As a religious manifestation is Miley Cyrus. To date, she has 18 tattoos on her body. Among them you can see a small cross on inside ring finger. Miley often mentions that she is a Christian and sincerely believes in God. The cross on her ring finger has only religious meaning.
In a social sense, a cross can mean that the owner of this tattoo grew up without a father or his loss if it is depicted on the ring finger with the long end towards the hand. If the cross is positioned with its long end towards the fingers, it means that its owner is paying attention to great value friends, being in the “circle of friends” in life.
In the criminal world, images of small crosses on the fingers, on the chest and at the temple are considered mainly symbols of female thieves. Such crosses could also mean that its owner was convicted as a minor.
But even among men there are tattoos with the image of a cross, which can also mean the condemnation of minors, as well as those convicted of St. Petersburg or, as it is also called, Crosses. Many prisoners use such crosses to express dissatisfaction with their sentence. Rings with a cross are also often depicted on the ring fingers, which have various meanings.
An important aspect for the interpretation of tattoos in the form of crosses is the type to which it belongs. It could be a cross that has extraordinary beauty and carries deep meaning. Its beauty lies in the complex execution of the intricate pattern, and its meaning is hidden in the Celtic tribes and symbolizes spiritual growth and beginning.
The pagan cross, as a rule, symbolizes the masculine and feminine or four cardinal directions (North, South, West, East).
Another type of cross is the iron cross, which in the 14th century was the Teutonic symbol of knights, later symbolized the German military (1870), and today it is generally accepted that the iron cross carries the meaning of strength and honor.
The Gothic cross, although not fraught with religious significance, is fundamentally a Christian cross.
The Christian cross, in turn, can be depicted in two main ways: a Latin simple wooden cross or the crucifixion of Jesus Christ.
The Latin cross is a symbol Orthodox religion and Christian faith. As a rule, a simple wooden cross with right angles stands out for its minimalism in the image. The shape of the Latin cross symbolized divine manifestations even before the advent of Christianity. For example, in Egypt the cross symbolized kindness.
Symbolism, having appeared with a person, accompanies him throughout his life. For some, symbolism becomes an exciting hobby, and for others it becomes the true meaning of life. The symbolism of tattoos can be very interesting, and sometimes frighteningly unpleasant.
Tattoos in the form of crosses, as a rule, do not have particularly negative meanings, but it can be quite difficult to unravel the true meaning and the only one who knows it for sure is the owner of the cross itself.
Many people, wanting to express their originality, get tattoos. As a rule, each of them has some symbolic meaning for the owner. A tattoo can tell about a person’s aspirations, character and dreams..
Very often you can see a tattoo in the form of a cross. Let's find out what this sign symbolizes and why it is applied to the skin even by people who are far from religion.
General value
It is generally accepted that the cross represents Christianity, but it should be said that this sign appeared long before it. It was used in many pagan rituals. In some ancient cultures, the cross symbolized masculine and feminine principles or a phallic symbol. In Assyria it meant the four sides of the world: east, west, south, north.
The Celtic cross looks very beautiful, that is, the cross that is in the middle of the circle.
The tattoo will look best in blue, green or black. The Christian cross symbolizes the victory of life over death, the victory of good over evil. Such tattoos often decorate the shoulder or wrist, or can be depicted on the finger.
For girls
Cross tattoos are often chosen by religious girls, in whose lives religion matters a lot. It is a symbol of patience, strength, chastity and purity. If a cross tattoo adorns the shoulder or arm of a representative of the fairer sex, this means that in front of you is a person who cares about her honor, is loyal and resistant to adversity. This image can also be on the back.
She also believes in God. Such a tattoo can be done by the girl who at the moment is in search of the meaning of life, trying to unravel the mysteries of the universe. In any case, it is deep and spiritually rich.
The guys
Now let's talk about the stronger sex and the meaning of a cross tattoo for them. It is quite possible that this is a believer, but often this tattoo is also chosen by atheists who associate this sign with a knight’s cross.
It represents strength, masculinity, determination, and, of course, honor. Such a tattoo on a man’s back means “I choose my own destiny and am responsible for it.”.
Cross on neck- submission to fate.
A tattoo on a finger (hand) means the memory of a deceased person and eternal sorrow for him. Often guys next to this symbol place some saying that is the motto of their whole life. It is from this that you can understand what kind of person is in front of you.
Prison meaning
You can see many tattoos on the body of prison inmates, for example on the arm, on the finger, on the back. Cross tattoos are found very often on the back and symbolize strong will, rebellion, and fearlessness. It can also personify faith in one’s fate and destiny. Thieves often get a tattoo of a card cross.
There are also tattoos on the back in the form of domes with crosses, and they mean the number of crimes. It is worth noting that criminals often tattoo the image on their finger. This is their so-called calling card.
For prisoners and former prisoners, tattoos play an important role and a special meaning, which not everyone understands. A tattoo on a prisoner’s body can tell a lot about the owner: from the number of walkers to the character and status in the criminal world. Nowadays, the concepts of certain tattoos have changed somewhat, and an expert will help you understand all this variety of prison art.
A tattoo with a pirate is a sign that its wearer has been convicted of robbery. Robbers also wear tattoos with a skull and a dagger. “In addition to the classic prison tattoos (pirate is one of them), there are also those that have become fashionable recently. Inscriptions on foreign languages, aphorisms from French, English, and German. Latin is also popular catchphrases from ancient Greece and ancient Rome,” says the specialist.
“The grin is one of the most popular prison tattoos. Previously, it was interpreted as follows: “He bared his teeth at the Soviet regime.” It has not lost its relevance today and means rejection by the prison administration. Anyone who wears such a tattoo seems to be saying: “I consider myself a criminal and am not going to cooperate.”
A prison tattoo with the image of a bear is a sign of a safecracker, a safecracker. “New criminal tattoos appear extremely rarely. The only exception I've seen is the image of a syringe. This is a traditional sign of drug addicts. Recently there has been a fashion to apply next to it letter designation the specific drug that the person used,” notes Sidorov.
A tattoo with the image of a cat with keys is a sign of a burglar (“burglar”). “The world of thieves has its own tattoos. For example, pickpockets used to prick themselves with insects - beetles, bees, cockroaches (ZH.U.K. - I wish you successful thefts). True, now they have moved away from this practice: it simply reveals pickpockets.”
“A rose against a background of bars or barbed wire means that the wearer of such a tattoo turned 18 in prison. Tulip means the same thing, but at 16 years old. Tattoos of young children are called “partachki” and most often differ low quality execution. But they account for the majority of prison tattoos.”
The Virgin and Child (like the crucifix) is a tattoo that means “My home is a prison.” According to Sidorov, tattoos on religious themes (both Christian and Muslim) are now in fashion among prisoners. But political tattoos are gradually disappearing.
Thieves' stars are the “legend” of prison tattoos. “Previously, thieves’ stars were a distinctive sign of authorities. Now everything has changed: they can be found not only among serious thieves, but also among ordinary prisoners. Their status has dropped somewhat. In general, today the more tattoos a person has, the less importance he has in the zone. To carriers large quantity tattoos are treated like fools. In Soviet times, for example, thieves’ stars fought on the collarbones (this meant “I will never wear shoulder straps”) and on the knees (“I will never kneel before the cops”). These were purely ideological, thieves’ tattoos. If such stars were struck by a person who did not belong to the world of thieves, one could answer for this according to the concepts. Then, closer to the 90s, many people who had nothing to do with thieves began to wear the famous tattoos, and stars began to get tattoos of lesser status. Today there is a prison concept: “There is no answer for a tattoo.” It means that if someone foolishly got a tattoo with a serious meaning, there is no need to touch him, no matter what the fool. Although, of course, sometimes such people have to answer for their actions,” says the expert.
“Rings are often struck by prisoners who are in prison under the age of 18. They can tell a lot about their owner: for example, a black ring with a white cross indicates that the prisoner visited the famous St. Petersburg “Crosses”. And a black ring with a white diagonal is a sign that the owner went through a “youngster”. There are dozens of varieties of such tattoos. By the way, an equally popular tattoo is “Alone in Four Walls” (five dots between the thumb and index finger), denoting a prisoner,” says Sidorov.
The sailboat (like the galloping deer) is a symbol of escape. It means that the wearer of the tattoo is striving for freedom. “A huge number of subjects of criminal tattoos are taken from English naval tattoos. The sailboat is one of them.”
“The domed temple is one of the most common prison tattoos. The number of domes indicates the number of "sentences". When the sentence has been fully served, a cross appears on the dome. A tattoo with domes without crosses on a person at large immediately raises many questions; people “in the know” will definitely look at him with suspicion.”
Shoulder straps or Epaulettes on the shoulders of convicts are adapted into the ZK tattoo from the pre-revolutionary military uniform and indicate a negative attitude towards the justice system. Epaulets are worn by high-ranking criminals, who may also have an appropriate nickname, such as "Big" or "Colonel". Shoulder straps with three small stars or skulls stand for: “I am not a camp slave, no one can force me to work”, “I am a prisoner of war, but I was born free”, “I am a zone colonel - I will not dirty my hands with a wheelbarrow”, “ The strong win, the weak die,” “Horses die from work.”
Inscription on knuckles - tattoo female name Nadya. "Ring" on index finger means: “Don’t trust anyone but yourself,” “Boy” is one of the most privileged criminal tattoos among penitentiary prisoners. On the middle finger there is a tattoo of pickpockets - “cross of thieves”. Ring finger: “Served in full”, “From beginning to end”, “Sat without the right to parole”: the prisoner served his full term in the colony, without going to a free settlement on parole. Pinky tattoo: “Dark Life” indicates that the wearer spent a lot of time in a punishment cell. A skull and crossbones, a gun, a knife and the letter “K” (Iller - editor's note) represent the killer.
Rings in criminal tattoos and their meaning
The ring is a very informative type of ZK tattoo; it conveys in encrypted form information about what type of crime the offender ended up in prison for, what regimes he served his sentence in, how he behaved in the “zone” (he was a “refuser” or worked honestly, behaved in a disciplined manner or violated the regime, was in a group of positive-minded convicts or was part of a “denial group,” collaborated or was at odds with the administration, etc.). By the rings you can find out about the position of the criminal in the criminal hierarchy, about his value orientations and behavioral attitudes.
1. Has been convicted (or has been convicted) The tattoo is applied to the index finger.
2. Thief Tattoo is applied to the thumb.
3. Dissatisfied with the verdict Applied to the ring finger.
4. Passage through the “crosses” and the “zone” (usually for those convicted more than once).
5. “Hello to the thieves”
6. “Mokrushnik”, convicted under Art. 102 of the Criminal Code of the RSFSR.
7. Card player, cheater
8. Ring of minors: authority, twice imprisoned.
9. Passage through the Muslim zone With a cross - through crosses (?).
10. “Anarchy” - a ring applied by convicts who are negatively disposed towards the regime and discipline.
11. Symbol of power, authority among criminals.
12. Combined ring, usually only for a reputable convict.
13. “Wasted Youth” He was convicted when he was a minor.
14. “Death to the hillocks”
15. “Third trip to the zone” (?).
16. Nepotism ring
17. Tried (or being tried) by a minor (Two flowers on one branch - a champion of bloody revenge.)
18. Passed the “crosses”
19. Was convicted
20. “Anarchy” or criminal record under Art. 146 of the Criminal Code of the RSFSR
21. Women’s ring – “denied”, I won’t shake hands with the cop.
22. a) for men: beat activists; b) for women: I dedicate my life to women. Cobbles are tattooed (see the dictionary of slang words and expressions).
23. In a circle of thieves (women's ring).
24. Ring of minor girls: “They are not judged.”
— White cross on a black background. Means that the owner was serving a sentence for robbery. Gothic ring.
- Tattoo of a paratrooper - a prisoner from the cohort of the offended. The ring is applied forcibly. They are often used to mark card debtors. When leaving the zone, the owner of the ring usually paints over a white triangle, imitating the “Left on call” tattoo.
- Black square. "From call to call." "Get out without parole."
— “I went through the “Kresty” (pretrial detention center in St. Petersburg). A crown can be placed above the ring. Tattoos are also found on women.
— White diagonal and crescent on a black background. “I served my sentence in a high-security vocational school.” Muslim ring.
- “Sins of Youth.” He began his camp experience in an educational labor colony.
- “EVIL” (“testaments of a beloved father”). A symbol of family ties or criminal dynasty.
- “I took the path of a thief.” Convicted of theft.
— Women's tattoo. "Alone in a circle of thieves." She served time for hooliganism.
- “I won’t shake hands with the cop.”
- “Passed the bitch zone.” The owner of the ring served his sentence in a vocational school, where activists held power.
- "Polish thief." The owner of the tattoo is a former thief who has not abandoned the traditions of the brotherhood of thieves. The upper number indicates the term, the lower number indicates the number of convictions.
- The ring of a man - a convict who maintains neutrality in the zone.
— The sun and seagulls, separated by a diagonal. "Lost Youth" “I served my first term in a correctional labor colony.”
— A ring with an image of a spider in a web. There is a white cross on the spider's back. “I was convicted of gop-stop” (robbery). Symbolizes violence
— A dagger entwined with a snake. A symbol of aggression and secret threat. The owner of the ring was serving a sentence for premeditated murder.
- Hare. Minor's ring. Indicates sympathy for prostitutes or a tendency towards depraved acts. Can be applied by force.
— A snake in the shape of the Latin letter “5” with two vertical stripes. "Second walk." Sometimes a third stripe is applied (third term of imprisonment). Tattoos are also found on women.
- "CAT" ("indigenous inhabitant of the prison"). A thief's sign, symbolizing pride, a long stay in prison, and good luck. Sometimes found among gopniks.
- Sun, anchor, heart. "Love and Freedom". Borrowed from sailors.
- Pigeon foot. Pacifist sign. In thieves' terms, it is a sign of aggression. The tattoo is applied by malicious violators of the camp regime.
— A dagger piercing an officer's shoulder strap. “Death to the cops.” The owner of the tattoo was convicted of a crime against police officers. The tattoo is often found on other parts of the body.
- Inverted star. Satanist symbol. “Committed a crime for religious reasons.” “We are on trial for desecration of graves.” Rarely seen.
— Zion Star of David. "Jewish Class Unity". “I passed through the zone, but did not betray my faith.”
- Six. Ring of a thieves' crown - prisoners who carry out the orders of camp authorities.
— Black cross on a white background. “Passed the zone.” Place of tattoo: index finger. Occurs in women.
— Black cross with a dot in the middle and diagonal rays. "Alone in a circle of friends." The owner of the ring began his criminal activity as a minor.
— Black grave cross. Found in denied. The ring can also be dedicated to parents who died while the owner of the tattoo was in prison.
— Black cross on a white background. “Went through the zone.” Figures corresponding to the assigned sentence may be indicated.
— Black cross with outgoing rays. Symbolizes a criminal record. The number of rays means the number of walkers.
— Figured cross. "Forgive me, mom." The ring symbolizes the memory of deceased parents.
- Cathedral. "Eternal Prisoner" The tattoo is applied to prisoners who have at least three previous convictions. The number of domes of the cathedral indicates the number of walkers.
— Swastika in a white circle. “PAPA” (“p... activists, hello anarchists”). Symbolizes cruelty and aggression. Negation sign.
— Hammer and sickle with a star. The owner of the ring believes that his sentence was unfairly imposed. Under the ring there is the abbreviation GOD (“was condemned by the state”).
— White crown with outgoing rays. "May the best man win." Ring of the camp authority - godfather, thief in law. The number of rays is the number of convictions.
- Tulip. The owner of the ring was serving a sentence in a correctional labor colony. Rays may extend from the flower, indicating the length of punishment or the number of convictions.
— Skull on a white background. “Woe to the vanquished,” “To live is to fight.” Symbolizes power, strength, aggressiveness. The tattoo means that its owner will not stop at violence. Found in denied.
— Inverted suit of spades on a white background. Cormorant ring. Its owner was convicted of hooliganism. The symbol is also found on the ears.
- Club suit. "Day is for scientists, night is for thieves." “Was convicted of theft of personal property.” Women also get tattoos.
— Diamond suit. "Ace of Diamonds" Symbol of a highly skilled card sharper.
— Black and white ring, divided diagonally. In the lower right corner is the suit of clubs. “I went through the Crosses.”
— Hearts suit on a white background. “Tselkarik”, “Amurik”, “Lokhmatukha” The owner of the tattoo received a sentence for raping a minor. Often the ring is applied forcibly.
— Hearts suit in the lower right corner. Convicted of indecent assault on a minor.
— Club and spades suits, separated by a diagonal line. Sadness for lost youth.
— Club and spades suits placed in checkerboard pattern. Ring of camp authority. The tattoo can be combined with the domes of the cathedral, the number of which indicates the number of criminal records.
— Black and white suit of spades, broken by a diagonal line. “I met my coming of age at VTC.” Usually applied during transfer to NTC.
— Black square with a white diagonal stripe. “Passed the zone.”
- Black square. There are three dots on the white diagonal stripe. Ring of a waffler (“rooster”) - a prisoner who is part of the camp cohort of the downtrodden and offended. The tattoo is applied forcibly after committing an act of sodomy.
The cross is one of the oldest symbols that existed long before the emergence of Christianity. There is a sign in the form of a cross in the cultures of many nationalities. He was also revered by pagans, so at the early stage of Orthodoxy he caused unprecedented protest. One of the Christian authors, Municius Felix, once wrote: “We do not honor crosses and do not desire them. It is you, having wooden gods, who also honor wooden crosses as accessories of your gods.”
Cross tattoo on middle finger - photo
Cross tattoo on ring finger - photo
Cross tattoo between fingers
IN different cultures the cross symbolized the highest values: fertility, immortality, life. The sign was also associated with the sun and was depicted in the form of two crossed knitting needles, personifying the luminary of the day. In Orthodoxy, the sign symbolizes the torment of the Savior, crucified on the cross and taking upon himself the sins of all mankind in the name of its salvation. In occultism, the sign represents the four natural elements.
Cross tattoo on finger - meaning
Currently, a finger tattoo in the form of a cross can have several meanings:
- connection with the criminal world. Crosses on the fingers are depicted not only by girl thieves who ended up in places not so distant before coming of age, but also by men (this will be discussed below);
- such a tattoo can also mean that the person who has it never knew his father and grew up in a single-parent family;
- A cross on a finger most often has a religious meaning. Often this tattoo is done by people of faith; a cross applied to the ring finger means that the wearer of the tattoo prefers the company of friends.
Types of crosses and their designations
Cross tattoos can have different shape and relic type:
- The Celtic cross carries a deep meaning. Its owner is keenly interested in the secrets of the world. He strives for spiritual growth and knowledge of universal laws;
- The pagan cross combines “yin” and “yang”, that is, the feminine and masculine principles. Such a tattoo also carries a sacred meaning;
- the Maltese cross is a memory of deceased parents; Goths apply Gothic crosses to themselves, which indicate religious affiliation;
- the Christian sign is depicted as a simple cross and as a crucifix. Such a tattoo indicates that its owner is a very religious person;
- There is also a Latin cross - an ordinary cross with right angles and uniform rays. It also has a religious meaning - belonging to Christianity.
Cross tattoo on finger - meaning on the zone
As already mentioned, if a person has a tattoo in the form of a ring with a cross on his finger, then it has a prison meaning. In this case, the meaning of the cross is determined by its shape and the context in which it is depicted. For example:
- Tattoo in the form of a ring with a white cross on dark field means that its owner visited the famous St. Petersburg prison;
- A ring with a white oblique, so-called St. Andrew's cross on a dark field means that its bearer was imprisoned for robbery;
- A ring with a cross, meaning the club suit of cards, inside a white field was worn by those who received a sentence for theft;
- A swastika in a white circle inside a dark field does not at all imply the Nazi beliefs of the bearer of such a tattooed ring - it indicates the bearer of such a tattoo’s denial of the prison regulations established by the administration and his aggressive behavior;
- The prisoner wore a figured (Maltese) dark cross on a white background in a ring in memory of his late parents;
- A dark Christian cross with diverging rays on a white field in a ring means that the wearer of such a tattoo has a criminal record, the number of rays corresponds to the number of terms served;
- A dark equal-pointed cross on a white field means time served, often in such a design there are numbers corresponding to the length of the term or the number of terms served;
- A tattoo in the form of a dark cross with a dot in the middle, with rays emanating from it, on a white background, means that its wearer became a criminal before reaching adulthood;
- A tattoo in the form of a ring with a dark grave cross on a white field means the wearer’s denial of the prison rules established by the administration, and can also be worn as a sign of memory of deceased relatives;
- A ring with an oblique dark cross on a white field, usually pinned on the index finger, means time served.