Lotus flower64 | Variable | Enlightenment, rising from amidst hardships |
Semicolon | Commonly, the wrist | Commitment to life, fighting against depression and suicidal ideation |
Triquetra/Trinity knot | Variable | Connectedness with the elements around us: earth, sea and sky. Can also mean eternity or connectedness with God. |
“Om” (sacred syllable)65 | Variable | Hindu religion: God or universe; For some, peace, good karma, tranquility |
A wave | Variable | Strength, fighting against fate |
Anchor66 | Variable | Hope, salvation, and eternity |
Cobweb (black and white)67 | Commonly, the elbow | Long prison sentences |
Tear drop68 | Underneath eye | Filled in tear: committed murder; if only outline: attempted murder |
Five-point crown69,70 | Variable | Latin Kings gang (Hispanic gang originally based in Chicago) |
Three dots | Lateral to eye corner or on hands | “mi vida loca (my crazy life)” and “Los Vatos Locos (The Crazy Dudes)”; associated with the gang lifestyle |
Five dots71 | Outer surface of hand, between thumb and index finger | Time spent in prison |
MS-1372 | Visible areas: face, hand, neck | Mara Salvatrucha gang |
Cards (playing cards) | Variable | Association with gambling, such as gambling with life, popular in Russian prisons |
ACAB | Knuckles | Willingness to go to prison for one's gang; “all cops are bastards” |
Three dots | Between thumb and index finger | Death to police |
Question mark | Second phalanx of ring finger | Bisexuality |
Four dots | On one finger of either hand | Lesbian orientation |
Watch with no minute hands | Hands | Doing time in prison |
Stars | Shoulder | Rank in gang |
Stars | Knees | “The bearer will bow down to no man.” |
Cross | Chest | Highest rank in Russian gang |
EWMN | Variable, commonly knuckles | “Evil, wicked, mean, nasty”;animosity to authority and police |
Black hand with “M” in the middle | Variable | Mexican Mafia, North and South |
Dragons and Japanese flowers | Tattoo encompassing large areas of the body in the shape of armor suits | Yazuka body suits, associated with Polynesian tradition |
“Tongan Crisps” with hands underneath the words | Variable | Tongan Crisps Polynesian gang |
Swastika with 14 | Variable | White supremacists and Nazi lowriders |
Pyramid with a center eye73 | Variable | Dead Man incorporated, in support of the Illuminati or New World Order against religion and government |