what does a swallow tattoo on your hand stand for?

Answer 1

there is no meaning to it being specifically on the hand but here is what i found on wikipedia.

The swallow tattoo was a symbol used historically by sailors to show off their sailing experience. It was the image of a bluebird, or "swallow," usually tattooed on the chest. According to one legend, a sailor with one swallow had traveled over 5,000 nautical miles; a sailor with two swallows had traveled 10,000 miles. Traveling these great distances was extremely difficult and dangerous in the early days of sailing, so one or more swallow tattoos denoted a very experienced and valuable sailor. It is also legend that if the sailor drowns, the swallows will carry their soul to heaven, representing freedom and hope.

As swallows always return home to San Juan Capistrano every year, the tattoos were used to say that the sailor would always return home. As Swallows also choose a mate for life and will only nest with that bird they are a sign loyalty, pride to both regions and people.

In terms of jail house tattoos, the bluebirds, swallows, can also represent white supremacy or white power and also "Live long and f**k hard". In Scotland it usually signifies a spell in the infamous Bar-L or Barlinnie prison in Glasgow. The swallow tattoo in England means "these fists fly" when referring to fights and 'hard men'.

Today, the symbol of the swallow can mean many different things. It is considered a staple of the "American Traditional" and "Sailor Jerry adams" style tattooing. There is also a style referred to as "new school"

Answer 2

Swallow Tattoo

Answer 3

It's an old Sailors/Navy type tattoo, or builders, a lot of builders also have that. It doesn't mean anything, it was just a trend in tattooing, like Celtic or barbed wire arm bands were popular a few years ago.

Answer 4

Tacky.