What were traditional nautical tattoos and piercings sailors got and why?

The answer is "pretty much whatever they wanted". The only tattoo I have heard of that was common to many old-time sailors was to have the letters H O L D F A S T tattooed on the backs of their hands -- one letter on each knuckle.

Sailors in general follow old sea dog traditions of having their bodies tattooed for remembering loved ones, places they have visited and as religious icons.Although tattooing is an ancient art, Captain Cook and his crew are credited with introducing the art to the civilized world after seeing the body art of Hawaiian and Maori natives emblazoned with many different images.

WELL WITH SAIOLORS, SUCH AS MYSELF( I AM A MERCHANT MARINER), ITS A SUPERSTITIOUS THING. IT MEANS TO US THAT WE WILL NEVER GET LOST AT SEA AND THAT WE WILL FIND OUR WAY HOME, THE REASON IS BECAUSE IT TAKES TWO STARS TO GET A CELLESTIAL BEARING. NOW THE NAUTICAL STAR BECAME MANY THINGS, LIKE PUNK ROCK FOR INSTANCE. IT JUST TOOK ONE PUNK KID TO GET IT CAUSE HE THOUGHT IT WAS COOL… Read More

Rockabilly Girls' Tattoos Simply, it's right for the era. Tattoo imagery has changed a great deal over the last couple of decades, designs such as those you mentioned were fairly popular during that time period as they were simple to do, looked good and held up well in the long run. A good source for the imagery is anything to do with Sailor Jerry - his work is becoming trendy now and is readily available… Read More

I am not much into the body piercings at all, however tattoos are about what they represent. I put alot of thought and consideration when I am thinking of a tattoo, and it is a reflection of the inside of me being physically portrayed on the outside. Because the feeling of being a survivor, the love for my children, the fight for survival has become so intense that it has to come out, and I… Read More

Sailors take cats for many reasons one of them is to catch mice

Are they? I thought everyone was unique.

It was never soldiers who wore these, but rather sailors. Nautical stars are just that, nautical stars placed on maps that are markers or guides that allow you to navigate by using the celestial body coupled with a compass as opposed to using electronic guides. For the most part, they were meant to denote good luck to the person wearing it and the rationale to this is that you would always have the star to… Read More

Henna tattoos wash off, or wear off, while traditional tattoos are permanent.

The three thin white stripes that are found on the service dress blue uniform of the United States Navy, called 'piping', have a very interesting history. The vast majority of our naval uniform influence comes from the British. There is a belief that the three stripes represent the three major victories of Lord Admiral Nelson...but this is untrue. The piping was placed on the sailor's dress blue uniform to break up the solid blue of… Read More

Body Modification is rising in popularity because people are not afraid to be themselves anymore. They also look amazing.

The tattoo industry is not much more busy today than it was 10 years ago, it just seems that way due to all the recent media exposure with reality tv shows and also with celebrities being more open about their piercings and tattoos.

Several FAQ Farmers? Opinions The nautical star is associated with punk because they have adopted it to stand for unity. Like checkers, it has the two alternating colors meaning racial unity and tolerance.It could be that punks, and alter-natives in general, just dig sailor stuff. Maybe most of them don't know why the want it, maybe they just see it and like it.Everybody throughout history has been imitating everybody else, maybe changing things just a… Read More

Tattoos and Piercings are methods of self expression and are as unique as the piercing or tattoo. To each one of use a piercing or tattoo has a reason, we get them for our own reasons, the reasons of which are basically no one else's business. Why do you like a specific watch or hair style or clothing for that matter, they are things "you" like. Tattoos are the same even more so than piercings… Read More

In my experience it seems to be based upon the observer's self-esteem. For example, when I taught high school, many of my students were pierced or had skin illustrations. The department leader, a shriveled up old hag of a typing teacher would remark "they are disgusting!" -- usually in her daily diatribe about how she hated teen agers. What I saw was an effort to express oneself as an individual. I don't have a tattoo… Read More

because everybody thinks it is so cool but it is not, it can be painful believe me i know i got one on my back.

the design of the web used to be considered the only design to fit the ellbow, as other designs will distort when the arm is bent. If you see old photographs of inked up sailors almost all had a spider web on the elbow, so did the early tattooers: Bob Shaw, Lyle Tuttle and possibly also Sailor Jerry. Some say it sybolized how many years you were on sea. But that is speculative. There are… Read More

British sailors were issued lime juice as a remedy for scurvy.

They increased fleet mobility and effectiveness by shortening the run back and forth to a home port for fuel and provisions.

Sailors in the 1700 and 1800's got scurvy at a much higher rate than sailors today. The reason for that is because they didn't have access to foods with Vitamin C.

Scurvy is caused by a lack of vitamin C. Sailors in the 1700 and 1800's went on long voyages where fruits and vegetables containing vitamin C were not available to them because these foods would rot. The diet of these sailors consisted mainly of cured meats and biscuits. Today this disease is nearly obsolete due to modern nutrition, but it was the number one killer of sailors from the 1500-1800's.

Because they found that consumption of fresh fruit and vegetables, particularly those rich in Vitamin C prevented the development of Scurvy - limes are rich in Vitamin C

Prisoners in the camps were tattooed for two reasons. Firstly, it was their "Prison ID Number", and second (and more cruelly) it is against Jewish law to become tattooed or to desecrate ones flesh. So, the Germans tattooing the mostly Jewish prisoners was a sick joke almost, as it would not allow them to enter their heaven or to even be buried in a Jewish cemetery as this is not permitted.

that probabaly isn't a good thing .. your tattoo atrisit probabaly sucks, and did a horriable job .. if there is missing ink, that obviously means he missed spots ?

They are afraid to go far by sea because they are scared that maybe the go somewhere they don't know(nowhere) and they are afraid of the weather(hurricane, storm etc.) and disease(scurvy).

According to Wikipedia, an American woman's lower back tattoo became popular in the late 1990's among young women. Such a tattoo is commonly referred to as a tramp stamp. This object of personal expression and wearable art is often showcased by women wearing midriff's, low rise jeans and belly chains. It is also known as "bitch tat". Though it is a stereotype, it is often speculated that women with such tattoos may be sexually promiscuous… Read More

There are no good reasons why tattoos and body piercings are not allowed in the work place. We're all free to be who we want to be? BS! I have tattoos and piercings but thankfully I have a job where I need to look like an average person so I can wear and have whatever I want. Lucky me I guess.

Nose & Belly ButtonThey're so cute and not painful to get. Especially the nose.

if you are young enough to ask this question, they they are obviously looking out for you.AnswerBecause you're most likely going through a faze. I went through a "Rebel" phase and got 6 tattoos and 2 piercings. I regret all but 2 tattoos already and wish I would've gotten something different. If you're going to get something, get something that will always mean something to you, not something symbolizing "punk". FYI the only ones I… Read More

If your tattoo still itches after 2 months, it may be caused from irritation or subcutaneous skin problems from the ink. I would suggest using petroleum jelly if the scab has not healed up yet. If there is no scab, try using a triple antibiotic lotion.

the BLUE of the Seven Seas, the GOLD of God's Sun.

Is it recent? If it is, it may be because of ink poisonong. If not recent, I suggest going to a dermatology practice or consulting your tattoo artist. Hope this helped!!!!!

They're ALLOWED to. it's just kind of a waste to do tattoo work on hands and/or feet cause the ink will come out over time and usually shops gaurentee their work so that means they have to keep doing it over and over, for free! Well it's mainly because the hands are, next to a couple of orifices, the dirtiest parts of the human body, at least part of the time. Most tattooists like to… Read More

Did you grow or develop that piercing or tattoo in response to the environment around you or have it passed on genetically from your parents? That's why.

what is it when your tattos itch and it raises and bumps are on the tatto.

Human beings have inked their skin as far back as anybody can find proof. The oldest human bodies discovered show tattoos. People use tattoos for many reasons, but the most typical one is spiritual - the tattoo stands for something important in the person's life, either as a protection, or to remind them of something, or as an artistic celebration.

The Royal Navy fed it's sailors limes in the days of sail when voyages took much longer and refridgerators etc were not around to prevent scurvy.

Because of a lack of vitamins & minerals that come from fruits while at sea. Obviously, fruits aren't available at sea, a dried fruits lose some of their nutrition value. Scurvy is caused specifically by a lack of vitamin C.

Hmmmmmmn, lemme think about this one! DUH! Could it be because when we tattoo we are actually breaking the skin??? Ok, it's like this the skin is one of the organs of your body. For it to function properly it must be fed oxygen which it gets supplied by the blood stream....Little surface capillaries keep the skin oxygenated and when we tattoo they get broken........ There are some things that will make the bleeding worse....Blood… Read More

They are a rememberance of people's lives. They can also tell a story about someone, something. There's many different reasons to get a tattoo. Tattoes are a way of expresssing your feelings about somone or something or they can be a tribute to a family member or friend who has passed away Tattoes should not be gotten unless you are of age which is 18. But if you are younger you have to have your… Read More

if the subject is latino, it may be gang ink for MS13.

There are varying opinions on the subject, and the decision, while personal, should be given proper consideration. --- No. This author believes that tattoos in general are ugly and disfiguring and make you look cheap.You may also be limiting your chances for success in life as few people in the well-educated or professional classes of people do this sort of thing. It is sort of putting a sign on your body saying "I am not… Read More

Tattoos are placed in the dermis. Scratches are much shallower, on the epidermis.

Astrolabes had numerous purposes. At sea, the astrolabe would have been used to calculate one's position in the water based on the position of the sun, stars, or the moon.

I'm not sure why this occurs, i'm currently having this happen now and was seeking an answer myself. I was bitten by a mosquito and the outline around my tattoo is raised like it was freshly done all over again. (Tattoo is 13 months old) Any answers would be greatly appreciated to curve my curiosity

sounds like its infected, go to doctor

you take too long? not sure what your asking

On a magnetic compass, the needle marked North points towards magnetic North, provided there is no ferrous metal nearby. Magnetic North is not the same as geographic North (North Pole). On a metal ship, the magnetic compass has to be adjusted (box the compass) to allow for the metal round the ship. By steering a compass course, allowing for drift caused by the wind and the ebbing and flooding of the tides, a ship should… Read More

because you don't take care of it

because a sun tan only effects the outer surface of the skin. a tattoo is much deeper down so the ink remains in the skin for a much longer period longer, given enoughf time a tattoo will fade as well.