Tattoo Johnny Tattoos & Tattoo Design Guide: Naval Tattoos: Body Art in Navy Tattoo Designs Since the 19th Century

Naval Tattoos: Body Art in Navy Tattoo Designs Since the 19th Century

Monday 09th of February 2009 04:32:45 PM [Add To This Article]

American sailors have been getting tattooed literally since they first started sailing. As they encountered foreign cultures and exotic locales that participated in this uniquely personal form of art, navy members of all ages and ranks eagerly and avidly began accumulating â€œtravel marksâ€ to help commemorate their travels and lucky images to help them travel the high seas and make it safely home. Also in the tradition of brotherhood and bravery so prevalent in the United States military, navy members began getting tattoos of their ranks, their units and their fallen comrades. As the practice became more popular, the art became more exotic and beautiful and the air of bravery and individuality that accompanied body art became increasingly tempting to members of the military and civilians alike, navy tattoos literally became the first clearly distinguishable trend in the American body art â€œscene.â€

At first, navy tattoos â€“ indeed, all tattoos â€“ were in black and white (skin) because those were the only options. They tended to be easily recognizable shapes and symbols that were common throughout the navy either because they originated in ports that most sailors visited, or because they designated accomplishments or were thought to bring luck. Anchors and nautical stars were and still are extremely popular. As tattooing has become a more refined art form through various technologies and innovative practices, these easily recognizable shapes and symbols have become more and more highly decorated, so now it is not uncommon for an anchor tattoo to also be a skull, a swallow, a beautiful woman or a patriotic statement in addition to a navy marker. Many experts who study tattoos and tattoo trends credit the entrance of women into the military with the introduction of more delicate and elaborate variations on traditional navy tattoos.

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Many navy tattoos have been around since long before the United States was founded, and were adopted by U.S. Navy sailors when they encountered them abroad. For example, many sailors would get a bluebird tattooed on their chest after they had spent 5,000 miles at sea. A second bluebird would be in order when they reached 10,000 miles. This was both to bring luck and celebrate accomplishment, as you had (and have) to be a pretty accomplished sailor to survive that long without mishap. A dragon tattoo could indicate that you had crossed the international dateline, and swallow tattoos were popular both for luck, since they fly only near shore and sailors saw them as lucky indications that the journey was nearly done, and as an indication of experience, since many sailors would get a swallow tattoo each time they circumnavigated the globe.

As with other branches of the military, many Navy tattoos are also a way to express brotherhood within the service and to physically acknowledge the deep emotion and danger that these brave men and women face in the name of preserving freedom and life in the United States as we know it. Navy tattoos can be highly personal as well as generally symbolic, and it is not uncommon for navy personnel to have a very common tattoo, such as an anchor, embellished in such a way as to make it extremely personal with dates of tours, names of comrades, badges of accomplishment or the names of their units.

If you are in the U.S. Navy or considering joining, then you must be aware of the Navyâ€™s rules for tattoos. Visible tattoos, which are any tattoos that would be visible when wearing any form of Navy uniform, including a casual T-shirt, cannot be larger than the wearerâ€™s closed fist. For men, this means tattoos on the forearm, and for women â€“ who wear skirts as part of their uniforms â€“ it includes calf tattoos as well as forearm tattoos. Furthermore, tattoos cannot show through any part of the white dress summer uniform. If you already have tattoos that violate these regulations, it can impact where and how you are allowed to serve in the Navy, if you are allowed to serve at all. If you are already in the Navy and wish to get a tattoo of any sort, it will need to ultimately be documented in your personal file not only for the purposes of keeping track of your actions, but also so that it can serve as a means of identification if necessary.

Navy tattoos are probably some of the most elaborate and intricate service-related tattoos. Because of this, many civilians also are extremely attracted to these traditional tattoos and proudly display vintage tattoos, such as â€œold-schoolâ€ swallows, bluebirds and nautical stars, in particular. Whether you are in the Navy or not, a Navy tattoo can be worn with patriotic and personal pride. However, make sure that you know a little bit about the history of your tattoo as well as the personal story that instigated the body art, and your tattoo will become even more meaningful.