tattoo meanings

My uncle had a sparrow tattooed on his forearm and I was thinking of getting one to honor him but I want to know what the meaning on that particular tattoo is before I make my decision. Thanks,

Tattoo on forehead.. oh, yes, that means you'll never get any kind of respectable job or at least one that pays any kind of money...EVER my .02

Thanks for the clever response but that really doesn't help me. Does anyone have a real answer?

Your a fucken dumb ass what kind of fucken "topic" is that no body is going to reading your fucken dumb ass and the only reason i clicked on it because my friend told me to. i prefer the one with their fucken nuts BITCH!!

Hello i'm ms. lady and i know a lot of meanings about tatoos and then i went on the internet and went to tatoos and then i saw your topica and i decided to tell you what the meaning of the sparrow . i dont think you should get it. it doesnt symbolize something positive. like i said i suggest you not to get the tatoo but im going to tell you anyways it means "DEATH" i know bad isnt it so i think you should take my adivice. GOOD LUCK!!!

Sparrows usually symbolise freedom, it is especially evident in sailors who believed if they were lost and they saw a sparrow then they would be able to find out where they were as sparrows don't fly far from land. It is also a common tattoo with prisoners, especially on the hand or the forearm again freedom or a struggle against freedom is the main idea. Hope this helped.

Tattoo on forehead.. oh, yes, that means you'll never get any kind of respectable job or at least one that pays any kind of money...EVER my .02 Whoever it is that replied with that is the true idiot here. He said on his FORE-ARM you ass. maybe before u post ur ".02" you should try reading.

was it s sparow or a swallow my tattoo encyclopedia does not have a sparrow meaning to it but i have the meaning for swallow as far as sparow goes i have heard it means death bad fortune and stuff let me know which on e mail me if ya want

Hi, sailors used to have a tattoo of a swallow to help them find safe passage, or to show that they sailed a certain amount of miles (if i remember correctly, 5000 NM)

I have read that sparrows are a tatoo meaning love because when a sparrow finds its mate it stays with them forever. I am about to get a sparrow done on each hip so go for it!!

sparrows symbolize freedom... they also can symbolize finding ones true love. i saw go for it--- i'm pretty sure it doesn't mean anothing negative. i'm getting one on my foot soon. =) hope i helped.

Forget ALL of the above. For YOU.....The sparrows meaning will be the love and memory of your Uncle. PERIOD! Id say go for it all the way.

Back in the day, Sailors would get swallow tattoos to aid them in their trips home.

What the tattoo means to "you" and what it's "historical" meaning can be two different things.... There are definitely exceptions though.... ie, the Dickbat....All joking aside.....J

I've heard a quote saying that "the bluebird carries the sky on its back." pretty cool.

Seriously it was used by sailors to show that ehy had crossed 500 nautical miles at sea.

Sparrow: Self worth, dignity, shows how to survive, triumph in spite of circumstances Which would explain why it was so popular among 'prisoners' it was believed that honoring the sparrow would help the member achieve that which the sparrow symbolized. By the way, "Death" isn't always literal. Sometimes that death can be symbolic, such as the death of an unhealthy relationship. Death of the prison sentence. Death of a job. Get the picture? I would think a sparrow would be a wonderful way to honor someone. Good luck

Generally, birds symbolise freedom. However, there are often many meanings for one design, I would suggest to just go with the meaning that you feel most comfortable with. For instance, I have a scorpion tattoo which can mean danger and evil in Egyptian lore, which I don't like the idea of, but the scorpion is also used as a symbol of protection in Himalayan culture, so I prefer to see my tattoo as a symbol of protection. At the end of the day, you can take from a tattoo what you want, the most important thing is that is symbolises the relationship with a loved one, which is a wonderful idea for a tattoo in my eyes.

My freind sailed around the world on a freigt ship and he said that the sailors got one on each brest in the old days in hopes that if their ship sank the sparrows would keep thier head above water and save them from death. My freind got them when he returned to CA and I always wanted them but my husband dosn't want my chest all tattoo'd up plus I don't sail anymore. All in all if the tattoo has a meaning to you get it, if you are going to enjoy it.

it means a certain amount of sea travel

It means freedom. I have a sparrow also, but on my right shoulder

Sparrows were a popular tattoo on sailors, it symbolized making it home safely

The sparrow is a symbol that can mean different things to different people. Prisoners and sailors (many of which where prisoners at once in older times) do use it symbolize freedom. But you even though it means something else to you might get flak for it. so at least don't put it in a visible place.

y screw ur face,thats just stupid no matter how great the artist is,lol,dont do it u will hate life after

Yes, they are a nautical tattoo, and were originally symbols of the amount of travel a sailor has done, but i found out there is more to it then that. The sparrows symbolize freedom, and finding true love. Once a sparrow finds is mate, they are mates for life. Sparrows are also known for travelling great distances, but always returning home

I thought the meaning of a sparrow was that a person had traveled south of the equater?????

Ok I just wanna say everyone who was talking as though she'd said FOREHEAD is a fucking retard. ForeARM refers to the part of your ARM between your elbow and hand. Fuckwits.

No....God, love labeling and profiling!

from what i know, (for sailors) a sparrow on the left peck is a sign of traveling 5,000 nautical miles. another on the right is a symbol for another 5,000. the two must face eachother.

the sparrow tattoo was first seen on sailors. After they traveled 5000 miles at sea, they would get one. After 10,000 miles, they would get the other. They were a symbol of a safe return home because they tended to fly far out over the ocean, so they were a sign that land was nearby.

ok first of all forget all the shit said about a negetive meaning. because back in the day sailors that would travel to san juan would get the swallow/sparrow tattoed on the pecks to symbolize a safe and ever-lasting trip home. because every fall the sparrows return home year after year. it is also said to represent a safe trip. the spearow is said to help lift your soul up to the heavens if ever lost at sea. so dude if you want to get a sparrow then get the sparrow. p.s. i have an anchor tatto on my forarm. it is said to represent a solid bond between a person and their parents. but i got it because i love to sail. p.s.s so what ever it is that your gettin just remember it doesnt matter what it means to other ppl it matters what it means to you.

what i was told by tattoo artist is that it means you had sailed past the equator and back 2 means you did it twice and the sparrow with the queens crown means you where captain of your ship and a kings crown is you mean you go down and back twice

I have Swallows Tattooed on My Chest One with a broken wing bandaged and a halo with a banner that says hope and another with horns and Tattered body that says dismay But i have full sleeves one arm is the good and the other the evil I've always associated swallow tattoos with loyalty and fidelity - swallows choose a mate for life and will only nest with that bird and no other. Also they carry a message of hope, when sailors saw a swallow they knew that land was near. Take It how you will

a sparrow or "bird" means penis. errybody knows dat. ever heard anyone say, suck my bird? or dicky bird?? sparrow means penis. your friend has a penis on his forearm.

does anyone know what a queen of spades tattoo means?

it means you can fit a shovel up your ass.

what? you are full of it. do you know what a queen of spades tattoo really menas?

i'm being completely serious.

how can a tattoo mean that. could you please explain?

It means he doesnt know. Its a very very very very sarcastic way of saying no one knows.

i speak fluent sparrow, and that's what a sparrow told me.

I've read down the board and it seems that people are confusing swallows with sparrows. I'm not sure what sparrows mean, but a swallow is a symbol for either freedom and loyalty, or completing 10 years at sea. The original reason why sailors would get these birds tattooed on their chest was because they believed if they were to drown at sea, that the swallows would come and carry them to heaven. I have a swallow tattoo on my foot to symbolize the completion of a long journey. Swallows also mate with only one bird throughout their lifespan, which is why they have also been considered a symbol of love and loyalty. I'd double check to see exactly what kind of bird it is first!

The sparrow according to legends represent the spirits of loved ones watching over you

Just about everything said on here is true but it only really matters what you feel when you look at I have done alot of birds and almost everyone has a new meaning to the one getting it. Hell I have 2 sleeves that only I really know the meanings of them and I love when people try and figure them out. So its all about how tattoos make you feel to hell with what others think. I thinking about getting some birds just because I like the old school art and thay want mean anything but one of the things i can remeber that made me want to get into tattoos and now its my life.thay all mean diffrent things to eveyrone so if you like it get it and it will meean what you want it to. that my opinion witch should only matter to me hell thats the hole point in tattoos is to be you. Peace!!!!!!

Just about everything said on here is true but it only really matters what you feel when you look at I have done alot of birds and almost everyone has a new meaning to the one getting it. Hell I have 2 sleeves that only I really know the meanings of them and I love when people try and figure them out. So its all about how tattoos make you feel to hell with what others think. I thinking about getting some birds just because I like the old school art and thay want mean anything but one of the things i can remeber that made me want to get into tattoos and now its my life.thay all mean diffrent things to eveyrone so if you like it get it and it will meean what you want it to. that my opinion witch should only matter to me hell thats the hole point in tattoos is to be you. Peace!!!!!!

the sparrow doenst mean death it was used by sailors to symbolize protection, they would get one sparrow on one side of their chest after suviving 500 miles at sea and when they survivied 1000 miles at sea they would get another one on the other side sybolizing a safe trip

the legend behind Sparrows is that they carry the souls of the dead, so how appropriate would that be. they do not signify death, but simply that a soul that has died is being carried to a good place. I'm getting one on my hand to represent the loss of my best pal, my dog. Do it man.

My gosh, doesn't anyone get it? Com'on people! For crying out loud!!! For the sake of sailors: The bird in which sailors would have tattooed is called a swallow not a sparrow. After completing 5,000 sea miles a sailor would tattoo a diving swallow on one side of his chest. If they completed 10,000 sea miles they would then get the same swallow on the other side of their chest. The reasoning/link behind the swallows and sea miles was because swallows are were known to return home each year after spending time away; much like a sailor does. This shows a sign of loyalty. Also, as a sign of loyalty, swallows choose a mate for life and will only nest with that bird. This shows a sign of fidelity.

http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_does_a_sparrow_tattoo_symbolize I have a Sparrow tattoo and I am not a sailor and it has a special meaning to me. It means freedom and that no matter how far I go I will always find home.

The queen of spades tattoo means that the lady has a preference for black men.

So i read through this whole thing, and everyone has some great ideas to the meanings of the swallows. I have two on either side of my chest holding a banner with my daughters names on it across a hearth in the center. For me, being a sailor, the swallows mean 10,000 miles steamed. I have steamed well over 200,000 in my career so far, so that is why I got them. And they hold the banner, or my daughters, so carry my love with me on long journeys. But I agree with one of the guys above, it means what ever the hell you want it to mean. They are awesome tattoos and you should get it done. Good luck bud

sparrows can be biblical also... in Matthew there is a verse that sparrows are worth but a penny a dozen and God meets their needs, so ours too will be met... so alot of people recognize it as Christian, just a heads up

I highly doubt the traditional tattoo bird is going to be confused with a christian symbol... There might be some stories and christian art, but the sailors have imprinted that image in the states for sure.

Oh, and heres a link to our traditional tattoos gallery with loads of good tattoo pics!

The sparrow/swallow tattoo has several meanings....true love..luck....freedom...love of the sea.....are a few example....in england the sparrow tattoo refers to the term ' THESE FISTS FLY ' meaning of their thuffness n hardness in fights....the sparrow with a star may also mean respect to the soul of a loved one who passed away n in hope that the sparrow brings their soul to the stars ( the egyptian belive) , or a sparrow can also refer to a sailor who has travelled a 5000 mile or sumthing like that.....but fuck it ...a sparrow tattoo is juz fuckin cool n meaninful in many ways....im getting one soon too....its way better than a eagel , pheniox or a chicken.......

Hey, I have a little one on my wrist and I'm getting a pink one soon... I've heard that sparrows can symbolize freedom and love and a safe jouney home and hope and so on... I got the yellow one to support the troops and i'm getting the pink one for breast cancer awareness... the meaning for you will be in respect for your uncle (just like someone already said) not gonna lie, mine kinda looks like a Peep (haha) but its still the meaning that you want for it that counts :)

hi i my self have ben lookin into the meaning of a sparrow tattoo i want one myself but everyone tells ya different means...either it means the sailor thing, DEATH thing or the soulmate thing...i think they are awesum but i dont want to put nothin on my body im not sure bout! but if i find anything else out i will letcha kno email if u find anythin out peace

sparrow means freedom, true undying love, ability to find your way home

to whoever said that getting a tat on your forhead would be stupid your DAMN RITE...too bad this guy said he wants this on his fore-ARM! maybe your should learn to read before you ridicule people

I didn't notice anyone mention "hope" I got mine out of respect for my grandfather (a sailor in ww2) who told me it meant love, loyalty and hope- sailors would see the swallow and know land was near hence the hope aspect. But I agree with the others a tattoo means whatever you want it to.

i have my tatts on my right neck [g-clef] and one on my back star [double star overLap] Like what would be the meaning of it? my friend say something about meaning of tats but he wants me to research it. you might heLp me with it. :) thanks!!! mwah

Was your grandfather a sailor? if so, he probaly got it for one of two reasons: to represent home. sailors always knew they were close to home when sparrows flew along side the boat. Some sailors get them for every 50,000 nautical miles they travel.

i think it relates to when the sailors are out at sea and they know they're getting close to home. when they see a sparrow that doesn't go that far out it means that they're almost home.

I believe the sparrow means freedom and finding your true love. Hope that helps you out.

Just like to point out there is a different between a sparrow and a swallow. A swallow has a forked tail and is an adept aerobat usually near water. The swallow is usually pictured with blue and a orange throat (not to be confused with a blue bird that doesn’t have a forked tail) A sparrow is smaller has no forked tail and is usually brown in color and spends lots of time hopping on the ground (probably not the bird sailors would see when coming toward the land). Not to be a stickler, but thought I would point out the difference.

A sparrow tattoo has naval meanings behnd it. Was he a sailor?

My Father owns a tattoo shop so i have been around tattoos all my life. I have a few tattoos sparrows being my first.. I was reading a couple replys you had gotten and it seems to me they are very miss led. A sparrow is meant as a symbol of freedom and loyalty

hi i think i can help uu whit that because all u guys messed up the meaning of sailor tatoo the sparrow u get one at 5 000 nautical miles at sea and one at ten the believe behing this tatoo is that is u die at sea (drown) the sparrow will bring ur soul to heaven nautical star are there for u to always find u way hom anchor is for safety at sea octopus is there for strenght u normally get it after facing a one life sea state (big fucking wave) if u got more question about seamanship tatoo just ask i am in the navy

Don't listen to half these people like seriously. A tattoo means what you want it to in the end. Birds usually mean freedom, peace, safe journey's home, love, protection, pride etc. I have never even heard of a bird tattoo meaning death (cept a raven or crow) like come on seriously. But like I said it means what you want it to. In your case it would mean the love of your uncle, which makes any tattoo a good tattoo.

like said before most of the above is correct apart from the arse who who has nothing better to do than talk shit on the net..... apart from i think everyone has missed out that when a swallow on the fist/hand was tattooed it meant "these fists fly" , basically that the person who had them would never loose a fight.

it actually was a sign for sailors a long time ago, it was their first sign of land before they saw shore, so this tat for them meant "a safe trip home"

sarahj ,you asked... "does anyone know what a queen of spades tattoo means?" The queen of spades tattoo is worn by white women with a preference for black men. It's a signal to the brutha'z, she's available.

I have a sparrow on my forearm as well. It's my own origional version of the one you probably know so well. I catch a LOT of crap from people because of it. Though it is VERY similar to another very famous tattoo, my grandfather (rest his soul) also had a sparrow on his arm. A navy tattoo from when he served in the war. He has always told us that his great (great??) grandfather came to this country on the Queen Anne's revenge. Now whether this is true, who's to say... but just hearing that story so many times is a big part of my memories of him. I did a little research before finally making my final decision. The sparrow symbolizes the free spirit who always returns.

ya i have two for my kids they are a symbol for eternal love and good luck if they face eachother.

I think part of the confusion here is stemming from the confusion of sparrow/swallows. As a previous poster said, Swallows have forked tails -- Sparrows do not. Sparrows are the little tiny brown birds that you see absolutely everywhere (in the us, at least). I point this out, even though it's been pointed out, because Sparrows did, in fact, stand as a metaphorical symbol for death not so long ago. Swallows, however, did not. I'm sure both have connotations of freedom -- most birds do. It's Swallows that Sailors had tattood, though. Once again, if your birds look like this: here they are SPARROWS. Notice the tails aren't forked. If they look like this: here they are Swallows.

The Sparrow is the only monogamous bird. A friend has a sparrow to represent him never giving up the search for his personal legend, just as the sparrow never gives up on its mate

I'm trippin, my wife has had a queen of spades tattoo since we met and her sorority sisters ( university of South Carolina) even call her the "queen of spades" but she always told me that it was because she'd beat the frat boys at poker. She recently got a tattoo of a black rooster with the initials BCS inside it and she said this also had to do with college South Carolina being the Gamecocks. But a buddy who saw it told me it stands for "black cock society". I'm really trippin. Since we've been together she has always asked for one night a week for "girls" night. Now i'm wondering if she is the only girl.

All too often we take the sparrow for granted - small though she may be, she is certainly powerful. It is her slightness in size that gives her advantages. She reminds us we do not have to have the big stuff (cars, house, etc.) to be important, and we do not have to have the loudest voice in order be heard. Some symbolic meaning of Sparrows include: creativity simplicity joy protection friendliness community productivity Sparrows derive power from their numbers. Always in a clan, they move in clusters, eat in clusters, and are always content as such. This can be quite intimidating to some would-be predators. Safety in numbers is a lesson the sparrow has to share with us. The sparrow is vigilant in her goals. She is always bustling for her food, foraging for her nests, and gathering for her young. Fastidious and productive, the sparrow is a reminder that idle hands (and idle minds) should be avoided in order to live a full, healthy life. She is a master of flight, and camouflage, and as such the sparrow teaches us to use our creativity to get around in life - think outside the box, and be creative in solving our problems. As an air animal totem, the sparrow speaks of higher thoughts and ideals. She beckons us to keep our burdens as light as we can in order to avoid a heavy heart.

All too often we take the sparrow for granted - small though she may be, she is certainly powerful. It is her slightness in size that gives her advantages. She reminds us we do not have to have the big stuff (cars, house, etc.) to be important, and we do not have to have the loudest voice in order be heard. Some symbolic meaning of Sparrows include: creativity simplicity joy protection friendliness community productivity Sparrows derive power from their numbers. Always in a clan, they move in clusters, eat in clusters, and are always content as such. This can be quite intimidating to some would-be predators. Safety in numbers is a lesson the sparrow has to share with us. The sparrow is vigilant in her goals. She is always bustling for her food, foraging for her nests, and gathering for her young. Fastidious and productive, the sparrow is a reminder that idle hands (and idle minds) should be avoided in order to live a full, healthy life. She is a master of flight, and camouflage, and as such the sparrow teaches us to use our creativity to get around in life - think outside the box, and be creative in solving our problems. As an air animal totem, the sparrow speaks of higher thoughts and ideals. She beckons us to keep our burdens as light as we can in order to avoid a heavy heart.

swallow tattoos on da hand mean several things.... u cud of served time in jail, an finally got ur freedom back... it can also mean life an death.... an can also mean ur a fighter, an hav got flying fists........ an i fink da whole thing bout ur uncle is a good idea, an fink u shud go for it..... he wud b very proud....

I guess the last guy does not know how to read because he said FOREARM not FOREHEAD you sped! I would like to know more about the Egyptian Mythology of sparrows guiding souls to the afterlife.

I guess the last guy does not know how to read because he said FOREARM not FOREHEAD you sped! I would like to know more about the Egyptian Mythology of sparrows guiding souls to the afterlife.