Taino and Puerto Rico Tattoos | Tattoo Designs with Boricua Roots
This is How to Get a Unique tattoo design in Taino Boricua Puerto Rico style
TABLE of CONTENTS
These are just a few of the dozens of Taino tattoos I’ve created through this custom tattoo website. I hope they inspire you, and of course, feel free to contact me to get your own completely online.
What is a Taino tattoo?
Taino tattoos are modern forms of body art that incorporate symbols and motifs from Taino culture dating back to the pre-Columbian era. These include Taino elements and also designs referencing Puerto Rico and the Antilles such as Coqui frogs, Taino sun, Puerto Rico flags, Taino symbols of water, hurricane, snail, goddess, Trigonolito, The Morro, maga flowers.
Taino Forearm Tattoo
Custom tattoo design with Puerto Rico flag, The Morro, Coqui, Taino turtle, tribal designs and Carolina coat of arms. Tattoo design created ONLINE by me according the wishes of this customer.
Also known as Boricua style, these tattoos contain these ancient Taino symbols with modern symbols from the islands of Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, in the Greater Antilles, on the islands of Quisqueya (“La Española”) and Boriken (Puerto Rico).
Why the term “Boricua”?
It refers to a person from Puerto Rico or a descendant of this island: it is a synonym for “Puerto Rican.” This word has its roots in the Taíno people, indigenous people originally from the island of “Borikén,” which means “land of the brave and noble Lord,” today Puerto Rico.
Custom Taino tattoo with coqui and Sun
This is a custom tattoo design created for a visitor of this web in Boricua style with the classic designs of The Morro, Taino sun and turtle, Puerto Rico flag and the coat of arms of Carolina, Puerto Rico.
I create this style of tattoos with different designs like Taino sun, Cogui frog, Cemi/trigonolito (Yocahú, o Yucahú-Guamá…spirit of yuca), turtle, bird, ancient Boricua goddess, all surrounded by tribal designs in this same style like water, hurricane and wind symbols.
I also add non-Taino symbols: Puerto Rico or Dominican Republic flags, coat of arms of a particular city or region, Maga flower (national flower of Puerto Rico), The Morro (San Felipe clastle tower), palm trees…
Taino sun symbol and meaning
The Taino Sun is a petroglyph (“carved in stone”) part of the Zamas Indigenous Mural, located in the neighborhood of Jayuya, Puerto Rico.
Usually, in a Taino tattoo, I place the sun as the main element on the shoulder or, if it is an arm and half chest tattoo, I place it on the chest.
The Taino sun (sol, Guey) is a symbol of life, strength, health, longevity, and the divine connection to nature, and source of creation and good luck. Is also called “Sol de Jayuya” or “Dios de Sol”
Coqui symbol and meaning
Coqui symbol (Taino frog, Rana taina) is the Puerto Rican national symbol. Just as the Taino Sun also has its origin from the Taino tribe. It symbolizes fertility, good luck, the spiritual world, and renewal.
Taino sun, Coqui Puerto Rico flag and The Morro in a custom sleeve tattoo
Other designs to include in a Boricua tattoo
Coqui (Taino frog), Taino Goddess, Trigonolito, Taino bird, Taino turtle, and we can make new symbols of Puerto Rico like a colored flag or in tribal style (this depends on the style of the tattoo) , and The Morro (Tower of the Castillo de San Felipe del Morro, San Juan de Puerto Rico).
Taino/Boricua/Puerto Rico tattoo styles
There are many different ways and styles to create a Taino tattoo. We can combine these designs in many different ways, with or without color, adding modern Puerto Rican symbols or just Taíno designs. They can also be combined with other tribal styles, such as Polynesian or Aztec, for example.
This is why I classify Taino tattoo styles into two main groups: Taino and Taino Mixed
Which Taino tattoo style do you prefer?
Taino/Polynesian tattoos: “Mixed” style
Some clients from Puerto Rico or Dominicana (or with their roots from these places) ask me:“Hi Juno, can you create a custom tattoo for me combining Taino, according my roots, with Polynesian designs to tell my own story?” Of course! There is no problem in combining different tribal designs (Taino, Polynesian, Aztec, African, Inca…) in one tattoo. What’s more! They look amazing!
Taino/Polynesian Tattoo design for Sleeve and Half Chest
With a Taino sun as main design for the chest and a coqui frog for the shoulder, this tattoo is completed with designs like shark teeth, spearheads, stones, ocean waves and other Polynesian symbols.
I classify this style of tattoos as TAINO MIXED, also as TAINO/POLYNESIAN tattoos
Taino/Polynesian tattoo design with Vejigante mask
Portrait of a Taino native and Vejigante mask as main designs for the front and back calf, surrounded by Polynesian and Taino designs.
Taino/Polynesian tattoo design with Puerto Rico flag
Full sleeve tattoo in Taino/Polynesian style with Coqui, Puerto Rico flag in tribal style, The Morro, sun and Polynesian designs to complete the sleeve tattoo.
“Tell me if you wish a custom tattoo like this…It will be a pleasure to create a cool tattoo design for you ONLINE”
Military Symbols in a Taino Sleeve and Chest Tattoo design
This is a custom tattoo in Taino/Polynesian style with Taino designs like sun, hurricane, snail, turtle and Polynesian symbols of strength , wisdom, eternal life, courage with military logos in tribal style hidden into the tattoo.
Taino/Polynesian Tattoo with colors
Of course, according the wishes of each client, we can add colors in a MIXED tattoo too.
Taino/Polynesian Tattoo for sleeve
This is another example of a custom tattoo created for a visitor to this website: a Taino/Polynesian tattoo with a Puerto Rican flag, in tribal style with colored spearheads, and with military symbols that represented this client’s history.
CUSTOMER TESTIMONIAL
Jorge Gutierrez – Polynesian upper arm tattoo design
“Great quality work! Good communicator and I didn’t have to change a thing on the design. Juno made it according to my liking from the start. So glad I got it designed to my liking as opposed to getting a random tat. I highly recommend his service! Thanks Juno!”
*****
Get a Unique Taino Tattoo Ready to Ink
About me
I’m Juno, professional tattoo designer. I’ve created dozens of custom tattoo designs in Taino and Taino/Polynesian styles for visitors to this web of unique tattoo designs. Ready to get yours?
