Nautical Star Tattoos – The Original Meaning
Nautical star tattoos have caused much controversy and heated discussion regarding the true meaning of the design. Over the years, many groups have attempted to tag the design with their own unique interpretation. In addition to the nautical connection, this popular tattoo design has been connected to the military, punk rockers, the lesbian community and the anti-racism movement in recent years.
But what are the origins of the nautical star tattoo? Where did it come from and what did it originally represent?
Almost everybody, without exception, accepts that sailors were the first group of people to wear nautical star tattoos.
In previous centuries, working at sea was a very dangerous and unpredicatable way of life. Sailors had very little to guide them at night, apart from the stars. And the one that they relied upon most was Polaris, or the North Star. As this star is positioned close to the north pole, it appears to be stationary at all times, unlike other stars which appear to move as time passes. This provided early sailors with a fixed reference point. And once they know where the North Star was, they could position their ships accordingly and be reasonably confident that they were going in the right direction.
Over time the North Star became a symbol for finding your way home safely and symbolically finding your way in life. But beyond that, as many sailors were deeply superstitious with a rich history of lore about life and death at sea, they were always looking for lucky charms. So many sailors began to place nautical star tattoos on their forearms or hands as a symbol of good luck and a desire to get home safely.
Skip forward through the centuries and the meaning of the nautical star tattoo has become broader. Not only is it a symbol of the sea, but also a sign of security and guidance for all sailors and travelers. It has also become a sign of following your dreams and achieving success in your life.
However, these is some disagreement concerning the design of the nautical star. Most people accept that the basic design of the nautical star is a five pointed star. But a minority of people claim that the nautical star represents the traditional design of a ship ’s compass. This consists of the four cardinal directions, North, South, East, West, and possibly the intermediate directions of North East, South East, South West and North West. So their idea of the nautical star is a four pointed design or even an eight pointed star.
Personally, I think that the five pointed star best represents the design of the nautical star tattoo, especially when you consider that on many nautical maps, north is shown by a compass style five pointed star.
But whatever style of design is selected, one thing is clear; the nautical star has had a long connection with naval tradition and was originally a symbol of finding your way home safely. And while other groups may attempt to link themselves to the use of the nautical star tattoo, the sailors of bygone centuries will always retain the distinction of representing the original interpretation of this iconic tattoo design.
About the Author
Gustavo Gomez runs SuperTattooDesigns.com. For information about star tattoos and a wide range of other tattoo designs, check out Super Tattoo Designs.
Article Source: Content for Reprint
Add comment April 16, 2008
Lower Back Tattoo – Today’s generation Craze!
There are several different tattoos shapes and designs that are available out there. With the changing trends each day in terms of designs and colors, there is something more. You can see numerous additions in the list of preferred tattoo painting spots of the beautiful ladies too. Low back is on the hit list or say on the hot list. Lower back happens to be the first priority of every woman for having the lovely designs.
There are many reasons for that. Women can hide these tattoos, they can be easily shown when needed and last but not the least these tattoos are looks very sexy on the lower back. Lower back tattoo is simply great and if it is done perfectly, it adds to the sparkling look of your waist line. Lower back tattoo is simply eye-catching and any one can see them, if you are wearing a pair of jeans or skirt and a short top.
When you are on to a hot dancing night, adorn yourself with a short t-shirt and show out on the shimmering tattoo design to have a magnetizing effect on the crowd. When you are on to a beach side picnic, a lower back tattoo does wonders for your pleasure vacation. Normally you can look chic and classy in a tattoo that has been done on any where on your body but should be perfectly done. However, tattoos done on lower back just look very sexy and are preferred for their ultimate sex appeal as compared other body parts.
Lower back tattoos add to the exquisiteness of the thin lines of the back. Many women also have a tattoo on the arc of their upper buttocks cheeks, even these are on the list of sexy spots. To enhance the attractiveness, you should go for simple and unique tattoo for your lower back. Small designs look much more appealing and striking rather than those with huge ones.
Search well before you get a tattoo done on this sexy part of the body. Pick up a good tattoo artists to get a tattoo done on your lower back because the tattoo that you are going to engrave on your body should be perfectly and flawlessly done. Many people overlook this factor and go for amateur tattoo artists which may prove out to be a disaster for them. Selection of the right tattoo artists is very important because anyone can get the design, but if it is not made properly then having a tattoo is of no use. It is better that you go for temporary tattoo rather than a permanent one.
Tattoos that have sexual association are often exhibited in conjunction between tight fitting clothes as well as revealing clothing. Low waist jeans, midriff tops, as well as thong panties that reveal your lower back body part and highlight the wearer’s curvature are common among girls.
Various celebrities have adapted these types of tattoos and since then the popularity of these types of tattoos has grown high. These tattoos are available in sexy designs and in many shapes like rectangular, triangle, butterfly, dragonfly, and zodiac signs etc. many people prefer those tattoos that show their zodiac signs and their personality on their lower back. Several tattoos designs and styles positioned in this place are designed by keeping in mind the show off of the curvature of the girl’s body. These tattoos are mainly worn to arouse the sensuous feelings and sexual attractiveness.
Author Resource:-> Find out more about the mystery of lower back tattoos on http://www.tattoodles.info
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Add comment April 8, 2008
Picture of Star Tattoos
Add comment March 31, 2008
Star Tattoos – Simple but Versatile
Star tattoo designs are in most cases quite a simple design but it would not put you off and suitable for everyone as they is neither gender specific, nor are they specific to cultural heritage or set of beliefs. This property helps the tattoo artist to use their imagination and cook up a tattoo that expresses what you want to say about yourself. Though very simple form of art but remember often the simplest design applied in the right way, have the greatest of impacts. So as a design, the star tattoo though very simple but is very versatile.
A star is one of the classic tattoo designs, are extremely popular for a number of reasons; One of the attractions of a star tattoo design is that they are small, which often means that they can be applied much quicker with less pain. These tattoos provide the perfect introduction to the world of tattoos to the first timers who are anxious about the whole process. They are also relatively inexpensive.
Star tattoos due to their size are extremely versatile with a massive range of styles, sizes, shapes and colors. It is much easier and cheaper for a good tattoo artist to create a unique design as it can be fabricated to express the individuality of your personality. A collection of stars and other celestial symbols can form their own design and can also be used to brighten up existing tattoos or cover up unwanted designs. The reasons for getting a star tattoo vary from person to person, for some they represent an achievement or a success in life, for others it may have religious ramifications, whatever be the reasons stars are timeless continuing from the past and for most people will be just as applicable in the future as they are today. Though these designs are gender neutral they are popular among women.
Even the proper placement of star tattoos brings out the effectiveness of the design. The most popular locations for star tattoos are shoulders, ankles and around the navel. But at the same time there are certain factors that should be kept in mind before you decide for tattooing; the location and size of your star design should allow it to be easily covered by your normal style of clothing if you want your tattoo to remain discreet for any good reasons and also it is important to bear in mind the effects of aging on the body. Since star is a symmetrical design so it will not respond well to your stretch or sag skin that prevails as you get older. Therefore areas such as the shoulders or lower back are ideal place for star tattoo as these areas suffer less from the effects of aging.
Add comment March 27, 2008
Tattoos Are Also For Women
The fact related to the specific time of evolution of practicing of tattooing is not certain but according to the historical survey it is said that the ancient Egyptians have mostly practiced the art of tattooing. It is not really known how long but it is quite possibly as long as 12,000 years when the process, theme and the purpose behind tattooing were completely different.
The history of tattooing has several ups and downs over the centuries and has even been banned many times in different cultures for periods of time but it appears that tattooing will never fade away seeing the inclination of more and more people towards tattooing making it their own fashion statement. May be it has to go underground for certain time period probably for certain reason but now it has resurface with new ideas and purpose and has invaded in many cultures attaining popularity due to its intricate work that adds extra meaning to the personality of a person wearing it.
In the last 100 years tattooing was commonly associated with criminals, motorcyclists and gang members but amazingly in the last 20 years drastic change has been noticed. Nearly 50% of all tattoos are done on women. You did not see tattoos on women very much earlier but women from ages of 18 to 40, the soccer moms, and professional women takes great interest in this body art which enhances their beauty and reveals many thing about their personality making them different form others. It is completely a wrong idea that tattoos prevailed only with men but there are certain tribes where women practice tattooing with definite reason. For instance women from Borneo would mark themselves to show what they were skilled at, such as weaving or the gatherer of medicinal herbs and this further communicated their rank as marriage material. Even girls of western Asia were marked to show their place in society. In some society tattooing were strictly practice by women and not the men.
Therefore it can be concluded that tattooing was also associated with women in some tribes but it was not so popular as it is now. Presently tattooing has become more and more popular due to its artistic designs placing just about anywhere on the body would act as an additive to your beauty. Next with people getting more and more broad minded and women getting all kinds of privileges that equals men are also free to make their own choices in regards to tattooing. You will see tattoos adorning an ankle, or husbands or boyfriends names on a forearm or private areas for their spouse only. So if you desire to have one for yourself then make sure you are dealing with a reputable shop that is safety conscious.
Add comment March 25, 2008
