Despite its small size, this simple Polynesian style tattoo encompasses great meaning, with a frigate bird (a messanger from the gods) in the center of a sun to represent energy coming from a higher source that gives life to everything.
The left wing is made of waves to represent the sea, the right wing
has a frangipani flower, pandanus leaves and mountains to represent the
land and the bird itself represents air.
The tail includes a human and symbols representing the footprints of the
ancestors to connect present and past, while the lokahi symbol in the
middle represents unity, with the three triangles symbolizing the realms
of man, nature, and spirits, and the empty space in the middle
symbolizing the light of creation coming through darkness.
The colored legenda below helps identifying the main elements within
the tattoo: