Sailors traditionally would get a sparrow tattoo for every 5,000 nautical miles that they have traveled. You would get one after traveling 5,000 miles and the second after traveling another 5,000. The origins of the swallow tattoo go back to a ship named The Swallow; the crew of the ship had a mutiny. To recognize each other, the 7 mutineers who started the mutiny had a swallow tattooed on their chest.
Sailors earn the right to the wear “blue birds of happiness” tattoos on either side of their chest after having crossed the Equator. Also it has been said that they keep the sailors from drowning. The Sparrow has been said to symbolize a safe return home. When a sailor saw a swallow at sea, he knew he was very near land, and the swallows would lead them home. It is said that if the sailor does not survive his travels, and ends up drowning, the birds alight upon his soul and carry him from the murky waters, up to heaven.
Swallows can also symbolize renewal and fresh beginnings. With one swallow facing forward looking to the future.
