The Virgin Mary tattoo came into modern tattoo culture from criminal tattoos. If you want to get a sketch of the Virgin Mary as a talisman or a sign of your deep faith, first familiarize yourself with the meaning of such a tattoo both in world culture and among criminal gangs.
History of the Virgin Mary tattoo
For the first time, a tattoo with the image of the Virgin Mary became popular in the 40s of the last century. It was stuffed by American criminals, mostly Latinos and other gang members. In combination with other elements, the Virgin Mary could even mean that the owner of the tattoo belongs to one or another criminal group.
The Virgin Mary and Child tattoo is more common among Russian criminals. The criminals stuffed the Virgin Mary as their protector, patroness, and even, to some extent, a talisman. Some supplemented the drawing with religious phrases (“Most Holy Virgin Mary, save and preserve”, etc.). Sometimes such tattoos were inked, trusting in fate and saying that the only judge for them is God.
Often the tattoo had no meaning and nothing to do with the faith of the criminal, or religion in general. In Russian culture, a tattoo with the Virgin Mary often symbolized a person’s loyalty to his criminal gang or meant that the owner of the design began criminal activity in his youth.
What does the Virgin Mary tattoo mean?
Over the years, this tattoo has not lost its prevalence and meaning. They still stuff the Mother of God, wanting to receive support from the Saint. If a girl holds her hands in prayer, this means that a person is enlisting the support of the Mother of God, her protection. The Mother of God also protects those who get tattoos of the Virgin Mary and Child. The child in this case symbolizes not so much Jesus as the owner of the tattoo, whom the Saint protects.
For some people, the Virgin Mary tattoo has an even deeper meaning. Sometimes it can be a sign of humility before God. Often those who imbue themselves with the Mother of God strive for perfection, honesty and sinlessness.
The Virgin Mary and Child also means purity of thoughts, openness of soul, fidelity to friendship or duty, and love of truth. This interpretation is associated with the innocence of the Mother of God, her chastity. Some sources indicate another meaning of the tattoo. It can also mean tenderness, beautiful beauty, femininity and pure love.
If her heart is depicted on the chest of the Mother of God, then it acts as a symbol eternal love The Virgin Mary towards humanity, her kindness and readiness to always protect even sinners.
The meaning of the Virgin Mary tattoo on different parts of the body
Russian and American criminals most often tattooed the Virgin Mary on their back or chest. This placement of a religious tattoo often indicates a person’s attitude towards places of detention. The photographs show that this area of the body is often chosen today.
If the tattoo is intended to mean protection or a talisman, then it is better to place the sketch of the Virgin Mary tattoo on the arm, mainly on the shoulder. Less commonly, a design with this meaning is tattooed on the neck.
In modern variations, the Virgin Mary is also found on other parts of the body. Remember that it is better not to get religious tattoos below the waist.
What colors should I use for the drawing?
It is noticeable in the photo that the Virgin Mary tattoo is usually in black or black and gray. This option has been considered traditional since the popularity of prison culture. Less common is the use of red, green, blue and others bright colors with the same black outline. Sometimes the Virgin Mary is dressed in a turquoise robe. Clothes of this color symbolize the sky, the rise above evil.
Image for boys and girls
Tattoos with the image of the Mother of God are practically never found among girls, just like other religious themes. If you are planning to get a tattoo with such a design, we recommend choosing a color sketch. It can also be decorated with a small floral frame at the bottom, which will symbolize tenderness and femininity. Supplement the drawing with others popular elements(for example, hearts, stars, etc.) is not worth it, this option will look unnecessary.
For men, the Virgin Mary tattoo works well. It looks quite courageous, while emphasizing the person’s good intentions, his honesty and openness. If you want to make the sketch more “masculine”, it is recommended to supplement it with a religious inscription in Latin.
What style should you choose a tattoo?
Undoubtedly, the native style for the Virgin Mary tattoo is Chicano. It was this technique that the Americans used almost a hundred years ago to depict the Virgin Mary, crosses, and biblical characters. The peculiarity of the style is in the brightness and visibility of the drawings, mainly dark colors sketch and clear wide contours. The black and gray tradition was popular among Russians.
Every person strives to express himself: someone finds certain hobbies, and someone makes unusual Virgin Marys that came to us from the underworld and are known to this day. To know its meaning, you must first study this article.
Meaning
The meaning of a Virgin Mary tattoo mainly depends on the person himself. The prisoners who walk around with this tattoo and the faces of other saints explain this by saying that they live “according to the concepts” that are established in the world of thieves. If a girl gets such a tattoo, then she wants to say that she is pure. But she is obliged to display it not for everyone to see, but, on the contrary, only to those with whom she is close.
An ordinary man who gets a tattoo of the Mother of God shows his love for and respect for his own mother. He also wants to say that he is religious and believes in God.
Value in different parts of the body
Russian prisoners usually had it tattooed on their back or chest; this immediately indicated that the person had been in prison. If you take the photo as an example, you can immediately see that it is still made there today.
A Virgin Mary tattoo can be protective and serve as a talisman if it is tattooed on the arm or shoulder. But you can also find a pattern on the neck.
IN modern world it can be seen on any part of the body, but you need to remember that tattoos with religious overtones cannot be made below the belt.
Tattoo color scheme
Most often it is made in black and white - this is the most traditional and classic version. Some may add colors such as red, green and blue. Sometimes the Virgin Mary is found in a blue or turquoise robe; this symbolizes the purity of the sky and protects the wearer from evil forces.
Tattoos for girls and boys
It is extremely rare to see icon tattoos on girls. But if she decided to take such a bold step, then it’s better to choose color version. It will be very beautiful if you decorate the image with several flowers at the bottom of the sketch or make a floral frame. This will speak of the tenderness and femininity of the wearer. It is highly not recommended to decorate the image with stars, hearts and the like; this will look inappropriate on a tattoo of a religious nature.
If we talk about men, then such a tattoo will be very useful; it will speak about the decency and masculinity of a person. To make the design more masculine, it would be beautiful to decorate it with Latin inscriptions.
What style to get a tattoo in
One of the most popular styles of Virgin Mary tattoos can be considered Chicano. A feature of this style is the visibility and brightness of the design itself. The most popular tattoo among Russians was recognized in black and white. This style is also used now. It is very rare to find it in such areas as graphics, new school or neo-traditional. Tattoos in these styles are of a very frivolous nature.
At this time, the Virgin Mary tattoo is not considered a prison tattoo. It serves as a regular body decoration. Each person sees their own meaning in this tattoo, chooses it according to their taste and discretion. It doesn't say anything about your faith or lack thereof.
For prisoners and former prisoners, tattoos play an important role and a special meaning, which not everyone understands. A tattoo on a prisoner’s body can tell a lot about the owner: from the number of walkers to the character and status in the criminal world. Nowadays, the concepts of certain tattoos have changed somewhat, and an expert will help you understand all this variety of prison art.
A tattoo with a pirate is a sign that its wearer has been convicted of robbery. Robbers also wear tattoos with a skull and a dagger. “In addition to the classic prison tattoos (pirate is one of them), there are also those that have become fashionable recently. Inscriptions in foreign languages, aphorisms from French, English, and German are very popular today. Latin is also popular catchphrases from ancient Greece and ancient Rome,” says the specialist.
“The grin is one of the most popular prison tattoos. Previously, it was interpreted as follows: “He bared his teeth at the Soviet regime.” It has not lost its relevance today and means rejection by the prison administration. Anyone who wears such a tattoo seems to be saying: “I consider myself a criminal and am not going to cooperate.”
A prison tattoo with the image of a bear is a sign of a safecracker, a safecracker. “New criminal tattoos appear extremely rarely. The only exception I've seen is the image of a syringe. This is a traditional sign of drug addicts. Recently, there has been a fashion to put next to it the letter designation of the specific drug that the person used,” notes Sidorov.
A tattoo with the image of a cat with keys is a sign of a burglar (“burglar”). “The world of thieves has its own tattoos. For example, pickpockets used to prick themselves with insects - beetles, bees, cockroaches (ZH.U.K. - I wish you successful thefts). True, now they have moved away from this practice: it simply reveals pickpockets.”
“A rose against a background of bars or barbed wire means that the wearer of such a tattoo turned 18 in prison. Tulip means the same thing, but at 16 years old. Tattoos of young children are called “partachki” and are most often characterized by low quality workmanship. But they account for the majority of prison tattoos.”
The Virgin and Child (like the crucifix) is a tattoo that means “My home is a prison.” According to Sidorov, tattoos on religious themes (both Christian and Muslim) are now in fashion among prisoners. But political tattoos are gradually disappearing.
Thieves' stars are the “legend” of prison tattoos. “Previously, thieves’ stars were a distinctive sign of authorities. Now everything has changed: they can be found not only among serious thieves, but also among ordinary prisoners. Their status has dropped somewhat. In general, today the more tattoos a person has, the less importance he has in the zone. To carriers large quantity tattoos are treated like fools. In Soviet times, for example, thieves’ stars fought on the collarbones (this meant “I will never wear shoulder straps”) and on the knees (“I will never kneel before the cops”). These were purely ideological, thieves’ tattoos. If such stars were hit by a person who did not belong to the world of thieves, one could answer for this according to the concepts. Then, closer to the 90s, many people who had nothing to do with thieves began to wear the famous tattoos, and stars began to get tattoos of lesser status. Today there is prison concept“There is no answer for the tattoo.” It means that if someone foolishly got a tattoo with a serious meaning, there is no need to touch him, no matter what the fool. Although, of course, sometimes such people have to answer for their actions,” says the expert.
“Rings are often struck by prisoners who are in prison under 18 years of age. They can tell a lot about their owner: for example, a black ring with a white cross indicates that the prisoner visited the famous St. Petersburg “Crosses”. And a black ring with a white diagonal is a sign that the owner went through a “youngster”. There are dozens of varieties of such tattoos. By the way, an equally popular tattoo is “One in four walls” (five dots between the thumb and index finger), denoting a prisoner,” says Sidorov.
The sailboat (like the galloping deer) is a symbol of escape. It means that the wearer of the tattoo is striving for freedom. “A huge number of subjects of criminal tattoos are taken from English naval tattoos. The sailboat is one of them.”
“The domed temple is one of the most common prison tattoos. The number of domes indicates the number of "sentences". When the sentence has been fully served, a cross appears on the dome. A tattoo with domes without crosses on a person at large immediately raises many questions; people “in the know” will definitely look at him with suspicion.”
Shoulder straps or Epaulettes on the shoulders of convicts are adapted into ZK tattoos from pre-revolutionary military uniforms and indicate a negative attitude towards the justice system. Epaulets are worn by high-ranking criminals, who may also have an appropriate nickname such as "Big" or "Colonel". Shoulder straps with three small stars or skulls stand for: “I am not a camp slave, no one can force me to work”, “I am a prisoner, but I was born free”, “I am a zone colonel - I will not dirty my hands with a wheelbarrow”, “ The strong win - the weak die,” “Horses die from work.”
Inscription on the knuckles - tattoo female name Nadia. “Ring” on the index finger means: “Don’t trust anyone but yourself.” “Boy” is one of the most privileged criminal tattoos among penal colony prisoners. On the middle finger there is a tattoo of pickpockets - “cross of thieves”. Ring finger: “I served my time in full”, “From beginning to end”, “I sat without the right to parole”: the prisoner was serving in a colony full term, without transition to a free settlement on parole. Pinky tattoo: “Dark Life” indicates that the wearer spent a lot of time in a punishment cell. A skull and crossbones, a gun, a knife and the letter "K" (Iller - editor's note) represent the killer.
Rings in criminal tattoo and their meaning
The ring is a very informative type of ZK tattoo; it conveys in encrypted form information about what type of crime the offender ended up in prison for, what regimes he served his sentence in, how he behaved in the “zone” (he was a “refuser” or worked honestly, behaved in a disciplined manner or violated the regime, was in a group of positive-minded convicts or was part of a “denial group”, collaborated or was at odds with the administration, etc.). From the rings one can learn about the position of the criminal in the criminal hierarchy, about his value orientations and behavioral attitudes.
1. Has been convicted (or has been convicted) The tattoo is applied to the index finger.
2. Thief Tattoo is applied to the thumb.
3. Dissatisfied with the verdict Applied to the ring finger.
4. Passage through the “crosses” and the “zone” (usually for those convicted more than once).
5. "Hello Thieves"
6. “Mokrushnik”, convicted under Art. 102 of the Criminal Code of the RSFSR.
7. Card player, cheater
8. Ring of minors: authority, twice imprisoned.
9. Passage through the Muslim zone With a cross - through crosses (?).
10. “Anarchy” - a ring applied by convicts who have a negative attitude towards the regime and discipline.
11. Symbol of power, authority among criminals.
12. Combined ring, usually only for a reputable convict.
13. “Wasted Youth” He was convicted as a minor.
14. “Death to the hillocks”
15. “Third trip to the zone” (?).
16. Nepotism ring
17. Tried (or being tried) by a minor (Two flowers on one branch - a champion of bloody revenge.)
18. Passed the “crosses”
19. Was convicted
20. “Anarchy” or criminal record under Art. 146 of the Criminal Code of the RSFSR
21. Women’s ring - “denied”, I won’t shake hands with the cop.
22. a) for men: beat activists; b) for women: I dedicate my life to women. Cobbles are tattooed (see the dictionary of slang words and expressions).
23. In a circle of thieves (women's ring).
24. Ring of minor girls: “They are not judged.”
Orthodox icon is a picturesque depiction of images of the Lord, Holy Mother of God, the Holy Trinity, Angelic Powers, saints and religious events, which are painted in the most accurate iconographic traditions and consecrated according to the church rite. Christians have treated these shrines with special understanding and reverence for many centuries, which is why in every Orthodox home there are different types holy icons. have a special purpose.
The icon in the house is used for home prayers, the icon on the chest as an icon is intended to ensure that the holy image is always with the believer and can protect him from danger. IN last years It has become a wonderful tradition to give gifts to loved ones in the form of Orthodox icons, and the most popular among them are icons embroidered with beads and made of precious materials for wearing small icons on the chest.
Icon shops at church churches, icon-making workshops, and Orthodox online stores offer a wide range of Orthodox icons made in different styles and from different materials. An icon made of precious metal worn on the chest will not only become a strong amulet for its owner, but will also look like a beautiful piece of jewelry.
Icons on the chest in the form of a tattoo
Not least among the Orthodox people are various interpretations of images of holy images. One of the iconographic trends has become tattoos of icons on the chest and other parts of the body. This ancient look images of saints on the body, which dates back to ancient times from different religions: Sharia, Buddhism and Christianity. Many believers seek to decorate their bodies with tattoos of religious symbols in order to become closer to God. These images reached the highest level, which attracts especially young people.
Sometimes even a small religious plot of the icon is applied to the chest within a week. The image of a saint’s tattoo on the body has a symbolic meaning, and all gestures and position of the figure have a spiritual meaning. High forehead means spiritual wisdom big eyes- penetration into Divine secrets, elongated fingers - spiritual nobility and purity, hands raised to heaven - prayer, and a slightly tilted figure - humility and obedience.
