The sailor’s legend goes that pigs and chickens don’t swim; they would thus be very very anxious to get out of the water if dropped in. This makes them a powerful charm against drowning, the animals desire to be out of the water helping one avoid a watery grave. Sailors, the story goes, tattooed these […]
The sailor’s legend goes that pigs and chickens don’t swim; they would thus be very very anxious to get out of the water if dropped in.
This makes them a powerful charm against drowning, the animals desire to be out of the water helping one avoid a watery grave.
Sailors, the story goes, tattooed these animals on their feet as a charm against drowning. Sailors were and are a superstitious lot, and in an era when most people could not swim, drowning was always a great fear.
I am not particularly superstitious, and I’m not afraid of the water; I swim reasonably well. Yet, given the amount of time I spend in and on the sea, the old sailor superstitions have endless appeal.
Thus – Pig and Chicken, by Uncle Tim at Blue Kauai Tattoo in Hanalei:
