Thats an unwritten rule. Never ask the meaning of the nautical stars. Broadly, it's about a safe return home or keeping your direction in life. But specifically, people tend to get these for very fucked up reasons, and the conversation is just better avoided. Like, "i do <insert bad thing>, and dont really intend to stop, but these star tattoos remind me to try to follow the right path".
Seafarer here. Nautical star represents Polaris, or the north star. Its all about finding your way home.
During the 90s/00s they were popularised by emo/nu metal music. Became synonymous with the genre so people just got them because they looked cool and represented their crowd. Maybe symbolises some kind of struggle for some people, in which you're lost and find your way back to yourself.
People definitely do get them for lots of reasons. Including no meaning, they just saw it in a book and thought it looked cool. But in general asking about them is a minefield where you'll often suddenly be in an awkward conversation where a complete stranger is oversharing about their personal demons.
I used to go to this Subway where the guy had a large scorpion tattooed on his neck and up into his face. I went there enough that we were friendly acquaintances so eventually I asked "Is that cuz you're a scorpio?" and he goes, "No, it's cuz I'm a fucking dumbass"
I love when people ask the meaning of my tattoos. It's usually like, "that's for my folks, that one is my dog that died, that one is my favorite hockey team, the other 10? I had 200 bucks and a couple of hours of free time
Right I totally understand where you’re coming from. I got mine so long ago idk the reasoning but I know the reason. That’s ok tho casue they all mean something to me whether it makes sense or not.
I have a tribal "C" on one upper arm and that's what I tell people as well. "Here is an awesome sleeve I put a ton of time into and thought about it very carefully and got it all done when I was in my late 30s. And here's one I got off of the random wall of flash art the day I turned 18 in the year 2000 after thinking about it for 5 minutes".
I'm getting it covered up with a crescent moon whenever I start working on my other arm sleeve soon, but it's a good conversation piece/warning whenever someone brings up wanting tattoos.
Now I'm tempted to get a tattoo just so I can have an awful rambling story about it.
I mean, I've already made up a whole dog breed and story about why they were particularly useful to answer people who ask 'so what breed is she?' about my mishmash mongrel dog.
And a whole bunch of shaggy dog stories about the tip-ex mines and that's where white mice came from, and Ostriches from Austria carring coconuts to drop on people's heads.
At that point? Maybe Shadows Fall... maybe Killswitch Engage.. I'm pretty sure I got the star around the same time I went to Hellfest in Syracuse, so something in that vein. I've never been a "favorite" band person because it changes too frequently.
My original plan was full sleeves on both sides but life gets in the way. I haven't had a new tattoo since 2011 and I don't know what I would get at this point.
Rather tham ask the meaning, tell them all about polaris and celestial navigation instead. Then they might have to get another nautical star to get over the trauma of that conversation.
Popular tattoo culture is so fucked. You can start a fight over guns vs machines, also theyre supposed to be deeply personal but also people cover their mouths and giggle like old ladies gossiping about single mothers at church.
Anyone who "likes" berserk knows the context behind the brand of sacrifice. For those who don't, a character is graphically raped while the other is forced to watch it and they are branded after. this is literally the context for the brand of sacrifice, or commonly the berserk brand.
To reiterate - the tattoo is either for someone with a close personal experience related to sexual assault or a dumbfuck. There is no other interpretation.
No. I’m sorry, you are wrong when you say “there is no other interpretation”, as I’ve already offered you. You don’t get to dismiss what I already know is true. I’m sorry if you don’t like that.
Your interpretation is your own, and you’re welcome to it, but you don’t get to say everyone else of wrong because you know what you’re about. Calling everyone dumb who doesn’t think what you think is just a poor attempt to dismiss other people that you don’t understand.
I have a nautical star on my shoulder I got after basic. No real rhyme or reason, I just liked it and wanted someone to symbolize that period in my life. My other tattoo is a scorpion on my arm, same stuff though it matches my life at that point a little better.
Lol absolutely. If someone asks "does that tattoo have any significance to you?" they are expecting something like "oh yes, i got this tattoo to celebrate learning a second language" or something equally harmless. Not "this star is my guiding light that reminds me that im still a good person even though ive stolen every TV my mom bought over the last decade to support my addiction to buying feet pics online." One is oversharing, and it's important you know the difference.
I'd probably grimace and say "livin' the dream!" Or just "I've been better." I don't like to share embarrassing details, but I also feel bad outright lying.
This does remind me of my college German class, where my professor explained that you should never ask a German how they are doing if you don't actually want to know. They will tell you. It was only then that I had the revelation that "how are you?" is not always a genuine question in my home country of the USA.
The difference is that's not a personal question, nor an invitation for a story.
Asking about someone's motivations for a tattoo is a whole different ball game. You might as well have asked them to detail any struggles they had dealing with the emotions of their parents, or what finally convinced them it was time to leave their ex.
I have a nautical star belt buckle and the reason i have it is… i found it at a yard sale and I needed something red for an outfit for the band I was in. Now it’s my tuba-playin’ belt buckle. 📯
•
u/3HoursSober 4d ago
But do they mean something? Or is it just a tasteless tattoo?