Tattoo Symbolism Meaning Novels & Stories

Touching her tattoo, I ask her what it means. “I don’t know how to explain it. You’ll think I’m crazy if I do,” she says. “Try me. I’ve had my fair share of crazy,” I offer in response. “I had the tattoo done after suffering a loss a few years back,” she explains. Pointing at it, she continues, “You see this? It’s called a Nautilus shell. Can you see how it curls up into itself, almost like it’s never ending? For me, that represents infinity with no end and no beginning.”

, I keep running after all. I ran to a tattoo shop, and said to a tattoo artist, “I want this one.” The tattoo artist glanced at my wrist. “A broken-wing bird?” “Yes.” “Are you sure? It’s… kind of symbolic.” “I know what it means.” He studied for a moment then said, “Alright.” The needle pressed into my skin, it hurt, but I didn’t move.

“Is there a way to tell who is or isn’t in the Bratva?” “Tattoos. Every man of the Bratva has some.” The image of Asher’s inked knuckles flits through my memory. “What do they mean?” “Different things. Some signify their past deeds, terrible or great things they’ve done, and their ranks. It is a simple yet elegant system. A man need only show his tattoos to prove who he is and the weight of his words.” An awful idea occurs to me, one so intense the French toast I ate curdles in my belly. “Am I going to be tattooed?”

"Is there a way to tell who is or isn't in the Bratva?" "Tattoos. Every man of the Bratva has some." The image of Sasha's inked knuckles flits through my memory. "What do they mean?" "Different things. Some signify their past deeds, terrible or great things they've done, and their ranks. It is a simple yet elegant system. A man need only show his tattoos to prove who he is and the weight of his words." An awful idea occurs to me, one so intense the French toast I ate curdles in my belly. "Am I going to be tattooed?"

Leona asks. “Tattoo.” she repeats. “Do you know what it means?” “Uhm-“ Leona drawls. “It means to mark something, doesn’t it?” Violet guesses, and Liviana nods. “By the Tahitian definition, yes,” Livi says. “But in Samoan, it means open wound.” Leona tilts her head. “And why do you know that, exactly?” She asks.

It wasn't just a question. "Not much... but I've seen that people in your world have them." "For many people in this world, tattoos represent loyalty, survival, power, pain, achievements, and identity." He paused for a moment before continuing. "By marking their bodies, some criminals are symbolically saying, 'This is who I am, and I'm committed to this life.' That's the importance of it." "I don't have any because those things aren't important in my life. I never had anything meaningful enough that I wanted to carve onto my skin," he mumbled, his eyes fixed on her.

I bow my head, pretend to focus on the screen. "You were staring," he says in a low, amused voice. He leans against my desk, arms crossed, towering over me. "My tattoos interest you?" I shake my head, too quickly. "No, I… it's nothing." He chuckles softly. "Liar." He pulls up the left sleeve of his t‑shirt, revealing more of the raven and other symbols: a miniature cathedral, eight‑pointed stars, Cyrillic numbers. "Every design has a story. The raven… it's for memory. For those we've lost, but never forget. The stars are rank. The cathedral… the faith you keep even when everything else goes to hell."

He closed his eyes, his jaw slackening as I scrubbed his scalp. A comfortable silence soon settled between us. As I leaned forward to rinse the shampoo from his hair, my eyes caught the tattoo inked across his back and upper arm. The design was bold against his skin, curling like claws and wings. Black flames wrapped around a serpent swallowing its own tail. "What does it mean?" I asked, my fingers lightly brushing the ink. He didn't answer at first. "It's a symbol of resurrection. Power earned through suffering." I traced the outer edge. "You got it before or after everything?"

"Where are they, and how many? It'd be easier to explain if I knew the exact tattoos as well; each of them has a meaning, son." I close my eyes and tell him everything I saw on her ribs. I don't stop at describing the tattoos; I take my time and add details about the scars all over her body. For some reason, it's important to me that my dad knows every detail. My body tenses as he begins to speak. I hope for the best and expect the worst. "As far as I know, the wolf's head is the symbol of her first kill, and the number between the eyes is her age on the day this happened. I already knew the girl started young. We spent some time together down here, and I learned some details about her life.

“The one I cut on the back?” I blinked at her. “You mean the little asswipe with the shitty tattoo who wanted to fuck up my pretty face with his brass knuckles? Yeah, I’m fairly positive I don’t care if he’s okay. But from the way he lit out of there like his tail was on fire, I’d say he’s just fine.” “It wasn’t a shitty tattoo,” she mumbled. “It was the eye of Horus. Some thought it was a symbol to ward off evil, but it’s actually supposed to symbolize healing.”