Nautical Star tattoos the history, meaning and symbolism

The history, meaning and symbolism of nautical star tattoos is a hotly debated topic. Today many different groups have adopted the Nautical star tattoo as a symbol for their own movement and they have all ascribed their own meaning and history to the symbol. Thus has lead to a wide disagreement as the the meaning of the tattoo.Historically most everyone agrees that Sailors were the first people to getnautical star tattoos. In fact the very word nautical relates back to sailing. So this connection has been pretty firmly established. Most people would agree thesailors were a pretty superstitious group historically and sailor lore abounds with superstitious and fantastical stories of life and death and being lost at sea. Early on sailors navigated by the stars at night and the north star became the symbol for finding ones way home. Once you know where the north star is you can point your ship in the right direction to get home. So the star became a symbolfor finding ones way home or more symbolically even finding ones path in life. Therefore many sailors would tattoo nautical stars on their forearms as a good luck symbol in hopes of returning home.However their modern day meaning is a more debated topic. Many believe that groups including gay and lesbians, punk rockers and those in the military have adopted the nautical star tattoo as a very important symbol. The diversity of these three groups has lead many to argue the meaning of their tattoos.For the military the connection is pretty obviously point back to the early sailors and the symbolism and meaning is the same as the early sailors. Many military people get a nautical star tattoo as a symbol for finding ones path home safely. Of course this can also include more symbolically just finding ones way in life.Here is a quote we found from a member of the armed services and his interpretation of the tattoo:"I am in the United States Army, an MP who searched townsand villages for Al Quida and insurgents. I was in Iraq for 1year. I have a red and black nautical star on my wrist. Thereason I got it was because when I was out there, I felt itwas a guide to guide me home to my family safely. I got it sothat it would remind me that I am going to make it to see myson grow up. I am not gay, it doesn't matter what you believeit represents, it means something different for everyone. Outin the desert, I would look up at the stars and think abouthome. So anyone can think what they want to, that is what itmeans to me. "Punk rockers have also adopted this as a popular symbol to have tattooed. The punk movement traces its history and use of the nautical star tattoo back to Sailor Jerry. Sailor Jerry is historically one one of the most famous tattoo artists ever. He was well known for his innovative and "cool" designs. Punks have taken this symbol and it has very much the same meaning of finding one way in life.Being the rugged individualists type Punks are drawing to the symbolism of true north and finding one own unique way in life. So the Nautical star has become a symbol for this. You see many punk bands that have full sleeve tattoos typically incorporate nautical star tattoos either on their elbows or elsewhere.The lesbian and gay connection is the one that does not seem so obvious at first. Historically back in the 1940's and 50's when alternative lifestyles were not the norm and often women had to hide their alternative choices they would sport a hidden nautical star. Often they would get the star tattoo done on the inside of their wrist where it could easily be hidden by a watch during the day but shown off in the evening when out on the town. Today many lesbians where the nautical star tattoo to show their connection with their early pioneering sisters. Here is a little evidence to support my points."Here's the passage (with some pieces dropped) from "Boots of Leather, Slippers of Gold: The History of a Lesbian Community" by Elizabeth Lapovsky Kennedy and Madeilne D. Davis copyright 1993 p. 189.(talking about the 1940's and 1950's):"...During this same time period, the cultural push to beidentified as lesbians- or at least different- all the timewas so powerful that it generated a new form of identificationamong the tough bar lesbians: a star tattoo on the top of thewrist, which was usually covered by a watch. This was thefirst symbol of community identity that did not rely onbutch-fem imagery. We can trace this phenomenon back to anevening of revelry in the late 1950's, when a few butchestrooped over to "Dirty Dick's" tattoo parlor on ChippewaStreet and had the tiny blue five-pointed star put on theirwrists. Later, some of the fems of this group also go the ideaone night and did it...The community views the tattoo as adefinite mark of identification..."the Buffalo police knew[that] the people that had the stars on their wrist werelesbians and they had their names and so forth. That it was anidentity thing with the gay community, with the lesbiancommunity". The fact that the star tattoo was created by thosewho were firmly into roles, in fact by the group that wasconsidered the butchy butches and their fems, suggest that theforce to assert lesbian identity was strong enough to breakthrough the existing traditions of boldness based in butch-femroles. The stars presage the methods of identity created bygay liberation. In fact, the mark has become something of atradition in local circles and has seen a revival since the1970s."This meaning of the symbol has of course created a lot of problems and arguments among the other two groups of bearers of nautical stars. Most puck and military people do not want to have a nautical star that points back to anything from the lesbian movement so many will say that there is no connection there and this is false.Here is a quote from another armed forces member about the symbolism of the nautical star among the gay community:"This "gay symbol" is a load of hooey that someone made upVERY recently. The nautical star tattoo has been around nearlyas long as tattooing itself. The late Celts (or early Irish,depending on your view of World History) were said to havebeen the first to have the tattoos, although evidence of itbeing used on ships in Spain has been found pre-dating theIrish claim.As a Marine, it's a very commonplace symbol amongst us ifwe have been part of a Boat Raid company, red for port, greenfor starboard on varying parts of the body. On ship, I sawabout a million different variations on the Sailors I was wasserving with, obviously harking back to the sailor roots."Here is a quote from a punk rocker and his feelings about the symbolism of the tattoo:"what idiots..even the military boys dont know what itreally means....JUST SO YOU ALL KNOW!!!!!it was used by OLDsailors.. and the symbol represents North on a Map ...and itis the North Star the sailors would use it as a baring to gethome....you can find it on Really really old maps and old navyvessels... Punk Rock.. well we use it because we can andbecause Sailor Jerry made the coolest tattoos who startedputting them on everyone.. my grandfather even had one thusbeing used as a traditional icon"It just goes to show that when the same powerful symbol is used over and over again over decades of time it can taken on very different meanings for different groups. So all of those that you see sporting a nautical star tattoo might notall have the same interpretation of its symbolism.So do you have a nautical star tattoo or think about getting one in the future? Which meaning of the symbol will you get the nautical star for? As long as you know what the symbolism behind the star is for and you have gotten it for the right reason to either support the lesbian movement or as a symbol to finding your way!