Tattoos can be something more than just a picture on your skin. For some groups of people, certain tattoos carry some very specific meaning. So if you don't belong to a given subculture or if you simply speaking don’t know what kind of symbol it is, you'd better not have it tattooed. Or else you might be misunderstood. To help you avoid such problems, we have compiled a list of images that ought to be avoided. In some countries you can even end up in prison if you have them, so you'd better read this article carefully!
#1 Buddha
An image of any kind of god is considered blasphemy there. That is why many tourists visiting Buddhist countries end up arrested.
#2 Clover
Clover is commonly thought to be a symbol of luck. Unless you make a tattoo with a three-leaf clover. This could mean you belong to an Irish gang. So if a member of the gang sees that on you and at the same time they know you don’t belong to their crew, you will be in big trouble!
#3 A tear
A tear tattooed under your right eye means that the person has murdered someone or attempted that. This tattoo conveys a lot of meaning for convicts, so if you do it for fun, you could be misunderstood by some hardened criminals as they believe that to have it you need to 'deserve it'.
#4 Yakuza
In Japan, only people belonging to this criminal organization are entitled to have it. Yakuza is the most powerful and the biggest gang in Japan. So if you have this tattoo and don’t belong to Yakuza, you had better watch out…
#5 Barbed wire
In the criminal world a tattoo of barbed wire means that the person has served a prison sentence. Each knot means a year. That is why each respectable citizen going for such a pattern could be either perceived as a criminal or, if that gets spotted by an ex-convict, as an idiot that does not respect prison traditions.
#6 Symbols of rings on fingers
The rings tattooed on the fingers are the easiest way to determine whether the person has been sentenced and, if they have, what kind of status they enjoyed behind the bars. Each ring shows the power of their prison authority and experience.
# 7 A cross on the chest
Having a big cross tattooed on your chest is really dangerous in Russia. This is the tattoo that only the most dangerous criminals have there. Having it made for fun is really risky as once it gets spotted by an experienced criminal, you can be accused of lying.
#8 Spider web
A spider web is a kind of autobiography of a convict. It shows that they have served long sentences and they were addicted to drugs. One ring of the web means one difficult year on somebody's life. This is how criminals recognize their fellows and this is also why they get furious when they realize that such a tattoo was made for fun.
#9 A wild lion
Roaring lion is a symbol of courage and power. In the criminal world people who have such a lion tattoo use it to show that they like violence and they are ready to commit some brutal crimes that they will not regret. Of course criminals believe that to have such a tattoo you need to deserve it.
#10 Three dots
This seemingly innocent, small tattoo has got some universal meaning all over the world – 'Mi vida loca' (‘My crazy life’). The only thing that it says about the owner is that they have broken the law or somehow are connected with the criminal world. Of course, if you are a model citizen, having three dots tattooed anywhere is not an option.
#11 A crown with 5 points
In USA a tattoo of a crown with 5 points is a symbol of a gang called Latin Kings. This gang is present both behind the bars and outside the prison walls. Again, this is one of the images you should not go for just for fun.
#12 Cards
In the world of organized crime each card has got some specific meaning. That is why a few cards can say quite a lot about the criminal who has them tattooed.
#13 Stars
A star is a tattoo for convicts. Its meaning changes depending on the part of the body. For example, stars on tattoos mean that this person will never give in to somebody else's will while stars on arms mean strength and respect.
#14 A clown
This image can cost you life if you go to Brazil, as it is a very offensive insult to the police forces. It is considered offensive as such a tattoo means that the person has killed a police officer.
#15 Political symbols
People who have tattoos connected with some political or religious ideas, have to be ready to fight for their cause any time. In some countries such tattoos are punishable with a prison sentences, especially when they are thought to offend the faith or political views of others.
