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TATTOO DESIGNS & SYMBOLS - HOMEWARD BOUND TATTOOS
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Homeward bound
 Homeward
Bound Tattoo Meanings - A tattoo of a full-rigged sailing ship, with the words,
"Homeward Bound" is one of the most recognizable of all maritime and
nautical tattoos.
There is perhaps no tattoo design more associated with sailors and
seamen that the tattoo of a full-rigged sailing ship under full
sail, it's bow splitting the waves, clouds and seabirds in the
background. Most of the sailing ships depicted in these tattoos were
Clipper Ships. These tattoos were often very large and took place of
pride on a sailor's back or chest, with smaller versions on upper
arms and shoulders.
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When a full-rigged sailing ship was done as a chest or back piece it
was frequently framed in rope and underneath the ship was a scroll
with the words, "Homeward Bound", although occasionally the words
were tattooed at the top of the design. This tattoo was done in part
out of pride for a way of life, but also as an amulet to ensure that
a sailor would return home safely. |
 Within the tattoo lore of sailors, a simple tattoo of a full-rigged
sailing ship meant that a sailor had rounded Cape Horn, one of the
most inhospitable, dangerous and feared stretches of water in the
world, but a necessity for circumnavigating the globe along the
trade routes. Cape Horn is located at the southern-most tip of South
America and for many years it was a major milestone on the routes of
sailing ships, including the famous Clipper Ships (think of a bottle
of Cutty Sark!). The waters around Cape Horn are particularly
hazardous, due to strong winds, large waves, strong currents - the
waters of the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans collide there - and
icebergs from Antarctica. These dangers have made Cape Horn
notorious as a sailors' graveyard and it was a legendary place in
sailor's lore, featured in song and story.
 Sometimes the storms around Cape Horn were so strong and so violent
that safe passage was impossible, and ships would have to "Heave-to"
and wait until the winds and currents made rounding the Cape
possible.
"Rounding the Cape", or "Rounding the Horn", were synonymous with
seamanship and meant that a sailor and his ship had survived and
were often then "Homeward Bound". For sailors, rounding Cape Horn
was seen as the equivalent of running a marathon for long-distance
runners, or climbing Mount Everest for mountaineers. It was no easy
feat.
 A rather macabre variation of the "Homeward Bound" and "Full-Rigged
Ship" tattoos, were the "Sailor's Grave" tattoos. These tattoos
often showed a sailing ship sinking beneath the waves, its bow
thrust up on a reef or rocks, with a terrible hole ripped in the
belly of the ship. Like tattoos of skulls or demons, these tattoos
were often done as talismans of protection. And a reminder of just
what a harsh mistress the sea could be...
Check out
homeward bound & ship tattoo designs by some of the
world's top tattoo artists and illustrators.
See also:
Nautical Tattoo Index,
Nautical Tattoo Designs
Tattoo designs - H >>
Homeward bound
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