According to TatRing, the compass tattoo can be dated back as far as the 16th century where European sailors would decorate their bodies with tribal "souvenirs" from their travels to the Pacific islands. Sailors would tattoo each other with the materials they had, which may have included gunpowder instead of ink.
Most tattoos adorning men of the sea were to mark their travels, reminders of places they'd visited, and as talismans to protect themselves from bad luck. These tattoos also "became a mark of belonging" (via Authority Tattoo), and young sailors would often be inked as part of an initiation ceremony. They were also used as a way to identify the unfortunate souls that fell overboard.
As for the compass itself, TattMag dates the origin of the navigational tool back to China during the beginnings of the Han Dynasty (via TimeMaps) in 200 BC. The instrument changed considerably over time, eventually becoming the portable version that'll be familiar to many.
This version flourished in Europe within the Renaissance period, where the compass rose, a star-like figure on a compass that displays the cardinal and inter-cardinal directions, first made an appearance.
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