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Naga Tattoos - Traditions about nagas are also very common in all the Buddhist countries of Asia. In many countries, the naga concept has been merged with local traditions of great and wise serpents or dragons. In Tibet, the naga was equated with the klu, wits that dwell in lakes or underground streams and guard treasure. In China, the naga was equated with the long or Chinese dragon.... more

Nandi Tattoos - In most mythologies, the bull is an embodiment of male potency, strength, virility and power. This does not apply to Nandi, however, the bull of the Hindu god, Shiva. Unlike the charged and rampant bulls associated with many other deities - particularly in the Middle-East and the West - Nandi is the embodiment of surrender to the divine, and is considered one of the main symbols of Shiva.

A humble and respectful powerhouse - such a tattoo motif may be deeply in tune with the changing times we live in... more

Narcissus Flower Tattoos - The Narcissus flower is perceived quite differently in the east than in the west. Whereas in the west, the Narcissus flower is seen as a symbol of vanity, in China, the same flower is seen as a symbol of wealth and good fortune. The ancient Greeks believed this plant originated from the vain youth, Narcissus. He died after becoming so obsessed with his reflection in a pool he could not leave. The Greeks say that the gods turned his remains into the Narcissus flower.... more

Native American Tattoos - Native American tattoo designs and symbols - much like tattoos designs described as "Polynesian tattooing" - is an enormous area of tattooing culture to cover. As in Polynesia with the many diverse far-flung cultures of the South Pacific, native North America was and is made up of hundreds and hundreds of culturally distinctive indigenous peoples. Traditional tattooing in North America has largely disappeared, with isolated exceptions. The primary reasons for this were a combination of the early colonization of much of the continental United States by European settlers, Canada, and Mexico and the practice of religious conversion of the native populations and widespread pressures for the indigenous peoples to abandon their traditional spiritual and cultural practices... more

Nautical or Maritime Tattoos - are tattoos derived from the very roots and history of modern tattooing. Sailors were among the first to revive the art and practice of tattooing when they visited the islands of Polynesia in the South Pacific and other lands in Southeast Asia. Captain Cook in his famous explorations to Tahiti, Hawaii and New Zealand was the first to record the tattooing of the indigenous people in 1786. The word tattoo in the English language come from the Tahitian word, 'ta-taw', which was thought to mimic the sound made by the traditional Polynesian tattooing implements as they made a tattoo. When the sailors returned to Europe with tattoos that were essentially exotic souvenirs of their travels and adventures... more

Nautical Star - The nautical star is a very old modern tattoo, going back at least a century or more. Back in the days of yore, before modern navigation, sailors would navigate in part by the stars in the night skies, in particular the North Star in the Northern Hemisphere, and various other constellations of stars in the night sky. In the Southern Hemisphere, sailors had to use different stars and the Southern Cross became quite well-known. Sailors would then tattoo nautical stars on them because they relied on the stars to take them home, and being superstitious, they hoped their star tattoos would get them home safely as well.... more

Number Tattoos - Numbers can make for fascinating tattoo designs. Who - in a moment of truth - wouldn't confess to having a personal number they consider "Lucky". And does anyone on a sports team want Jersey Number 13, or to work on the thirteenth floor of an office tower? In fact, the superstition against the number thirteen is so strong that most buildings "skip" the thirteenth floor as if didn't even exist!... more

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