The Triskelion
A discreet mark. A knowing glance. A shared language.
The BDSM Triskelion is not a loud emblem. To the uninitiated, it is a mysterious swirl of shapes; to those who live the life, it is rich with layers of meaning, history, and intent.
In the early 1990s, the community yearned for a way to recognise one another—something that spoke silently to insiders, yet passed unnoticed by the vanilla gaze. The solution came in 1995, designed by Tanos: an emblem both enigmatic and deliberate, impossible to decode without context, yet overflowing with symbolism for those who understood.
The Power of Three
At the heart of the Triskelion are its three arms, a motif that resonates deeply in BDSM.
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Three pillars of practice
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B&D – Bondage & Discipline
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D/s – Dominance & Submission
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S&M – Sadism & Masochism
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Three guiding principles
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Safe
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Sane
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Consensual
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Three archetypal roles
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Top – Dominant, Master, or Handler
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Bottom – Submissive, slave, or pet
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Switch – One who moves fluidly between the two
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Each curve of the Triskelion holds all of these meanings at once, making it both simple and infinitely complex.
The Yin–Yang Curves
The shapes within the arms suggest motion, a fluid interplay between the elements of BDSM. They appear similar, yet are distinct—each representing a realm of the lifestyle, each able to flow into the next. The dark tone celebrates our shadow selves, the delicious and dangerous desires we choose to explore and control.
The Hollow Centre
These are not “dots”—they are spaces. Each represents what is missing: the counterpart without which one cannot be whole. A Dominant is incomplete without a submissive, just as a submissive is incomplete without a Dominant. The hole is a promise—it can only be filled by another, willingly, deliberately.
The Circle That Holds Us
Encasing the design is an unbroken ring: the boundary of the BDSM community itself. It is unity, protection, and acceptance—an acknowledgement that no one role is greater than another. If you stand within this circle, you have chosen to belong.
Designed by Tanos in 1995, the Triskelion endures as a mark of shared understanding. It is worn quietly, seen rarely, and recognised instantly by those who know.
