Heart Tattoos

Hearts still remain one of the most popular tattoos for both sailors and civilians. Heart tattoos symbolize love and affection.

The heart symbol is known for love and romance. Some also believe that it stands for ivy leaves, which is associated with fidelity. Another theory is associated with Silphium, a North African medicinal plant, stamped on the coins of Greek colony of Cyrene. The seedpod on the coins was identical to the heart symbol today. The third and final theory comes from the Middle Ages, where Aristotle’s writings described heart Guido da Vigevano drew images of it in this manner. There are speculations that the heart might stand for both female and male (if it is seen upside down) private parts.