What are the qualities of a sparrow?

Answer 1

Taking into consideration that this is in the "Tattoos and Body Art" category:

The tattooing started in western culture a few hundred years ago, as a side effect of the ability to build big ships for long voyages. Sailors would travel to remote places and see these exotic tribes with bizarre rituals that involved tests of pain to prove one's worth, etc., and left visible marks on the skin. These rituals still exist today in the form of piercing, tattooing, scarification and the like.

So the tattoo became a popular souvenir, like a memento that can never be lost in the topsy-turvy sailor's life; a great story about wild experiences, and here's the proof on my arm.

It became popular throughout the sailor "culture," regardless if they're military sailors, merchant ships, pirates, or whatever. The most popular images were for luck, or of things that lonely men at sea longed for:

Nautical Stars - sailors always hoped for clear skies because they used the stars to navigate; it was always good news to see a star

Birds - sea birds are the first sign that the crew is almost back on land, but prettier birds were nicer to look at

Anchors - sailors "drop anchor" when they park the ship; another reminder of being on land. The anchor is a symbol of being safely in harbor.

Naked Ladies in Sexy Poses - Because sailors get lonely and bored on those warm, breezy nights on watch.