Military tattoos have a deep meaning. They reflect the type of army, rank and other distinctions of military personnel. Each kind of troops has its own symbolism for underwear drawings. But Navy tattoos are particularly diverse.
A bit of history
Sailors became the founders of tattooing in the Old World. When Cook and his sailors arrived in Polynesia in the second half of the 18th century, he was intrigued by the painted Aboriginal skin. But the sailors from his team adopted the experience of local craftsmen and began to make tattoos themselves. Each sign printed on the body of a sailor had its own secret meaning and was a talisman far from its native coast.
Military tattoos
The tradition of marking the bodies of the military was introduced under Peter I, who proposed thus marking different branches of the army and catching deserters. Also, tattoos were special signs by which it was possible to identify the killed soldier.
Navy tattoos came into fashion in the 70s of the XX century. Sailors in the underbody figure displayed their belonging to a specific vessel, a division of the fleet. The figure depicted a blood type and other important information. This was done in order to quickly provide first aid when injured. And in the event of the death of a sailor, identify the corpse, even if the body is thrown to a distant shore.
Sailors are generally considered superstitious people, and the Navy's tattoos are a guard against hurricane winds, powerful storms, flooding of the ship and other misfortunes that lie in wait at sea.
Symbols of the Navy
An indispensable attribute of a sailor's tattoo is the anchor. Often in the picture there are a steering wheel and stars, a globe. The tradition of applying stars has long taken root. At sea, sailors have only one reference point - the stars that helped them find their way home. In the northern hemisphere, the main landmark is the North Star, and in the southern hemisphere, the Southern Cross. Their symbolic image and put sailors.
Sharks and other marine predators are often used in the Navy's tattoo. An additional element is the St. Andrew flag - a symbol of the Russian fleet.
More recently, when recruits were admitted to the morphlot, guys who had no sign on their bodies were selected. And already during the service symbolic signs were put on, marking the passage of the first year of service, the intersection of the seas and oceans, the passage of the equator and other memorable milestones in the long service of the sailor.
Various units of the Navy have their own unique symbols. So, a polar bear applied to the right shoulder is traditional for the Navy (Northern Fleet) tattoo. In the drawings you can find the abbreviation of the fleet: DCBF - Double Red Banner Baltic Fleet, CSF - Red Banner Northern Fleet, Black Sea Fleet - Black Sea Fleet, or Pacific Fleet - Pacific Fleet.
Often, one who has served in the navy can find a tattoo on the edge of his palm with the inscription “For the Navy!” This tattoo will be visible when the sailor knocks over a pile of vodka in his mouth.
In each country, the Navy has its own traditional tattoos. But they have a lot in common.
More recently, Navy tattoos, photos of which can be seen in the article, were the hallmarks of sailors. Today, when tattoos have become fashionable, maritime symbolism has gained incredible popularity. And the signs of anchors, sailboats, wind roses or the North Star can be found in people far from the fleet.