Symbolic tattoo ideas?

[AstralCat]

Short question...

One of my characters has a tattoo, probably on his left shoulder, and I'm not sure what it should be, but I want it to symbolicly hint at loss, or secrets, or unrequited love, or all those things. But not too blatantly. ...Any ideas?


Longer explanation...

The story behind this is that the character is an elf, and he used to be in love with his male friend, but he never said anything because he lives in a society that believes homosexuality is bad. At some point in their friendship, the male friend wanted to get a tattoo, but started chickening out, so the elf guy decided to get a tattoo first so that he could tell his friend/crush that it didn't hurt as bad as they say. ...Then later the friend dies in a sudden and violent way. The event that killed elf-guy's friend/crush also leads to elf-guy being seen as a hero. The King offers the Princess' hand in marriage and the elf-guy feels he can't say no. This is an awkward situation since elf-guy is not attracted to women at all, the Princess is a very nice person, and elf-guy can't understand why he can't love her. ...Also, he's stuck with this tattoo as a constant reminder of his unspoken feelings.

So... yeah... I'm having a hard time choosing a tattoo design that is appropriate for this character. Technically he doesn't NEED a tattoo for the story to work, but I like the idea, and it makes it possible for other characters to question him about the tattoo and thus lead to interesting dialogues and stuff.

I don't want it to be TOO symbolic. I mean, it still has to make sense as something a teenage elf might choose to put on his arm based solely on the fact that it looks cool. Originally it was going to be a red eagle, but somehow that didn't feel appropriate, because eagles tend to symbolize freedom and strength and a bunch of stuff that doesn't fit this at all.

Thank you all for your time with my dumb question. XD;;;

 

[CupofJoe]

So it has got to be somewhat cryptic. The image itself has to carry no obvious message - like a heart torn in two or a lover's name.
Probably it can only be fully understandable by the two people involved...
Half a ticked stub for the first film/gig they went to together...
A lyric from a song that means something...
A time and date where they first met/made love/said I love you/last saw each other/the other died...

I have a friend that has three tattoos that celebrate her children, they are just 12 digits that list the time and day of each birth [125513112013 as an example]. It looks a bit like she can't remember really important telephone numbers but she doesn't care... and when you ask - she gets to talk about her kids...

 

[Scribble]

Not a dumb question at all! This is the kind of detail that makes for good fiction. Symbols are very important to us, for many reasons, too many to discuss here.

My suggestion: A malloren leaf.

On the day he first realized the depths of his feelings for the other, he stood beneath a malloren tree, watching his friend. Their eyes met, and the other saw him watching. He felt a jolt, as he was deep in reverie about him. In that moment, everything was perfect, he would walk over and tell him how he felt.

He saw other elves appeared and went up to his other, talking and laughing. So, he didn't move from spot, he let the moment pass. He couldn't reveal, not then.

At the same moment, a silvery malloren leaf fluttered down and fell upon his shoulder.

He kept the leaf in his pocket for a while. It was a piece of that moment when he felt everything was right with his love.

Later on, in a fit of self-loathing he threw it away. He regretted throwing it away, but at the same time felt foolish about that regret. It was just a leaf, but throwing it away felt like a betrayal of his own true feelings. He might not be able to declare it to the world, but he would be honest with himself.

Later, he decided on the tattoo. He would keep a piece of that moment with him always.

It is an important symbol of his people, and he lets them think it is a sign of love and pride for all his kin, but secretly it is a symbol of love for one in particular.

 

[Snowpoint]

This may not be vary helpful, but I hear about the most bizarre thing today.

In the book Kraken (haven't read it), there is a sentient tattoo. The tattoo is the leader of a gang, not the human it is on, the tattoo itself.

It is just so strange. What if the lost love talks from beyond the gave from the tattoo?

 

[SineNomine]

A lark! Assuming they both enjoyed some bird watching, that's like...too much meaning. First of all, it's just something that unites them in an innocent hobby they enjoy together, something that is a part of their friendship and binds them. Next, larks are symbolically linked to young lovers and daybreak, the former having an obvious connection an the latter representing how he hoped to eventually have the courage to come out of the closet and start a new day in their relationship. Finally, "on a lark" is a phrase that is softly poking fun at his friend's desire to get a tattoo without enough commitment to actually go through with it and how he himself did it on a whim to show him it didn't hurt. That's the meaning he could smile and share with the friend without betraying the other meanings.

 

[DassaultMirage]

A dove with an iron ball chained on its leg, yet still, the dove still flies.

 

[AstralCat]

My suggestion: A malloren leaf.

That whole thing was absolutely beautiful. *_*

I would have to change the type of leaf, since this does not take place in Middle Earth, but yeah. It fits surprisingly well. You don't even know how well it fits.

 

[Scribble]

That whole thing was absolutely beautiful. *_*

I would have to change the type of leaf, since this does not take place in Middle Earth, but yeah. It fits surprisingly well. You don't even know how well it fits.

That gave me a smile. Very glad you liked the suggestion. I guess I'm just a romantic fool

I used malloren, but I meant "some kind of tree that is very special to the people who live there", such as the maple tree where I live in Canada.

 

[AstralCat]

That gave me a smile. Very glad you liked the suggestion. I guess I'm just a romantic fool

I used malloren, but I meant "some kind of tree that is very special to the people who live there", such as the maple tree where I live in Canada.

Ironically, there already is a very significant tree in this elf's home city. The Grand Tree is this massive tree resembling an oak that is taller than the tallest manmade structures on Earth. The city is built around it. The richest nobles and the royal family actually live up in it's branches, so the tree is considered a patriotic symbol.

So a leaf from the Grand Tree would work. The leaves would have a very recognizable shape to his fellow countrymen. It'd be a bit like an american army guy tattooing a bald eagle on his arm. Very few people would question it's meaning, except for a few uninformed people (which luckily the main character is VERY uninformed about the world).

 

[Scribble]

Ironically, there already is a very significant tree in this elf's home city. The Grand Tree is this massive tree resembling an oak that is taller than the tallest manmade structures on Earth. The city is built around it. The richest nobles and the royal family actually live up in it's branches, so the tree is considered a patriotic symbol.

So a leaf from the Grand Tree would work. The leaves would have a very recognizable shape to his fellow countrymen. It'd be a bit like an american army guy tattooing a bald eagle on his arm. Very few people would question it's meaning, except for a few uninformed people (which luckily the main character is VERY uninformed about the world).

I can't wait to see the book selling like hotcakes, so I can tell people that I suggested the bit about the leaf tattoo

 

[musycpyrate]

What about a cat of some sort? Some cultures believe they have a connection with the dead and seem pretty secretive to me.