10 Nautical Tattoos And Their Meanings

A prominent image in Japanese and Chinese cultures, these mythical creatures feature heavily in East Asian folklore and have long been tattooed onto people as symbols of power, luck or of strength.

The specifics of which styles of Dragons mean what can vary between cultures, with a horned dragon, a coiled dragon and even different colours representing elements, character traits or future plans. Even between countries, the interpretation can vary wildly.

While the dragons of Western mythology are viewed as more sinister, guarding treasures or killing people before being slain by a knight, the Eastern Dragons are viewed a lot more kindly. They bring good luck to their wearer or protect them from harm.

Historically, a Dragon tattoo at its very basic level would simply be an indicator that the wearer had sailed somewhere in Asia. Occasionally, they would be done locally by artists that worked near the ports.

This is another example where the exact definition is a little fluid depending on who is being asked, as some traditions would "award" a Golden Dragon to any sailor who had crossed the International Date Line in the Pacific Ocean.