Hawaiian tribal tattoo meanings


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Hawaiian tribal tattoos are more than just beautiful designs; they proclaim your identity as a Native person with spiritual ties to your ancestors.

Tattoos featuring geckos are common in Hawaiian tattoo designs and often symbolize mobility, wealth, and good luck. Honu (green sea turtle) also serves as a powerful symbol of unity, faith, and good fortune. Makau

Ancient Hawaiian tattooing was known as “Kakau”. This painful practice involved cutting into and inking skin using ink made of ash and soot mixed into the black pigment to depict stories, ancestry lore, or images of strength. Both men and women wore this method, although women typically received fewer tattoos than their counterparts.

Hawaiian and Polynesian Tattoos often incorporate symbols like geckos, sharks, flowers, and more to represent protection and reincarnation. Sharks symbolize strength and guidance, while flowers like the hibiscus and kalo plant symbolize friendship and love, respectively. Hawaiian symbols also include honu sea turtles, which are thought to bring good fortune, longevity, fertility, and knowledge. Fish hook designs symbolize strong connections to nature, and hula dancers embody adventure and wanderlust. Kakau Lizard

Hawaiian tribal tattoos often incorporate Kakau lizards as a symbol representing protection and guardianship, usually combined with elements from Hawaiian culture, such as palm trees, tropical flowers, or surfing motifs. Over time, due to Western influence, these Tattoos have become more vibrant.

Specialists trained in “kakau” applied Hawaiian tattoos, which involved cutting the skin and filling it with soot from kukui tree ash. This process marked their bodies with beautiful designs and stories from personal history, ancestral lore, and representations of strength.

Tiki, the Polynesian god of strength and protection, symbolizes strong guardianship and spiritual guidance. Hammerhead shark tattoos are popular among Hawaiian tribal tattoo artists to represent strong ties to oceanic environments. Sea Turtle

The sea turtle (honu) is an iconic symbol in Hawaiian Tattoos and signifies longevity, fertility, peace, and a connection to the ocean. People often get sea turtle tattoos to show their admiration for its beauty and longevity. Turtle Tattoos may feature hibiscus flowers, bird of paradise birds, orchids, dolphins, crabs, lizards, palm trees, and tropical flowers.

Polynesians have an intimate relationship with the ocean and frequently wear tattoos depicting symbolic marine creatures to represent this connection. A Kakau dolphin represents protection for those traveling by sea, while the lizard’s ability to shed its tail and regrow it can symbolize being resilient enough to overcome difficulties in life. Another popular element of Hawaiian tattoos is a rainbow, representing blessings, wealth, and power. Orchids symbolize beauty, luxury, and love, while gecko designs can show one’s fearlessness. Kanaloa, the god of the ocean, is often represented in Hawaiian tattoos as an icon representing strength and courage. Fish also frequently feature as primary food sources in Polynesian societies, bridging our physical world and spiritual existence.