Almost every tattoo carries two meanings: the one the symbol has collected over a few
hundred years, and the one it has for the person wearing it. The second matters more. But
knowing the first is useful, because it tells you what other people will read into your
tattoo before you have said a word.
Where tattoo symbolism comes from
Most of the imagery still in use today was fixed in place by sailors. Long voyages,
cheap ports, a lot of waiting around, and a culture in which a tattoo recorded something
you had actually done. A symbol earned meaning because it was a record, not a decoration.
That is why the classic designs are so specific.
Common symbols and their traditional meanings
The swallow
Traditionally marked 5,000 nautical miles at sea. Swallows return to the same nesting
place every year, so they also came to mean a safe return home. A pair often meant a
completed voyage out and back.
The anchor
Stability, and something to hold onto. Historically it marked a sailor who had crossed
the Atlantic. It is now more often worn for the plainer reading: the person or the idea
that keeps you steady.
The rose
Love, but rarely simple love. In traditional work a rose paired with a dagger reads as
love that cost something. On its own it tends to mean beauty that does not last, which is
why it appears so often in memorial pieces.
The koi
From the Chinese legend of the carp that swam up the Yellow River and became a dragon.
It means persistence against the current. In Japanese work the direction the fish is
swimming matters: upstream for a struggle still going on, downstream for one already won.
The moth
Transformation, and attraction to something that may not be good for you. The death’s-head
moth in particular has come to stand for change accepted rather than resisted, which is why
it is a common choice to mark the end of a difficult period.
The dagger
Betrayal, sacrifice, or a decision that had to be made. What it passes through changes the
reading entirely — through a rose is heartbreak, through a snake is a danger dealt with.
The snake
Rebirth, because it sheds its skin. In Japanese tattooing it is also protective, warding
off illness and bad luck. Rarely the straightforwardly sinister thing western readings
assume.
A word on borrowed symbols
Some imagery belongs to living traditions with rules about who may wear it — Polynesian
tā moko and certain Japanese and indigenous designs among them. There is a real difference
between being inspired by a tradition and taking something that carries meaning you have no
claim to. If you are drawn to that kind of work, say so at your consultation and we will
find a way to get you the piece without the problem.
Choosing something that lasts
The tattoos people regret are almost never the ones with too little meaning. They are the
ones chosen quickly. If a symbol matters to you, it will still matter in a month — and a
month is nothing against the length of time you will wear it.