Nautical star tattoos have caused much controversy and heated discussion about the true meaning of the design. Over the years, many groups have attempted to tag the make with their own unique interpretation. In expanding to the marine connection, this popular tattoo make has been connected to the military, punk rockers, the lesbian society and the anti-racism movement in recent years.
But what are the origins of the marine 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 citizen to wear marine star tattoos.
In former centuries, working at sea was a very risky 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 in case,granted 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 positive that they were going in the right direction.
Over time the North Star became a stamp for looking your way home safely and symbolically looking 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 all the time looking for lucky charms. So many sailors began to place marine star tattoos on their forearms or hands as a stamp of good luck and a desire to get home safely.
Skip forward straight through the centuries and the meaning of the marine star tattoo has come to be broader. Not only is it a stamp of the sea, but also a sign of protection and advice for all sailors and travelers. It has also come to be a sign of following your dreams and achieving success in your life.
However, these is some discrepancy about the make of the marine star. Most citizen accept that the basic make of the marine star is a five pointed star. But a minority of citizen claim that the marine star represents the former make 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 marine star is a four pointed make or even an eight pointed star.
Personally, I think that the five pointed star best represents the make of the marine star tattoo, especially when you consider that on many marine maps, north is shown by a compass style five pointed star.
But whatever style of make is selected, one thing is clear; the marine star has had a long relationship with naval tradition and was originally a stamp of looking your way home safely. And while other groups may endeavor to link themselves to the use of the marine star tattoo, the sailors of bygone centuries will all the time hold the discrepancy of representing the former interpretation of this iconic tattoo design.
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