Western cultures have long seen the tortoise as symbolic of patience and wisdom under duress. Aesop’s fable of “The Tortoise and the Hare” is a celebration of the tortoise’s steadfastness in the face of the speedy hare. The turtle’s ability to escape danger by retreating into its shell has made it a powerful symbol of protection, healing, and inner knowledge. Little wonder that many identify with the spirit of the tortoise and make of it a reassuring tattoo design. custom tribal turtle tattoo design, done in morbid tattoo parlor in cash and carry mall Makati Manila, Philippines.