Legionnaire tattoo. History of tattoos: from the aborigines to the Avengers The most beautiful tattoos depicting Roman legionnaires

August 4, 2018

Decorative painting of the human body has long been used in many cultures since ancient times. Tattooing, as one of the methods of applying an indelible design, was a kind of identification of a person, belonging to one or another social group, and was also used in some initiation rites. Many historians note that this was a fairly common custom among various barbarian peoples. However, Roman tattoos have their own history.

The earliest evidence of tattooing in Europe was discovered in the area of ​​the modern Austro-Italian border, in the Etzal Alps, where in 1991 the well-preserved mummy of a man who lived more than 3,000 years ago and was nicknamed “Otzi” was found. Known as the "Similun Man" or "Tyrolean Ice Man", the remains of his body were inscribed with approximately 60 designs of parallel lines, dots and crosses.

As you know, Marcus Tulius Cicero (106-43 BC), an ancient Roman philosopher and orator, said: “Graecia capta ferum victorem cepit”, that is, “Defeated Greece conquered the victor.” He meant that, having conquered the territory of Greece, the Romans were strongly influenced by ancient Greek culture, becoming, in turn, defeated. The phrase he said largely explains the almost identical vision of beauty in the Roman and Greek worlds. Tattoo is no exception, which, like some other cultural values, came to Rome from Greece.

This is interesting!

The Roman tattoo was called "stigma". Its application, as in Ancient Greece, was intended for various types of criminals and slaves in order to mark them as such. According to the ancient Roman chronicler Pliny the Elder (23-79 AD), slaves were usually branded with the initials of their master, because a slave was considered a human subspecies, working flesh, some semblance of an animal. However, the application of signs was regulated by official laws. For example, escaped slaves were tattooed with the letter “F” on their foreheads, that is, “fuggitivo” - fugitive.

In Ancient Rome, tattoos were incompatible with such concepts as a free person or citizen. They could not be seen on the bodies of senators or Roman nobility. Emperor Caligula applied them to people of high rank only when they needed to be publicly punished or humiliated, since tattooing on the body was regarded as a symbol of inferiority and was considered the prerogative of barbarians. This is confirmed by many chroniclers in such works as “Germania” by Tacitus, “De bello Gallicum” by Caesar or “Bellorum Germaniae” by Pliny the Elder. In particular, it was noted that “the Gauls and Germans change their bodies with indelible coloring to intimidate the Roman army, while the Roman army itself does not need to change its human appearance, since it is civil and fair.”
However, the conquest of more and more new territories had a significant impact on the spread of tattooing in the Roman Empire itself. Legionnaires, influenced by the customs of the conquered peoples, began to decorate their bodies with the words “Civis Romanus”, that is, “Citizen of Rome”. It was a kind of distinctive sign that made it possible to bury a legionnaire who fell on the battlefield with appropriate honors, or to identify a fleeing deserter. Subsequently, they began to add to it the symbol or name of the legion, as well as the name of the emperor - especially when he was loved and respected, although, according to Herodotus, such a practice was not approved by the authorities.
Before Christianity became the state religion, many followers who believed in the Savior began to independently apply various religious symbols to their bodies, marking themselves as witnesses of their own faith, and slaves doomed to hard physical labor in quarries or to gladiatorial fights were branded in its most prominent areas.

S.P.Q.R. - an abbreviation of the Latin phrase “Senatus Populus Que Romanus”, that is, “The Senate and citizens of Rome” or, literally, “The Senate and citizens are Rome”

Roman tattoos for Christians were finally banned by Pope Adrian I at the Council of Nicaea in 787, which was later confirmed by papal bulls. In their application, a connection was seen with paganism, which was considered a belief from the devil. From that time on, the practice of tattooing gradually began to disappear throughout the Apennine Peninsula. However, for many centuries, tattooing continued to be a distinctive sign of sailors, war veterans, criminals and some ethnic minorities; it was seen as an indicator of retardation and even some kind of mental disorder.

Roman tattoos, the meaning of which is described below, will be a great idea for people who prefer the good old classics and appreciate the canons of ancient art. Such tattoos can look very stylish and unusual. You will learn about the most popular motifs of Roman tattoos, as well as stylizations of such works, from this article.

The meaning of Roman tattoos

Roman tattoos take us back to the era of brave warriors and heroic battles, to the times of real men and the monsters they faced. Most often, such tattoos are made by men, but there are no strict restrictions on this issue, so if they wish, representatives of the fair half of humanity can also decorate their bodies with Roman-style tattoos.

The main meanings of Roman tattoos are as follows:

• courage and bravery. A tattoo with a warrior fighting a terrible monster can be made by people who want to emphasize their courage and unbending will to win;
• Often people get tattoos with Roman numerals. These could be any significant dates: a birthday, a wedding, or the birth of a child. Roman numerals look much more elegant than Arabic ones, which is why such tattoos have recently become quite popular;
• In ancient Rome, there were tattoos that were applied only to royalty, soldiers or disobedient slaves. Usually such tattoos are abbreviations. Nowadays, this tradition has been revived, and some people adopt the experience of Roman soldiers, applying tattoos as a symbol of their social status or rebellious disposition.

This is interesting! Many young people come out of the army with tattoos with the numbers of their military units. Interestingly, ancient Roman soldiers did approximately the same thing: dots were tattooed on their skin that indicated the sign of the legion, as well as the name of the commander of the legion in which the soldier served.

Roman tattoos, photos of which are presented in the article, can look very original and unusual. For example, you can stylize letters and numbers by choosing old school or new school styles.

You can play with numbers in the style of graphics or dot-work. The date, which is made in Roman numerals, which seem to be cut out of a modern newspaper, will look quite peculiar.

Often Roman numerals and symbols are used in trash polka style. Typically, such tattoos combine realism and graphics. A realistic portrait of a Roman warrior, complemented with elements of modern pop art, will look impressive.

Advice! Often people refuse a tattoo because they are afraid of severe pain during the application process. If you have been putting off going to a tattoo parlor for a similar reason, just ask the artist to use a special ointment that contains analgesics.

Where can a Roman tattoo be located?

Roman tattoos, sketches of which are presented in the article, can be located on any part of the body. A small memorial can be made behind the ear or on the neck. Often numbers or letters are tattooed on the knuckles (however, this place is considered one of the most painful places to get a tattoo on the body).

Battle scenes can be depicted on the back, shoulder blades or thighs. A Roman warrior can decorate

Numbers play a huge role in the lives of people in any culture. Yes, these are superstitions, but in all countries there are lucky and unlucky numbers. We celebrate round dates, believe in the crisis of 1 year of a relationship, 3 years after birth, 40 days after death, and so on and so forth.

Why? The numbers are very symbolic and specific. The number is easy to calculate and see the pattern (this is a property of our brain). It’s no wonder that people often depict or incorporate figures and figures into the subjects of their tattoos.

Most often, a figure or number is visible and understandable immediately (when this is the person’s intention):

But some “encrypt” numbers and numbers in their tattoos. Try to find and understand:

Roman numeral tattoo

Let's start by explaining what Roman numerals and numbers are.

The ancient Romans used the symbols I, V, X, Θ and Φ to represent the numbers 1, 5, 10, 100 and 1000. All numbers were obtained from them by arrangement, addition and subtraction. For example, the number 15 is written as XVI: 10 + 5 + 1. Let's rearrange one symbol: XIV is already 14, because one comes before five (10 + 5 - 1).

Much has been written about the original meaning of the symbols, but there is no convincing evidence for these versions. According to one version, the Roman numeral V is an open palm with four fingers pressed and the thumb extended. According to the same theory, X is crossed arms or double V.

Let's get back to tattoos. Roman numerals often appear on watch dials:

Even if Roman numerals are not depicted on a clock, they still often symbolize time (eternity, the finitude of life)

In the tattoo below, the number is doubly Roman: we are talking about the format and the fact that they are on a Roman legionnaire:

Tattoo with date of birth in Roman and Arabic numerals

Naturally, the most popular date for a tattoo is your own or a loved one’s birthday.

Sometimes these tattoos simply write the date, sometimes they draw a portrait, and sometimes they add an image that symbolizes the person (like the devil tattoo above).

For example, the famous rapper Pharaoh tattooed his year of birth on his stomach (tattoo 1996):

Roman numerals tattoo on arm

On the hands, Roman numerals are usually part of a larger composition. You can’t even see them right away :)

Happened? If yes, congratulations - you have excellent vision.

But it happens that numbers are an important part or basis of the plot, and then they are drawn large, noticeably, so as not to be missed:

Tattoo with numbers on fingers

The year is usually depicted on the fingers (birth, wedding, first march or liberation), because there are just 4 fingers in the fist - for 4 digits of the year.

Not only dates are put on the fingers, but also other important numbers - the number of sports trophies, height, number of girls and other measurable achievements.

There are cases when people typed the code for a safe or the password for a computer on their fingers. It's good that presidents of nuclear powers don't do this with the code for the briefcase with the red button.

Number tattoo on wrist

There is not enough space on the wrist, so the themes of the tattoos here are quite simple, and the numbers on them are small.

Roman numerals tattoo on ribs

There is quite a lot of space on the ribs, so the numbers make more sense here than on, for example, the wrist, neck or ankle.

Number tattoo on chest

Athletes wear numbers on their chest (and back), so all tattoos of football players, basketball players, hockey players, and so on have them.

Number tattoo on neck

In such a prominent place, figures and numbers that are very important for a person are usually depicted.

Since we have explained what Roman numerals are, we need to talk about Arabic numerals. Interesting fact: the word figure comes from the Arabic صفر ṣifr “nothing, emptiness.”

Arabic is the traditional set of ten characters - 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 - that are used in most countries to write numbers in the decimal system. These figures appeared in India around the 5th century. At the same time, the concept of zero was introduced, which made it possible to move to positional notation, in which the value depends on the position of the digit.

Arabic numerals are written on banknotes and playing cards all over the world, so tattoos with money and cards usually contain them:

Arabic numerals mark important dates close to a person or subjects. For example, the famous Moscow Olympics of 1980:

Sometimes a tattoo is just funny, without deep meaning, and the numbers are there to complete the plot:

Unfortunately, dates are not always joyful, but the person remains in our memory...

And sometimes numbers mean something to a person, but will not say anything to an outsider:

A little introductory note. The interpretation of numbers is the subject of numerology, which is sometimes mistakenly called “science,” although it looks more like religion. You have to believe in her, but she doesn’t provide much evidence that she’s right. If you believe in the magic of numbers, we have nothing against it :)

Each number in numerology has a meaning - either independently, or because it contains some kind of number. Numerology was created in Ancient Egypt, and then it was adopted in China, Greece and Rome. Numerology is based on simple addition and subtraction, with the help of which complex numbers are reduced to simple ones. If you are interested, there is a lot of information about this on the Internet.

So, 13. A tattoo with the number 13 seems counterintuitive because in modern Western culture it is the number of misfortune. True, numerology thinks differently :) In it, 13 symbolizes “the human spirit striving for love.” In Christianity, 13 is the ten and the Trinity, which together symbolize the Universe. Among the Jews, 13 also has a positive meaning and symbolizes God. How, with such symbolism, the number 13 became a symbol of misfortune is unclear...

We are not sure that all owners of such tattoos have read books on numerology. They could have had a completely different reason: a protest, the number of their favorite player on the local football team, or the number of children from their first marriage.

The meaning of a tattoo with the number 7 is known: it brings good luck. 777 - jackpot, the biggest win.

In numerology, seven means the ability to think, wisdom.

Other numbers and numbers with which tattoos are made

The number 14 is a complex number because it consists of one and four, which have different interpretations.

1 is a leader, a number for energetic and powerful people. In the language of numerology, a unit is energy. But the unit is very chaotic and does not know how to direct itself, control power, or determine what is good and what is bad.

The governing number in this combination is four, which means balance. Sometimes the number four is interpreted as the stop of everything, that is, death. In China, four is the unluckiest number.

The “magic” of number 14 consists of one and four, energy and balance: deliberate actions, without improvisation or emotional pressure. Fourteen calms, reconciles with reality.

19 is also a compound complex number. In numerology, it symbolizes the highest destiny.

We talked about the unit above. Nine is the enhanced meaning of three (3x3) - and three means the ability to find a way out of any situation.

You can show off and get yourself a tattoo with unusual numbers. For example, from the hexadecimal number system, which uses numbers from 0 to 9 and Latin letters from A to F. This system is used in low-level programming and computer documentation, since in modern computers the minimum unit of memory is an 8-bit byte, the values ​​of which are conveniently written in two hexadecimal digits.

You can also take the number of Mayan Indians. The Mayan notation is based on the base-20 positional system that was used for the calendar. The Mayan numerals consisted of a zero, which was represented by a seashell, and 19 composite digits. These numbers, in turn, were made up of one (dot) and five (horizontal line). For example, the number 19 was written as four dots in a horizontal row above three horizontal lines.

Interestingly, the Mayan system is similar to the ancient Egyptian, Roman and ancient Chinese, although historians will tell you that these civilizations never overlapped. Apparently, all developed civilizations followed more or less the same path.

Sketches of tattoos with numbers

Not long ago it became known that five of the six "Avengers" who were originally part of the squad - Chris Evans (Captain America), Robert Downey Jr. (Iron Man), Chris Hemsworth (Thor), Scarlett Johansson (Black Widow) and Jeremy Renner (Hawkeye) - got matching tattoos. Apparently, this is how the actors decided to celebrate the success of the film. Only Mark Ruffalo (aka the Hulk) refused the tattoo, who, apparently, does not really like the role of the green bully and wants to have as little as possible in common with Tony Stark. By the way, Downey admitted that he and Renner almost forced Hemsworth to brand himself with a reminder that he enraged Thanos. Well, who would risk annoying the Hulk once again! Apparently, in real life, Ruffalo is an even bigger monster than in chromakey. The tattoo is a combination of the letter A (avengers - “Avengers”), the number 6 (that’s how many Avengers there were in the first film) and an arrow.

But The Avengers aren't the first to make a memorable mark. Back in 2003, eight of the nine members of the Fellowship of the Ring had the number “9” in Elvish tattooed on different parts of their bodies. This was symbolic, because the four-year filming ended, during which the actors became close friends. Even the over-aged Gandalf - aka Sir Ian McKellen - was not afraid and got the first and last tattoo of his life. Only John Rhys-Davies, who played Gimli, refused. Either the gnome was scared, or for a serious dramatic actor the role of a gnome is the maximum permissible mess, but he came out of the situation beautifully, sending in his place his understudy, who spent many hours on the set.

Moreover, The Avengers wasn't even second. Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul got commemorative tattoos with the series logo after filming the television drama Breaking Bad. A beautiful and symbolic gesture, because the men who became friends during filming owe their popularity to this brilliant series.

However, the tradition of giving yourself distinctive tattoos dates back to ancient times. So the actors are far from the first who decided to do this, even if we assume that the crowd on the platform, captured in the very first film “Arrival of a Train at La Ciotat Station” in 1896, after filming got a train on their tailbone.

Polynesian Tribal Tattoos

Polynesians are generally considered to be. The word tattoo itself is a Polynesian language term borrowed from the Tahitian dialect: "tatau" means "drawing". Therefore, in the minds of an ordinary European, the inhabitants of this subregion should be covered with tattoos from head to toe. Even the muzzle should have aggressive patterns.

Thousands of years ago, they carved intricate geometric patterns into the skin using tools made from boar tusks and turtle shells. Initially, a tattoo was not considered an adornment and only priests, the most respected people of the tribe, had the right to wear it. The drawing itself embodied a set of basic information about the wearer: clan, tribe and its position in the tribe, family, personal qualities, main actions in life and main occupation - a kind of passport of a primitive society. Some tattoos had to be earned by proving to fellow tribesmen the superiority of one's strength and dexterity, for example in hunting. There were no special divisions by gender: both men and women were slaughtered. The process itself was painful and could last a whole day, but it was impossible to interrupt, because tattooing is a sacred process. Most traditional Polynesian tattoos depict a boat, which symbolizes the sea voyage that once brought their ancestors to these tiny but satisfying islands.

Ancient Rome Tattoos

As Cicero wrote: “Defeated Greece won the victor.” Following cultural influence, many Hellenistic ideas about beauty migrated into the Roman worldview. Including a look at tattoos. Typically, they were used on certain occasions to brand slaves. Usually they were filled with the initials of their owner. Nevertheless, the application of signs was regulated by official laws. For example, escaped slaves were tattooed with the letter F on their foreheads, that is, fuggitivo - “fugitive.” Tattoos were incomparable with such a concept as a free person or citizen. To present them to the nobility was the height of madness. Unless we were talking about people of high rank who had offended Caligula: he really loved to disgrace the nobility with indelible ink driven into the skin. How can you get a tattoo if they are worn only by slaves and the main enemies of a civilized empire - barbarians? Both were considered inferior people. Barbarians apply patterns to intimidate, but the Roman army does not need such nonsense, since it is already powerful and always acts fairly.

However, some sources claim that legionnaires who fought with savage peoples adopted the habit of decorating their bodies from conquered peoples. Initially, they filled themselves with Civis Romanus, that is, “Citizen of Rome.” This mark had a practical purpose: it made it possible to bury a legionnaire who had fallen on the battlefield with appropriate honors, or to identify a fleeing deserter. Later they began to add to it the symbol or name of the legion, the name of the emperor (if he was loved and respected). As a rule, tattoos were applied to the hands, but the physician Aetius noted in the collection of medical texts Medicorum Graecorum that many soldiers tattooed similar distinctive marks on the face and other parts of the body. And there were many such Faces in the Roman legion.

After Christianization, Emperor Constantine legislated that tattoos could only be on the arms or legs. But the face cannot be spoiled by a tattoo, since it was created in the image and likeness of God.

Christian Crusader Tattoos

During the Middle Ages, the crusaders who reached the Holy Land tattooed crosses on their hands as a reminder of the righteous purpose of their expedition. Subsequently, almost all pilgrims did them. In 1612, William Lithgow writes about a pilgrimage to the Holy Land: “Early the next day there came to us a man, Elias Areacheros, a Christian priest at Bethlehem and superior of the monks who made the engraving on our shoulder. For which they were given two small piastres as a reward.”

The tough guys who made the difficult journey to the Holy Land got them even though the Bible is traditionally against tattoos: “For the sake of the dead, do not make cuts on your body and do not ink any writing on yourself. I am the Lord” (Leviticus 19:28). Like you, the Pope forbade Christians to get tattoos, only the Crusaders listened to a different Pope. In 787, the Council of Northumberland (a medieval kingdom in England) gave the go-ahead for tattoos that are somehow associated with Christian symbols or images: for example, a fish, an upraised pointing finger, etc. As the Church Fathers said: “When a person passes the test of a tattoo for God’s sake, it is commendable. But when he covers himself with a tattoo for superstitious reasons, as the pagans do, he will not gain any benefit from it.” But they had to make a distinction between secular and Christian tattoos because the traditional tattoos of the indigenous British, which were still practiced at that time, were very popular on the island.

Sailor tattoos

What kind of sailor is without a tattoo - at least an anchor should hang for decency! And for beauty - the silhouette of your beloved girl, saving you from loneliness during a long swim.

It is believed that the tradition of sea tattoos began after James Cook's voyage to Oceania. Maori tattoos are beautiful in themselves, but superstitious sailors got them not only for the sake of beauty, quickly believing that they brought good luck. By the beginning of the 20th century, nautical tattoos had become as much a sign of the craft as a vest, a pipe, and a trip to brothels. True, the leadership did not welcome Papuan-like sailors in the service of Her Majesty. As a result, everything was allowed except for tattoos above the neck and below the knee, as well as obscene words and drawings. Nevertheless, each drawing had some meaning and carried specific information about its owner. Or he was a talisman. Since English sailors were everywhere, sailors from other countries became infected with the fashion of drawing patterns on their bodies. Although the same Russian, Dutch and French sailors who actively sailed in Oceania (Papua New Guinea almost became a Russian colony) picked up the habit without intermediaries.

As was said, various things were stuffed. The most popular are the pig and the rooster, which were written on the legs. These two living creatures were supposed to help the sailor survive during the crash: neither a pig nor a chicken can swim, which means the Lord will help them. Although the reason is that they were very often saved, since they were transported in wooden boxes that floated perfectly on the water. The anchor initially symbolized sailing on the Atlantic - a little later, boatswains began to stuff it. Now everyone is hitting the anchor. But with crossed anchors it’s a completely different story. It is also done by boatswains and either those who have visited all the oceans (placed on the left hand) or those who have visited the 7 seas (on the right). With a compass, everything is clear: a guiding star that will not let you go astray. But what do swallows mean? There is nothing gentle about it - they are stuffed for tough men who have walked 5,000 nautical miles (9,260 kilometers). It was only after a while that the brutal romanticism of sea wolves infected land rats and sea tattoos migrated into everyday life, giving courage to those who have the same relationship with the sea as rapper Feduk has with his song “Sailor”.

Tattoos in crime

But these days, when it comes to highly specialized tattoos, it usually means the criminal world. In each country, each group has its own separate art gallery, where each partak means something. And what kind of artists are there, mom, don’t worry! Just remember the drawings on the bodies of decent and not so decent prisoners from domestic prisons. However, there is no point in talking about them - any schoolchild knows better than the prisoners themselves what “S.L.O.N” is and why during the times of repression some people filled out the proud profile of Comrade Stalin.

However, not only prisoners, but also members of gangs from all over the world get distinctive tattoos on their flesh. This is a kind of way to prove that you are loyal to the organization until the end of your life. Take, for example, the richest criminal world of the United States: these are tattoos on the faces of members of Latin gangs, and Nazi runes, and the names of groups encrypted under numbers. For example, the "black hand of death" is commonly found among members of the Mexican mafia La Eme. Members of this gang control the situation in prisons, sell drugs, and engage in racketeering. The Nazi groups (the ones that Big Sen initially wanted to join) are stuffing themselves with woodpeckers. There is nothing humiliating about this, it’s just that in the slave-holding South, blacks compared whites to annoying and stupid woodpeckers.

But face tattoos are much more popular. Not the ones Lil Peep has, but the famous three dots that symbolize the life path of a gang member: prison, hospital and cemetery. Or the crazy and reckless life of a citizen. You can also remember the tears that indicate that a person will mourn a homey killed in a shootout all his life. But this is if the tear is painted over. And if it is not painted over, then the citizen mourns the person he killed. True, in Australia pedophiles are filled with tears, and therefore it is dangerous to walk there with such beauty, because the continent has rich prison traditions - a nation of descendants of convicts.

Legionnaire tattoo means courage, boldness, bravery, fearlessness, valor, strong character, unshakable spirit, warlike mood, masculinity, perseverance, strength, loyalty, pride, power, a true protector.

Legionnaire tattoo meaning

The tattoo has a very strong meaning, carrying an active masculine principle. It contains positive energy.

The tattoo personifies an unbending character, the desire to win, and loyalty to one’s ideals. The owner of such a design strives to be like a fearless warrior. Legionnaire means that its owner is a strong-willed person who is able to overcome life's difficulties with his head held high.

In a broad sense, the tattoo symbolizes courage, bravery and the spirit of war. However, a tattoo can change meanings depending on changes in composition. If a legionnaire stands with his knee bent, then this is an indicator of loyalty and honor, and if at the same time his head is bowed, this is an indicator of loss and sorrow. Raised weapons symbolize triumph and inspire victories. A legionnaire on horseback is associated with a conqueror.

Such a drawing speaks of its wearer as a fearless and strong-spirited person, ready to sacrifice himself for a good purpose and able to stand up for himself. The tattoo seems to denote the hidden forces of a person, ready to come to his aid in difficult times.

As it becomes clear from what is described above, a tattoo does not have a negative meaning. The legionnaire of Ancient Rome was a strong fighter, known for his fearlessness and bravery. By applying such a tattoo, a person emphasizes that he strives to possess the qualities of an ancient warrior and correspond to them.

The main purpose of any Roman tattoo, including a legionnaire, is to emphasize a person’s courage and his unbending will to win.

The tattoo has many details. A legionnaire can be depicted in full combat readiness and with a weapon in his hands. Often accompanied by inscriptions, emblems or animals. Usually a legionnaire is depicted from the waist up, but there are exceptions. Portrait drawing is also popular. Much less often a legionnaire is depicted in full growth.

If only a helmet is depicted on the tattoo, then it acts as a symbol of protection and safety. It was the helmet that was the second attribute after the shield that saved lives in war. This tattoo also speaks of help. Its owner can count on help in difficult situations.

The tattoo can be depicted together with Roman numerals, which indicate a memorable date for its owner.

Tattoos are performed in different styles. It is worth considering that realism will require a large area of ​​skin. In this case, the shoulder, back, chest or forearm are best. Battle scenes are depicted on the back, shoulder blades or thighs. Smaller tattoos look good on the ribs, arms, shins or calves.

In addition to realism, work is often performed in the following styles: graphics, oriental, dotwork.

The legionnaire tattoo is directly related to men. However, this does not strictly prohibit the weaker sex. Sometimes strong women also apply it to their skin.