Because of its longevity, the turtle has frequently served as a symbol for long life. In several different cosmologies across the world, a giant turtle’s back is the origin of dry land in the midst of the sea or even carries the world on its back. In modern interpretations it has become a symbol for a steady if slow pace, something dependable and methodical. Because of the large number of eggs that it lays, it was also sometimes a symbol of fertility. The hard shell and the ability of the turtle to withdraw into it for protection has also been associated with strength. In the maritime tradition of tattoo, it marked a seaman who had crossed the equator.