^There are many “achievement” tattoos in many different cultures.
Yes. The tear drop can mean that the person killed someone. Multiple drops, can mean they killed multiple people.
You will often see odd little marks/symbols on the hands. Between the thumb and index finger, on the back of the hand. This placement is so people in the know can see each other’s stripes, or accomplishments whilst giving dap (shaking hands.)
I was watching a documentary about tattoos once. It traveled the world, and explored many different types of doing the tattoos, and their meanings.
Deep in a South American rain forest, the show’s host was speaking with a medicine man/tattoo artist. He did the ink for multiple tribes in the region. In his hut, he had what we would call flash (different images, and designs that he has/can tattoo on people.) The host asked about one image. It was a series of lines, and dots, and squiggly lines. The artist explained that the tattoo meant that someone had decapitated another person. The host wasn’t impressed, and seemed dismissive of the idea. He asked, in a sceptical way, “how can you know a person did this?” Without hesitation, and with no humor in his words, the artist responded. The translator looked suddenly pale, and told the host “to be sure, they have to bring me the severed head.”...
You never know what a tattoo could mean. Interestingly or in contrast, some mean nothing…