Birds!
Posted by charley on July 3rd, 2008I’m finding birds quite fascinating, mostly in the arty sense. I love Swallows so much i even got a couple tattooed on my lower back, and they’re my favourite tattoo of all i have. I love how they look and how intricate they can be when tattooed on someones skin.
The symbolism of Swallows is that they all return home from flight every year. So Swallow tattoos are used to say that you will always come home. They’re a symbol of loyalty, pride of both where you come from and people you love. Swallows also carry a message of hope, when sailors saw a swallow they knew that land was near. Another part of the reason i decided to get Swallows tattooed on myself, other than the fact i just plainly think they look ace, was that a friend died at the beginning of this year and i wanted something to sort of honour him by. He had quite a few old school tattoos so i followed that style and chose an old school bird design rather than the new school that i had looked through when deciding what my next tattoo venture would be! At one point in my life he was very special to me, so sticking to the traditional symbolism i decided Swallows fit the idea that even though he is no longer with us, he is always home when we think of him and every time i look at my birds.
I’ve not always loved my hometown and there have been times when i’ve been so desperate to get away and explore bigger places, but there is nothing like driving home from Lincoln after a stressful term at Uni and just chilling on the sofa with my family. So in ways i’m like a Swallow myself, i live the busy life in a city living it up as a full time student for most of the year and then i come home. Home to the people that make it home for me. There are so many memories, some ace times and some really shit times. You can go all over the world a million times and see everything you could possibly see but you just can’t beat home.
:)