of the world's most iconographic tattoos. Today's subject: Sailor’s Tattoo Codes
Because historically, sailors were the majority of people in North America with tattoos, sailor tattoos are an important part of our cultural tattoo history.
Sailors have a variety of coded tattoos. Generally, these tattoos show where the sailor has been, or how long the seaman has been traveling. Withstanding hash conditions, many of these tattoos are a testament of a dedication to the life at sea.
Sailors were unable to carry very much with them. In most cases, a small box had to suffice for all necessary personal items. For this reason, it was often impossible to bring souvenirs from foreign travels back home. Thus, sailors found a way to bring tokens from their voyages back on their own skin.
Some images purely reflected the places visited. For example, a dragon was the symbol for having visited China. Often however, some of the coded tattoos referred to the length of time a sailor had been to sea.
The sparrow is an old coded tattoo that is typically seen on the shoulder. A sailor would receive his first sparrow after he sailed five thousand miles. The second sparrow was received for the next five thousand miles.
A sailor who had crossed the Equator would get a sailboat tattoo, often elaborate. These tattoos are most often seen on the chest or arms.
According to the Amsterdam Historical Museum, tattoos were also used as identification after a sailor’s death. Though the symbols were similar, tattoo artists in different countries often had different styles.
| Comments
As a sailor in the U.S. Navy's 'Tonkin Gulf Yacht Club' Vietnam 1967-68, I heard a lot of tall tales and rumors about tattooing customs. Some that I recall are:
An anchor on one hand, and a star on the other means 'around the world'. So does a rope or chain around the wrist,or two birds on the chest.
A sailing ship means a long cruise; like a Westpac, a Med, or a North Atlantic cruise.
A dragon means crossing the 180th Meridian, and entering the orient.
A pig on one foot, and a rooster on the other means never drowning at sea, and returning to the farm after a 20 year stint.
An anchor means simply U.S.N.
A hula girl, or a cowgirl speak for themselves, as do a pirate girl, geisha girl or sailor girl.
A black panther is usually a cover-up design, as is a sitting eagle.
A coil of rope, or line, means 'once a sailor'.
Death Before Dishonor, is a time honored slogan popular with Marines and Soldiers, and originated from the French Penal Colonies of South America.
Mom or Dad means loss of a parent.
Here's Mine, Where's Yours? with cherries is a unique way of picking up girls.
Lips on the chest, or rear end means a lover-boy.
A rope knot, means a Four Knot Sailor, or one who has crossed the Equator, International Date Line, Arctic and Antarctic circles. A very salty sailor.
Oil Here, around the belly button means a ship's engineer- or 'snipe'.
Crossed Anchors means Boatswains Mate, of course. Is there any other rate?
Love and Hate on the knuckles means that some idiot saw a scary movie, made in the early 60s with Robert Mitchum wearing the same stupid thing. A few idiots changed 'Hate' to 'Fate' in later years, eventually starting and completing their careers at the entry level.
A rooster, or 'cock' hanging below the knee is obvious.
Some people have no real plan while getting tattooed on impulse, and carry the souvenirs of their folly throughout their lives.
Posted by: Fred Lehman at November 29, 2005 9:30 AM
I only get tattooed on impulse, wont have it any other way. I have seven now, some rather large, and regret not one of them.
Posted by: SFlynn at February 24, 2006 8:34 PM
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