Anchor tattoos ideas images

Anchor Tattoos, Sailors and Early Christian History

This is most definitely an interesting mix of history, symbolism and best of all tattoos. Tattoos picturing symbolic ship anchors have been a huge part of tattooing in the western world for over two centuries. You have probably seen these tattoos on a lot of elderly men. For example my grandfather has an anchor tattoo on his forearm. Originally sailors, navy servicemen, and other maritime workers would get anchor tattoos. These anchor tattoos have become known the world over and associated very closely with maritime activities.

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There are regional variations as to the meanings of certain colors, and other adorning symbols that go with anchor tattoos but most often an anchor tattoo is meant to be a symbol of holding one steadfast and strong. Also many sailors would get an anchor tattoo after their first crossing of the Atlantic. Much like a real anchor these tattoos symbolize keeping a person in place or grounded despite what might be happening around them. The amazing thing is the connection with anchors as a symbol goes all the way back to the early Christians. The early Christians of course were persecuted for their religious beliefs and often had to meet in secret. They developed symbols that would mark a house as a meeting place for Christians. Much like the fish that many Christians put on their car today the anchor was a symbol the early Christians used for these purposes.

More recently however there has been a revival in anchor tattoos and there are many new designs that are full of brilliant colors and new design motifs for anchor tattoos. There has been a revival in more traditional tattoos.

As always history, symbolism and meaning provide an interesting overlap of cultures and times.

There is a ton of debate raging on the internet and in tattoo shops everywhere about the symbolism and meaning of these popular tattoos. There are tons of articles on this site explaining it and on many other sites on the internet you can find people debating and arguing about the exact symbolism behind things like the nautical star tattoo or the anchor tattoo. You see these are three of the most popular and famous of the old school tattoo designs. They are also pieces that can easily be combined to make a much larger design such as a chest tattoo that features two swallows flying between an anchor.

Well to make it really simple and so as to not mislead you there are no clear cut meanings nor symbolism for these tattoos. The problem is tattoos grow in popularity organically in multiple places at a time. The reason behind one person getting a tattoo is different then another person getting that same tattoo. The symbolism behind a certain tattoo might be agreed upon by a group of people for example sailors on the East Coast.

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That does not mean Sailors in England would agree. Couple that confusion fact with history and time and in the end you have multiple versions of what the tattoo might have symbolized in the past and no clear cut answer which is the right one. So stop the debate once and for all, enjoy your tattoo and feel confident that you won and it means whatever you want it to me for you.

With that said the bulk of evidence and conglomeration of facts, lies and fiction one can make out a shady idea of what the symbols probably meant back in time and are a good indicator of what they can symbolism today. That way you are not ascribing a meaning to a certain design that is way different then it was meant to be.

All three of these tattoo designs are old school tattoo designs that were worn by sailors originally. Just look at Sailor Jerry's tattoos or a little more contemporary Ed Hardy and you will see anchors, nautical stars and swallow throughout their designs. In the past few years their has been a real rebirth and celebration of the art of tattooing and many of the designs from these greats have come back into fashion be it Ed Hardy Clothing or the website and possible movie dedicated to Sailor Jerry.

Anchor Tattoos

In the farthest back history that one can go the Anchor as a symbol was used by Christians. The Christians used the anchor as a hidden secret cross. While they were under the presecution by the Romans they lived in hiding and used the anchor to as a symbol for the cross for a signal to other Christians. The anchor much later showed up in tattoo designs worn by sailors. At that time it was a symbol for being grounded or even tied down to a significant other be it a girlfriend or a wife but in a relationship either way. This is the most common meaning of an anchor tattoo in the modern world of tattooing.

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Nautical Star Tattoos

Nautical stars are a symbol of the North Star. Sailors would use the North Star to find their way home and the nautical star became a popular tattoo among sailors and was worn as a good luck symbol and one that would promise a safe return home from a long voyage at sea. There is also some debate the nautical stars of certain colors would be earned for making certain voyages or sailing a certain amount of miles. For example a blue nautical star on the left forearm might symbolize someone who has sailed across the Pacific Ocean for example. The exact meanings and colors have been lost in history for the most part.

Swallow Tattoos

Swallows are small birds that have small wings and therefore typically do not fly very far away from land. For the early sailors spotting a swallow would mean a group was close to land and therefore it became a good luck symbol. Some sailors would also put swallows on their fists and it was believed to make them faster in a fight.

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The exact meaning and symbolism behind these great tattoos such as the nautical star, anchor tattoo and swallow tattoo has been lost and obscured by history. It is probably accurate that the symbolism was also somewhat different between different groups of sailors. However, the fact remains that today these are very popular old school sailor tattoos that can make incredible tattoo designs. It is probably best to keep with the general meaning and symbolism behind these designs but of course it is always up to the person wearing the tattoo their interpretation of the symbol.

Anchor tattoos were all the rage for sailors. It was often the symbol of a very experienced sailor. Anchor tattoo designs are one of the oldest types of tattoos. However with an interest in all things retro and chic these have come back into fashion. In fact in the tattoo field as a whole retro tattoo designs have been experiencing a resurgence. These retro tattoo designs have come back to life with new more vibrant tattoo colors, designs and placements on the body. This trend originated on the west coast mostly and has even become known as west coast tattoo style.

Retro themes in tattoo designs are especially popular with the rockabilly group.

So what is the symbolism behind the anchor tattoo design? While the earliest forms of an anchor being used as a symbol harkens all the way back to the early Christians. They would often use the anchor as a hidden symbol for the cross. This was often used to show that they were Christian while escaping persecution from the Greeks.

The symbol much later became popular with sailors. This is a pretty obvious connection here being that sailor use anchors constantly in their work.

The anchor tattoo design has become a symbol for stability and a strong foundation. It can also mean a boyfriend, girlfriend or significant other in someone's life. You see a man might get an anchor tattoo to show that his girlfriend is the stability in his life.

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These have become increasingly popular for women to get and they often place them just below their collar bone on the right of left side.

So the anchor tattoo is a great tattoo with lots of symbolism and history behind it. If you are looking for something to remind you to stay grounded or want to symbolism a particularly stable or grounding relationship that you have then an anchor tattoo design might be something to look into.

Anchor tattoo designs have always been very popular, especially among sailors. If a person was seen sporting this type of tattoo design, he was immediately branded as an experienced sailor. Aside from being one of the most common, they are, in fact, one of the oldest designs of tattoos.

With all the hype on all things retro, it is no surprise that they are brought back into fashion in more colorful and vibrant designs that would look cool and chic in any part of the body. The revival of this type of tattoo sprang up from the west coast, hence the nickname "west coast" tattoo style.

Anchor tattoos ideas images

So what is the story behind anchor design? Why they were so famous then and why are they still famous now? The story goes all the way back to the time of the early Christian, back when claiming to be one was punishable by the Greek. To avoid persecution, the symbol of the cross was discretely replaced by the anchor. The anchor served as a secret symbol for the cross, and people chose to wear them as a subtle expression of Christianity.

It was still much later that the anchor grew popular among seafarers. Anchors are closely associated with sailors since they use them in their line of work. One very famous and admired sailor sporting this tattoo is none other than the cartoon character Popeye the Sailorman. However, it's not only sailors who are getting anchor tattoos these days. It can hold a much deeper meaning. It stands for stability and endurance. A man, not necessarily a sailor, can choose to get one to show the woman in his life that she is the one thing that's constant and stable in it. Influential former British Prime Minister Winston Churchill is said to be sporting this kind of tattoo too.

It is not just men who are getting anchor tattoo designs. The design is becoming popular with girls as well. Some women are seen with attractive eagle-globed anchor tattoos below their collarbones, while some are also getting them on their arms, biceps, chest, or just about anywhere in their body. A small tattoo looks especially nice on a woman's wrist. Singer Amy Winehouse has a number of anchor designs tattooed on different parts of her body.

So the reason why a lot of people choose to get this kind of tattoo is because they hold a lot of meaning, even in a religious and romantic sense. If you are looking to get one, there are different designs are available for you to choose from. You can browse different websites, go over tattoo magazines, or even better, ask for your tattoo artist's help in searching for the design that would best suit your personality.