Why are Tattoos and Sailors so Closely Linked?
Tattoos and sailors seem to go together like ice cream and apple pie in many cultures, with sailors being famous for their often gaudy and extensive tattoo art. Members of the military are also often tattooed, for many of the same reasons that sailors are. For some time in the West, tattoos were in fact viewed negatively because they were seen as the purview of sailors and other members of the underworld, rather than of respectable people. Although tattoos have become more acceptable in mainstream society and they are increasingly common, it seems probable that there will always be a special link between tattoos and sailors.
Tattoos and sailors seem to go together like ice cream and apple pie in many cultures, with sailors being famous for their often gaudy and extensive tattoo art. Members of the military are also often tattooed, for many of the same reasons that sailors are. For some time in the West, tattoos were in fact viewed negatively because they were seen as the purview of sailors and other members of the underworld, rather than of respectable people. Although tattoos have become more acceptable in mainstream society and they are increasingly common, it seems probable that there will always be a special link between tattoos and sailors. People have been applying tattoos to themselves and each other for thousands of years. In Europe, preserved bodies from bogs show signs of tattooing, and there are depictions of tattoos in works of art from many cultures around the world. In some regions of the world, tattooing traditions are thousands of years old; in Europe, tattooing faded out with the rise of C
