Jake's tats in the movie. What does the one on the right arm mean?

[birchelicious]

Who knows the meanin' of this tat http://www.okino.ua/gallery/image/4886,84877.html ?

[Unilmokri]

Assume it's just a pretty tribal tattoo? :s
Don't think it has a specific meaning

[birchelicious]

The matter is that my bf has the same..and it was made like " just a nice tribal", BUT I dun think in this movie it's haphazard as well

[Unilmokri]

The matter is that my bf has the same..and it was made like " just a nice tribal", BUT I dun think in this movie it's haphazard as well

Any chance you could post a pic of your BFs tat?
Would love to see how similar they are (and if they're EXACTLY the same.. I'll be positively baffled) 

[Txonyä'ite]

It looks alot like what I see on my husband's friends, (mostly marines) I don't think its a marine design (i.e. no eagle globe and anchor or USMC) but it does seem popular.
Just my rather useless 2 cents

[birchelicious]

Not the best pic..but nevertheless

[birchelicious]

It looks alot like what I see on my husband's friends, (mostly marines) I don't think its a marine design (i.e. no eagle globe and anchor or USMC) but it does seem popular.
Just my rather useless 2 cents

thanx anyway
i gotta ask military men then

[Tìng Eywatikìte'e]

I hope Jake's not the type to get a tattoo that doesn't have a meaning behind it...

[birchelicious]

I hope Jake's not the type to get a tattoo that doesn't have a meaning behind it...

I'm not sure 'bout Jake, but I do believe Cameron implemented it not in vain.
We gave it our own meanin'..but still wanna know the initial one

[Txonyä'ite]

I hope Jake's not the type to get a tattoo that doesn't have a meaning behind it...

I don't think it has no meaning, i just think the meaning might lie in who when and why he got it. Some marines will all get similar tats before deployment as a way of staying tight and preserving something in case the worst happens. Once again though, you would have to ask marines. I would ask my husband but he refuses to talk to me about this site, the language or the movie anymore 

[TorukMakto!]

I hope Jake's not the type to get a tattoo that doesn't have a meaning behind it...

I don't think it has no meaning, i just think the meaning might lie in who when and why he got it. Some marines will all get similar tats before deployment as a way of staying tight and preserving something in case the worst happens. Once again though, you would have to ask marines. I would ask my husband but he refuses to talk to me about this site, the language or the movie anymore 

Why is that ? did you bother him too much with Na'vi stuff ? 

Anyway, yea in the army espcially in the best units, there is a unity, and tats are quite common, I can't answer if it's a marine tat or not , but for me it seems quite logical.

[suomichris]

My guess would be that both are derived from some book of tattoo designs...

[Kaltxì Palulukan!]

Not the best pic..but nevertheless

OMG (squeeeee!!!) You are dating Sam Worthington?

(Okay, on a more serious note)--that is a strange coincidence.

As to Jake's tattoo, it is not at all USMC. It is tribal or tribalistic, which might be to subtly show us that he is predisposed to tribalism and tribal life (a foreshadowing--common technique in quality movie making.) You see Jake was a Marine. It is not a movie catch-line. Once a marine--ALWAYS a Marine. Semper Fidelis means "(for)Ever faithful/loyal." That means even I can be called back to active duty. The Marines are not the Navy, Air Force, or Army (with **ALL** due respect to our sailors, soldiers, and airmen/women). The Marines are devil dogs: half-crazed super-patriots whose sole job is to kill anything the president decides he doesn't like. Traditionally (up until Iraq), the president could get his panties in a twist over say, penguins. He would go to Congress and say "I hate penguins! Let's kill them!" Congress would hopefully say he was insane, and refuse to draft Articles of War.

So the pres. would simply call in his 4-star Marine Generals and say "go kill penguins." Suddenly the Marines would have to go kill penguins. You see, we are a tribe, a separate place in reality. We are trained to fight first and ask questions (of our commanding officers) later, or never. It's not "right" or "wrong," but it is a slightly different system of doing things. So this is the basis for my thought that JC made Sam a Marine, rather than a simple mercenary, made him a Recon (those guys are NUTS!*) and gave him a tribal tattoo to show that he is "off the charts" tribal in a predisposition mentality way. I think this adds to the reason why Grace was absorbed into Eywa while Jake was absorbed into the tribe.


*Recon guys are crazy, but pretty cool. They jump right into the heavy combat areas and gather intel, behind enemy lines.

Oh, and by the way Txonyä'ite, your hubby's last name wouldn't be Quaritch would it? I mean, if it was, I could see why he'd be a bit sore.

[Txonyä'ite]

^ I was not saying the tribal was a marine tat, just speculating that he got it with some dudes from his unit and that is where the significance comes from rather than the design itself.

As to why he won't talk to me anymore, i think it has to do with the fact that he has been mercilessly giving me crap for the last 3-4 weeks about the fact that I am a nerd (like its a new thing :p) and i have taken to muttering about him in broken Na'vi while he does it.

He actually really liked the movie but has no interest in it beyond the theater he is not named Quaritch but he is a little crazy

[Atanä mungeyu]

Who knows the meanin' of this tat http://www.okino.ua/gallery/image/4886,84877.html ?

jarhead tattoo, read it somwhere, but can't remember,
but it really is just their tattoo..
eywa ayngahu,
unilyu

[Suteyä Hawnuyu]

He probably just thought it looked cool.

[TorukMakto!]

Who knows the meanin' of this tat http://www.okino.ua/gallery/image/4886,84877.html ?

jarhead tattoo, read it somwhere, but can't remember,
but it really is just their tattoo..
eywa ayngahu,
unilyu

That's what some of us think, and I do believe it is so. But we don't have a proof yet.
I might ask my friend , he was there.

[Kätsyín te Zotxekay Tsyal’itan]

I know a few people who have those 'tribal' tats, they don't really have much meaning, but they look cool anyway.

<WOOT, promoted to Tawtute.

[kintìomum]

What I find more interesting is the one on the other arm:
It says "Born Loser" (not to be seen in the pic but stated in the script).
Now, did he get it before or after the gunshot that severed his spine? I'd guess before, but why would someone do that? Low self esteem? Jake clearly doesn't look to shy when he comes to fight for what he thinks is right.
Hmm, somehow I'm undermining my own post, no? Fighting for thus which one believes to be the right thing often unleashes the tiger...

[Nawm Karyu]

What I find more interesting is the one on the other arm:
It says "Born Loser" (not to be seen in the pic but stated in the script).
Now, did he get it before or after the gunshot that severed his spine? I'd guess before, but why would someone do that? Low self esteem? Jake clearly doesn't look to shy when he comes to fight for what he thinks is right.
Hmm, somehow I'm undermining my own post, no? Fighting for thus which one believes to be the right thing often unleashes the tiger...

Remember how Jake talks about his brother Tom? Well I think he suffered a bit in his childhood, especially since they were twins - one brother the smart and educated one, while the other was more of a wild card (questionable I know, but it's safe to say Jake has an incredibly inquisitive spirit). So if he did it before or after loosing his ability to walk still doesn't hide the idea that he felt "second best". Another story of a man gone to the army to prove himself? Maybe, just maybe.