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Swallow Tattoos

GNC

GNC

King-Sized Canary
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Aug 25, 2001
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Do you have a blue swallow tattoo on your hand or neck? Do you know anyone who does? These were all the rage a few decades ago, but does anyone know why?

If you want to see what one looked like, check out this week's Top of the Pops 1977 on iPlayer, because Berni Flint (about ten minutes in) had one on his arm. Were they really an indication you'd been to prison? Or were simply a hardman in general? Why a blue swallow anyway?
 
My mother had the swallow tattoo, i think on the side of her hand coming in from the gap between the thumb and first finger, although she had so many tattoos and it's been 25 years since I saw her... it may have been somewhere else on the arm.

Pretty sure my stepfather had one too, probably arm, again he had quite a few, it's been a while.

They were both crooks but afaik neither had been to prison prior to having them cira early 70s.

if it meant anything to them, they never said.
 
I always understood that swallow tattoos on hands were symbolic meaning you had a fast punch, or wanted others to think you had.
 
Tattooist: Wanna spit or a swallow?

Customer: Can't I just have an anchor and pay cash? :wince:
 
Isn't a swallow tattoo traditionally worn by sailors? I've always believed that sailors like swallows because swallows live on coasts and don't fly far out to sea, so when you see one you know you're nearly home.
 
JamesWhitehead said:
Tattooist: Wanna spit or a swallow?

Customer: Can't I just have an anchor and pay cash? :wince:
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very good.

I always thought it was a hard man type of thing, thinking about it the people I've known who've had them were all in fact right hard nuts.
 
Yes, it was originally a sailor thing.
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That does make sense, my stepfather was ex RN.

Out of curiosity, did national service used to cover the RN or just the army? Just thinking there might be an obvious reason there that there were a lot of swallow tattoos around?
 
BlackRiverFalls said:
Out of curiosity, did national service used to cover the RN or just the army? Just thinking there might be an obvious reason there that there were a lot of swallow tattoos around?
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Yes it was all three of the services.
 
My grandad had a swallow tattoo. He was from a very, very naval family but broke with tradition and joined the Royal Engineers (which caused a falling out with father and brothers that was never really resolved).

At one point in the late 20's early 30's he was stationed in Malta, and although he obviously had leave during that time, the nature of travel in those days meant it was impractical to return to England - and so it was nearly six years before he saw home again. After three years or so some older hands told him that he qualified for a swallow.

From what I can recall he was told that the swallow was a symbol of good luck which would help aid his return. I assume this has something to do with the migratory nature of the bird, and the fact that although it travels great distances, and is absent for long periods, it always reappears.
 
I have always believed it indicated that the wearer had been in jail. The idea being that they have a 'free' bird tattooed to remind them of the freedom that awaits on their release.

My future father-in-law has one and I have always been curious but unable to pluck the courage to ask. But he is also a fisherman and worked out at seas on the fishing boats so that explains it if the sailor thing is true.
 
Thanks, everyone. Seems like so many symbols it can mean what you want it to mean. Does this mean Opportunity Knocks winner Berni Flint was an ex-con sailor?
 
I would agree that swallows is a motif common to sailors. I saw someone with a swallow tattoo, that they are sailors would be my first assumption.
 
I think that tattoos back in the 70s really were considered to be for "not nice" people, rather than a fashion item like nowadays.
There wouldn't have been Tattoo Parlours in every town, with thousands and thousands of identi-kit designs to choose from like nowadays. Maybe the swallow was just the one with the least meaning (rather than something with a heart, or a ship, or Mum & Dad), just a generic tattoo for "hard men" (and the odd woman). Perhaps it was just an easier way to be seen as a tough guy then beating the crap out of everyone in a pub?

In the not too distant future, people will be wondering why exactly Tribal designs were so popular, what did they signify? The answer is - nothing, a few people liked them, others copied them, and before long every twat and his brother had a tribal design.
 
My Mum tried to convince me I'd never get a job if I had a tattoo. Thus far I have yet to go to an interview where they have asked me to take off my shirt to check for tattoos [I never actually got one anyway].

However, when working in Japan a few years back one of our team had a tattoo and as such was refused entry into the swimming pool of the hotel we were staying in as the tattoo in Japan was apparently seen as a sign you were associated with the Yakuza. This was a decade ago but tattoos were still pretty prevalent among everyday folks - not as much as today, but still.

I would have had the Celtic FC crest on one arm and a lion rampant on the other. Never got them and now as I consider how they would look when my arms get older and saggier I am a little glad I never got them done.
 
One day I'll get my planned tattoo done..... a turntable on each arm with a mixer between my shoulders. All wired-up properly, obviously.
 
CarlosTheDJ said:
One day I'll get my planned tattoo done..... a turntable on each arm with a mixer between my shoulders. All wired-up properly, obviously.
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What about speakers?
 
*Sorry if this has been said before* But as someone who loves her tattoos & tattoo culture, I've always been led to believe that it comes from sailors who would have a pair of Swallows tattooed, as swallows mate for life *not sure if that's true* and it means you will always return home, to your love.
 
Mythopoeika said:
CarlosTheDJ said:
One day I'll get my planned tattoo done..... a turntable on each arm with a mixer between my shoulders. All wired-up properly, obviously.
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What about speakers?
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I have two of them built-in.
 
I saw two swallows tattooed on each of a lovelly lady's hands while waiting for a bus in dublin. She was around 60 and quite a character and gave me some advice as well as quelling my fears concerning an issue that I didn't even mention. She said she just liked the look of the tattoos and although she said they were over 20 years old they looked brand new to me. She was magical all in all

This story isn't really any explanation of the hows or whys of swallow tattoos but I regard it as a great little encounter. Here is a rant I posted a while back on my blog just by way of having a laugh-

That's right, Tattoos. Once the badge of honour for murderers, house breakers or run away circus delinquents. now a fashionable accessory to show everyone you were raised in polynesia. those ones that point at girls bums are the best. 'Does my bum look big in this?' Yeah and there's a feckin big floral swirling tribal tattoo pointing it out. It's getting so that the criminal element and bar brawling sailors are having their long standing and rightfully deserved good name besmirched by the likes of David beckham and that scouse one out of the spice girls and Angelina jolie... did anyone stop to ask why??? Big feckin crucifixes and gothic gibberish weaving in and out of chinese symbols for 'carp'. What happened along the way? Where did the skulls playing cards with dice and a knife in the eye socket go??
 
The swallows on fists meant "these fists fly"

But tattoo meanings can be a regional thing too, but meanings have pretty much gone out of the window with tattooings popularity and most of the public thinking that a custom tattoo means anything from the first 2 pages of their google image search.

An example of meaningless tattoo meanings is the cobweb on the elbow. Means, depending on who you ask, you killed someone in prison, how many years you served, or we couldn't think of anything else that works over the elbow area so we stuck a cobweb on it.
 
chockfullahate said:
An example of meaningless tattoo meanings is the cobweb on the elbow. Means, depending on who you ask, you killed someone in prison, how many years you served, or we couldn't think of anything else that works over the elbow area so we stuck a cobweb on it.
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Another one is the teardrop, each teardrop traditionally representing someone they 'shived' whilst in prison. At a party once I saw a very butch lady with a mullet who had two teardrops and asked someone who knew her if it meant what it traditionally meant, the response was 'No, her cat died and she was sad so she got tear drop tattoos' :roll: .

Of course you also see it on fellas who likely as not haven't shived anyone in their lives or done a stretch but are aware of the meaning and have it done as a statement of how 'hard' they are.
 
I saw something on tv a few days back (sorry I can't recall what it was) but they were talking about Kiaran Stapleton - who murdered Anuj Bidve on Boxing day. And they said that he had a tear drop tattoo to show he had killed someone without serving time for it. Thankfully he is now in prison, but I had never heard that about the tear drop tattoo's meaning before. Just my two cents...
 
I always thought that the little blue spots on the cheekbone denoted an ex prisoner.
 
Queenie said:
I always thought that the little blue spots on the cheekbone denoted an ex prisoner.
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So did I.

Borstal spots, we used to call them at school - normally on the cheekbone under or near the eye, or, as with a workmate of mine, on the back of the hand between thumb and index finger.
 
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