Swallow tattoos

Swallow tattoos are a popular design that can have many different meanings all over the world. For a sailor the swallow tattoo was widely known as a status symbol. The swallow tattoos were meant to protect the sailor on their journey yet, others believed that if a sailor died at sea and had a swallow tattoo on their chest that it would fly their spirit to heaven. For this reason, swallow tattoos were a great comfort to sailors.

The first swallow tattoo meant the sailor had traveled 5,000 miles and the second tattoo meant they had traveled 10,000 miles. Swallow tattoos are also a symbol of working-class pride, mostly in the UK. Swallow tattoos are also at times used in prison as a sign for "white power", a gang tattoo at times.

Then again some freed prisoners get the swallow tattoo as a sign of freedom. Interestingly, both good luck and bad are attributed to the swallow. Some legends warn of a swallow flying through the house, since it brings tidings of displeasure from the gods, and likely foreshadows bad luck. In China it symbolizes daring, danger and a change for good in the future. But, when you come down to it only you can determine the meaning of your swallow tattoo.