Why do sailors get tattoos on their feet?

The foot tattoos of pigs and roosters were worn by sailors in WWII in the hopes it would keep the sailor from drowning. The Navy shipped these animals in crates at the time. When ships went down, the crates floated, and the animals inside would sometimes be the only survivors.

What do sailors get tattooed on their feet?

Chicken and Pig: Usually tattooed on each foot (pig on the left, chicken on the right) to protect the sailor from drowning in a shipwreck.

Why did sailors get anchor tattoos?

Anchor: In the Navy, sailors get an anchor tattoo after successfully crossing and returning from the Atlantic Ocean. An anchor is also the most secure object on the ship, so its image serves as an icon of stability and unfaltering faith.

Why do fishermen have tattoos?

A tradition of sailors and fishermen is to have a tattoo of their home port coordinates. This way, if they get lost at sea, they can be returned home.

What tattoos do sailors get when they cross the equator?

An anchor tattoo symbolizes a Sailor's crossing of the Atlantic. Sailors may get a Shellback turtle once they have crossed the equator and get initiated into 'King Neptune's Court'.

A Guide to Sailor Tattoos

What does a swallow tattoo mean in the Navy?

Swallow tattoos are one of the most popular in the navy and have a number of meanings. Each swallow represents 5,000 nautical miles in a sailor's career. The circumference of the earth is 21,639 nautical miles – about 4.16 swallows. A swallow with a dagger would be used as a memorial of a lost comrade at sea.

What is a blue nose sailor?

The “Order of the Blue Nose” is a Navy tradition which dictates that when Sailors cross into the Arctic Circle, they enter the realm of Boreas Rex, King of the North. The only way to be accepted into the order is to successfully complete his list of challenges.

What are sailor tattoos called?

Nautical Star Tattoos

Representing the North Star (historically used by sailors use for navigation) a nautical star tattoo was believed to keep a sailor on course. As such, they were also considered to help guide a sailor home.

Why do sailors get pig and chicken tattoos?

Pig and Rooster

The foot tattoos of pigs and roosters were worn by sailors in WWII in the hopes it would keep the sailor from drowning. The Navy shipped these animals in crates at the time. When ships went down, the crates floated, and the animals inside would sometimes be the only survivors.

What does a sailor girl tattoo mean?

It is used to signify that you had served in the United States coast guard, United States Navy, or the Marines. Crossed cannons. Crossed cannons traditionally meant that a person was a sailor and had done military service. Swallows. Swallows were a mark of honor for those who have traveled 5,000 nautical miles.

What does hold fast mean tattoo?

“Hold Fast” written across the knuckles indicate a sailor's career as a deckhand. It's said that having “Hold Fast” on each of a deckhand's fingers would give them the grip they needed to work with the ship's lines and rigging.

What does an envelope tattoo mean?

An envelope is most often a symbol for a letter, and a letter can hold an infinity of meanings. There are love letters, fan mail and hate mail, rejection letters, official letters, and more. This means that there is an absolute plethora of inspiration for how to represent yourself via an envelope tattoo.

What does a sail ship tattoo mean?

Some meanings associated with the ship tattoo are new journeys/beginnings, home, good luck, a way of life, direction, bravery, honour or even a troubled past.

What does JKL tattoo mean?

The title is a nod to Matthew McConaughey's mantra, “Just Keep Livin',” a statement she believes in so deeply that she had it immortalized in a tattoo that reads “JKL.” It's her only tattoo.

What does a talon tattoo mean?

Representing the power of the creatures they come from, talon and claw tattoos vary widely, but typically convey ferocity. Combatting courageously to break through limitations, claws tear through their impediments to reach freedom. The ripping of flesh releases one's inner demons resulting in personal victory.

What does a rope tattoo mean?

A rope can symbolize the importance of having things stay together and secure. Much like life, we can use this as a way of representing the strong bond and forever loyalty to whatever this rope may be holding so close.

What do swallow tattoos mean?

The swallow tattoo was a symbol used historically by sailors to denote their sailing experience. Of British origin in the early days of sailing, it was the image of a barn swallow, usually tattooed on the chest, hands or neck.

What does the hand shaking tattoo mean?

Shaking hands tattoos, or friendship hands as they are often called, are an old school tattoo design that is great for a filler tattoo. They're small, simple and quite awesome! Representing anything from friendship, love and brotherhood to respect and loyalty a handshake tattoo is great piece of classic ink!

What does the sparrow tattoo symbolize?

The sparrow, while not the flashiest bird type, has become a popular choice for tattoos. Sparrow tattoos are usually associated with freedom, love, and commitment, but there are many other great meanings that can be attached to these designs. For decades, they have been used as a standard in animal tattoo imagery.

What does the 1971 tattoo mean?

The Odin's Cross – popularized by the KKK in 1920, this tattoo is generally worn by neo-Nazis and white supremacist groups. In 1971, a display of this tattoo caused a race riot in North Carolina. The Nazi Swastika – this symbol was adopted by the German Nazi party.

What tattoo do Navy Seals get?

U.S. Navy Special Warfare Insignia (Seal Trident)

A common tattoo that you will find on both current Seals and those retired from the Navy is the Seal Trident. This symbol recognizes Navy Seals and designates them as completing their training.

Why do the Navy wear bell bottoms?

The U.S. Navy had been sporting the flared cuffs on its work uniforms since 1817. The idea was that sailors who would be working on the topmost decks, who were presumably swabbing it or whatever sailors did up there back then, would want to roll their pants up to keep them from getting wet or dirty.

What is a Navy Crow?

A crow is an unofficial Navy term for the petty officer rank insignia, which includes an eagle above one to three chevrons, depending upon a Sailor's rank.

Why do Navy uniforms have a flap?

The collar, also known as a tar flap, was a holdover from an earlier era when men had long hair that was tied back with tar or grease. The collar protected the uniform from dirt and grime. Neckerchiefs made of silk were worn as head coverings or used to muffle the sound of guns.

What does a bird tattoo on the hand mean?

The tattoo is supposed to mean that you have "done your bird, done your time". Where "bird" comes from the cockney rhyming slang "bird lime" which means for "doing time".