A Few Common Beliefs About The Teardrop Tattoo
People have tattoos done on them for various reasons. For some, it is purely for aesthetic reasons. For others, it is for sentimental reasons such as when one has the name of a loved one, their initials, a wedding date or anniversary date tattooed on them. Others do it for allegiance and many criminals have them to show their loyalty to a gang. There is one kind whose meaning has evolved and is widely debated and that is the teardrop tattoo.
It is done to resemble a tear and it is usually done below the eye. It is claimed that it was first seen in Australian prisons. It is believed that Australian prisoners would tattoo inmates by force is they were serving a sentence for sexually abusing minors. They would gang up and do this on the right side so it was conspicuous. This practice has now been largely stopped in present day Australia.
In the US, it is commonly held that one who has this mark has killed someone. It is also widely held that the number of teardrops is an indicator of how many people a person has killed. Another meaning of the number of teardrops is the number of years a person has served in jailed. It is also believed that the teardrops may indicate that a loved one or a member of a gang one belongs to has been lost. The ink used to do the tattoo represented unending remembrance of the loved one and closure.
It may also mean that the wearer lost a loved one or a gang member while they were behind bars. Another school of thought is that this tattoo is worn by women to symbolize their solidarity with loved ones in prisons.
A distinguishing factor about this mark is whether it is only an outline or it is filled in with color. If it is only an outline, it means that a beloved one has been lost. If it is filled out, it means that the death has been avenged.
A number of well known personalities wear teardrop tattoos. One is rapper Lil Wayne and another is the late singer Amy Winehouse who got one when her husband went to prison. Birdman and the Game are other US music artists who wear this tattoo.
Today, these tattoos are more of a trend rather than a symbol of something. There are those who go out and get them done to look like their favorite celebs. Still, it is good to be aware about what conclusions may be made because one is wearing a teardrop tattoo.
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