Lighthouse Tattoo Designs and Their Meanings
Locusts are a common image for many people, so a lighthouse tattoo might be right for you. As a sailor guiding ships toward safety at sea and away from danger a lighthouse tattoo is often symbolic of greater objectives, whether in daily life or more major decisions the person may have had to make or are making now. A lighthouse tattoo can represent an ongoing direction. It is also often used as a means to scare off would-be robbers.
These days there are many different meanings to the traditional lighthouse symbol. Some are linked with religious meanings, while others carry more secular meanings. Still others can have both religious and non-religious meanings. But the one common thing that all lighthouses have in common is their ability to provide the safe return home of those who sail the sea. Here are some of the more popular symbols associated with the classic lighthouse tattoo design.
No matter what the symbol is supposed to represent it can have multiple meanings depending on its placement and which part of the body it represents. For example, the American Red Lighthouse has dual meanings. It not only stands for the United States Navy as a reminder of the perilous waters surrounding the shores but it also stands as a symbol for faith and the fight against evil. Having such a symbol tattoo on your body can help you create a stronger inner faith in yourself.
Many sailors learned of the dangers of deep sea journeys through sight of the sinking American ship Chesapeake. The sight of her white sails in the distance was said to have inspired the sailors to fight harder and farther into the dangerous waters to seek safety. The American Navy called these lighthouses “pearls of passage” and they are still referred to today as the lighthouses of the sea.
The English also had a long standing association with lighthouses. Just as the sailors had learned about the danger that lay in the sea many years before, so too did the English people. The lighthouse was often the mark of a great fort or other strong spot that held sway over a region. It was used to signal to travelers that a region was safe to settle in and travel to. As a lighthouse tattoo design can have a similar meaning in different cultures around the world, it is easy to see why they have become such a common design in recent years.
Of course, there are always the Chinese lighthouses which also stand for good luck and fortune. Often depicted as lanterns atop high buildings they can add a colorful touch to a person’s tattoo. These tattoos are especially popular among Chinese men. Others find that they have such a great deal of luck related to the lighthouses that they place them on their arms, legs and wrists. No matter what culture and time period they come from, there are dozens of designs that will surely appeal.
Modern lighthouse tattoos are often used to symbolize an area of history.
Many sailors would travel from one port to another using lighthouses as their way to tell where they were heading. This gave them the freedom to make repairs and rest when they arrived at their destination. As a sign of good luck for the trip as well as a way for sailors to warn each other of dangerous waters ahead, they became a very popular design among sailors.
As time passed and new harbors were built, more sailors came home with stories of haunted spots and ghost ships. As they fought to stay awake and keep the sailors entertained during long nights on the water, they began to place pirate and other marine denizens in these boats. As more of these stories surfaced, the meaning of maritime symbols changed. However, not all of these sailors were ready to accept new symbols as part of their tattoo images. They preferred the more traditional sea life and maritime symbols of the past.