img6.imageshack.us/img6/3421/wptruebloods288.jp...Godric's Tattoos
Neck : The necklace tattoo is traditionally a symbol of protection in many Anglo-Saxon cultures. It's generally given to those who are higher-ranking in the given society, including chiefs, hunters, and warriors.
Right Arm : The tattoo on Godric's right arm is written in Elder Futhark, the oldest runic language. We never get a full shot of the tattoo, so it's impossible to translate it, but such tattoos were fairly common and were generally some kind of phrase. Unfortunately, people had a bad habit of shortening phrases, like textspeak. For all we know, it's the Elder Futhark equivalent of 'omg u guys stfu'. Only more important and such.
Left Arm : More than likely, a traditional symbol for water.
Spine : The spinal tattoo appears to be a sea serpent. Sea Serpents were popular in later Norse culture, especially Jormundgand, the Midgard Serpent, Midgårdsormen, or World Serpent. According to the Prose Edda, Odin took Loki's three children, Fenrisúlfr, Hel and Jörmungandr. He tossed Jörmungandr into the great ocean that encircles Midgard. The serpent grew so big that he was able to surround the Earth and grasp his own tail. When he lets go the world will end. As a result he earned the alternate name of the Midgard Serpent or World Serpent. Sea serpents in general represented death and rebirth.
Brand : The brand on Godric's shoulder is of unknown origins that may suggest he was a slave sometime before he was turned, or so is the popular fandom theory, and my theory. However, while branding as punishment for misfit slaves was common in Rome around the time of Godric's birth, the brands usually marked the face, not the shoulder. Not only is Godric's brand easily hidden, the markings bear no resemblance to typical punishment brands. It's still possible it's a mark of ownership by a Roman house, not necessarily a mark of punishment.
My headcanon is that Godric was captured, probably while on a raid or hunting party, when he was 14 or 15 years old, and enslaved. His escape attempts were probably near-constant up until the point he finally succeeded and ran into a vampire, who turned him at the age of 15 or 16. The fact that he bore tattoos representing death and rebirth were merely a very appropriate coincidence, and in my headcanon, his maker teased him about it.
REST: taxon.wikia.com/wiki/Godric