|
The
word
tattoo
is
said
to
has
two
major
derivations-
from
the
Polynesian
word
‘ta’
which
means
striking
something
and
the
Tahitian
word
‘tatau’
which
means
‘to
mark
something’.
The
history
of
tattoo
began
over
5000
years
ago
and
is
as
diverse
as
the
people
who
wear
them.
Tattoos
are
created
by
inserting
colored
materials
beneath
the
skins
surface.
the
first
tattoos
probably
were
created
by
accident.
someone
had
a
small
wound,
and
rubbed
it
with
a
hand
that
was
dirty
with
soot
and
ashes
from
the
fire.
once
the
wound
had
healed,
they
saw
that
a
mark
stayed
permanently.
Despite
the
social
sciences'
growing
fascination
with
tattooing,
and
the
immense
popularity
of
tattoos
themselves,
the
practice
has
not
left
much
of
a
historical
record.
bronze
age
In
1991,
a
five
thousand
year
old
tattooed
man
‘ötzi
the
ice
man’
made
the
headlines
of
newspapers
all
over
the
world
when
his
frozen
body
was
discovered
on
a
mountain
between
Austria
and
Italy.
this
is
the
best
preserved
corpse
of
that
period
ever
found.
the
skin
bears
57
tattoos:
a
cross
on
the
inside
of
the
left
knee,
six
straight
lines
15
centimeters
long
above
the
kidneys
and
numerous
parallel
lines
on
the
ankles.
the
position
of
the
tattoo
marks
suggests
that
they
were
probably
applied
for
therapeutic
reasons
(treatment
of
arthritis).
pazyryk
culture
In
1948,
120
miles
north
of
the
border
between
Russia
and
china,
Russian
archeologist
Sergei
Rudenko
began
excavating
a
group
of
tombs,
or
kurgans,
in
the
high
Altai
mountains
of
western
and
southern
Siberia.
mummies
were
found
that
date
from
around
2400
years
ago.
the
tattoos
on
their
bodies
represent
a
variety
of
animals.
the
griffins
and
monsters
are
thought
to
have
a
magical
significance
but
some
elements
are
believed
to
be
purely
decorative.
altogether
the
tattoos
are
believed
to
reflect
the
status
of
the
individual.
Egypt
written
records,
physical
remains,
and
works
of
art
relevant
to
Egyptian
tattoo
have
virtually
been
ignored
by
earlier
Egyptologists
influenced
by
prevailing
social
attitudes
toward
the
medium.
today
however,
we
know
that
there
have
been
bodies
recovered
dating
to
as
early
XI
dynasty
exhibiting
the
art
form
of
tattoo.
in
1891,
archaeologists
discovered
the
mummified
remains
of
amunet,
a
priestess
of
the
goddess
hathor,
at
Thebes
who
lived
some
time
between
2160
BC
and
1994
BC.
this
female
mummy
displayed
several
lines
and
dots
tattooed
about
her
body
-
grouping
dots
and/or
dashes
were
aligned
into
abstract
geometric
patterns.
this
art
form
was
restricted
to
women
only,
and
usually
these
women
were
associated
with
ritualistic
practice.
the
Egyptians
spread
the
practice
of
tattooing
throughout
the
world.
the
pyramid-building
third
and
fourth
dynasties
of
Egypt
developed
international
nations
with
Crete,
Greece,
Persia,
and
Arabia.
by
2,000
BC
the
art
of
tattooing
had
stretched
out
all
the
way
to
southeast
Asia
.
the
ainu
(western
Asian
nomads)
then
brought
it
with
them
as
they
moved
to
Japan.
Japan
the
earliest
evidence
of
tattooing
in
Japan
is
found
in
the
form
of
clay
figurines
which
have
faces
painted
or
engraved
to
represent
tattoo
marks.
the
oldest
figurines
of
this
kind
have
been
recovered
from
tombs
dated
3,000
BC
or
older,
and
many
other
such
figurines
have
been
found
in
tombs
dating
from
the
second
and
third
millennia
BC.
these
figurines
served
as
stand-ins
for
living
individuals
who
symbolically
accompanied
the
dead
on
their
journey
into
the
unknown,
and
it
is
believed
that
the
tattoo
marks
had
religious
or
magical
significance.
the
first
written
record
of
Japanese
tattooing
is
found
in
a
Chinese
dynastic
history
compiled
in
297
AD.
the
Japanese
were
interested
in
the
art
mostly
for
its
decorative
attributes,
as
opposed
to
magical
ones.
the
horis
-
the
Japanese
tattoo
artists
-
were
the
undisputed
masters.
their
use
of
colors,
perspective,
and
imaginative
designs
gave
the
practice
a
whole
new
angle.
the
classic
Japanese
tattoo,
is
a
full
body
suit.
china
from
southern
china
the
practice
spread
along
the
silk
route.
Polynesia
in
pacific
cultures
tattooing
has
a
huge
historic
significance.
Polynesian
tattooing
is
considered
the
most
intricate
and
skillful
tattooing
of
the
ancient
world.
Polynesian
peoples,
believe
that
a
person's
mana,
their
spiritual
power
or
life
force,
is
displayed
through
their
tattoo.
the
vast
majority
of
what
we
know
today
about
these
ancient
arts
has
been
passed
down
through
legends,
songs,
and
ritual
ceremonies.
elaborate
geometrical
designs
which
were
often
added
to,
renewed,
and
embellished
throughout
the
life
of
the
individual
until
they
covered
the
entire
body.
in
Samoa,
the
tradition
of
applying
tattoo,
or
‘tatau’,
by
hand,
has
long
been
defined
by
rank
and
title,
with
chiefs
and
their
assistants,
descending
from
notable
families
in
the
proper
birth
order.
the
tattooing
ceremonies
for
young
chiefs,
typically
conducted
at
the
onset
of
puberty,
were
elaborate
affairs
and
were
a
key
part
of
their
ascendance
to
a
leadership
role.
the
permanent
marks
left
by
the
tattoo
artists
would
forever
celebrate
their
endurance
and
dedication
to
cultural
traditions.
the
first
Europeans
who
set
foot
on
Samoan
soil
were
members
of
a
1787
French
expedition.
they
got
a
closer
look
at
the
natives
and
reported
that
‘the
men
have
their
thighs
painted
or
tattooed
in
such
a
way
that
one
would
think
them
clothed,
although
they
are
almost
naked’.
the
mythological
origins
of
Samoan
tattooing
and
the
extraordinary
cross-cultural
history
of
tatau
has
been
transported
to
the
migrant
communities
of
new
Zealand,
and
later
disseminated
into
various
international
subcultures
from
Auckland
to
the
Netherlands.
the
Hawaiian
people
had
their
traditional
tattoo
art,
known
as
‘kakau’.
it
served
them
not
only
for
ornamentation
and
distinction,
but
to
guard
their
health
and
spiritual
well-being.
intricate
patterns,
mimicking
woven
reeds
or
other
natural
forms,
graced
men's
arms,
legs,
torso
and
face.
women
were
generally
tattooed
on
the
hand,
fingers,
wrists
and
sometimes
on
their
tongue.
the
arrival
of
western
missionaries
forced
this
unique
art
form
into
decline
as
tattooing
has
been
discouraged
or
forbidden
by
most
Christian
churches
throughout
history.
new
Zealand
the
Maori
of
new
Zealand
had
created
one
of
the
most
impressive
cultures
of
all
Polynesia.
their
tattoo,
called
‘moko’,
reflected
their
refined
artistry
-
using
their
woodcarving
skills
to
carve
skin.
the
full-face
moko
was
a
mark
of
distinction,
which
communicated
their
status,
lines
of
descent
and
tribal
affiliations.
it
recalled
their
wearer's
exploits
in
war
and
other
great
events
of
their
life.
Indonesia
Borneo
is
one
of
the
few
places
in
the
world
where
traditional
tribal
tattooing
is
still
practiced
today
just
as
it
has
been
for
thousands
of
years.
until
recently
many
of
the
inland
tribes
had
little
contact
with
the
outside
world.
as
a
result,
they
have
preserved
many
aspects
of
their
traditional
way
of
life,
including
tattooing.
Borneo
designs
have
gone
all
around
the
world
to
form
the
basis
of
what
the
western
people
call
‘tribal’.
India
/
Thailand
hanuman
in
India
was
a
popular
symbol
of
strength
on
arms
and
legs.
the
mythical
monk
is
still
today
one
of
the
most
popular
creations
in
Thailand
and
Myanmar.
they
are
put
on
the
human
body
by
monks
who
incorporate
magical
powers
to
the
design
while
tattooing.
women
are
excluded
because
monks
are
not
allowed
to
be
touched
by
them
and
because
Thaïs
believe
women
do
not
need
the
extra
boost
as
they
are
already
strong
enough
on
their
own.
Africa
in
Africa,
where
people
have
dark
skin,
it
is
difficult
to
make
coloured
tattoos
as
we
know
them.
but
they
want
to
be
tattooed
anyway,
so
they
have
developed
another
technique
-
they
make
scarifications
(this
is
not
really
tattooing,
but
it
is
related
to
tattooing).
made
by
lifting
the
skin
a
little,
and
making
a
cut
with
a
knife
or
some
other
sharp
thing
special
sands
or
ashes
were
rubbed
in
to
make
raised
scars
in
patterns
on
the
body,
it
can
be
felt
like
Braille
lettering...
these
patterns
often
follow
local
traditions.
ancient
Greece
and
Rome
the
Greeks
learnt
tattooing
from
the
Persians.
their
woman
were
fascinated
by
the
idea
of
tattoos
as
exotic
beauty
marks.
the
Romans
adopted
tattooing
from
the
Greeks.
roman
writers
such
as
Virgil,
Seneca,
and
galenus
reported
that
many
slaves
and
criminals
were
tattooed.
a
legal
inscription
from
Ephesus
indicates
that
during
the
early
roman
empire
all
slaves
exported
to
Asia
were
tattooed
with
the
words
‘tax
paid’.
Greeks
and
Romans
also
used
tattooing
as
a
punishment.
early
in
the
fourth
century,
when
Constantine
became
roman
emperor
and
rescinded
the
prohibition
on
Christianity,
he
also
banned
tattooing
on
face,
which
was
common
for
convicts,
soldiers,
and
gladiators.
Constantine
believed
that
the
human
face
was
a
representation
of
the
image
of
god
and
should
not
be
disfigured
or
defiled.
the
Celts
were
a
tribal
people
who
moved
across
western
Europe
in
times
around
1200
and
700
B.C.
they
reached
the
British
Isles
around
400
B.C.
and
most
of
what
has
survived
from
their
culture
is
in
the
areas
now
known
as
Ireland,
Wales
and
Scotland.
Celtic
culture
was
full
of
body
art.
permanent
body
painting
was
done
with
woad,
which
left
a
blue
design
on
the
skin.
spirals
are
very
common,
and
they
can
be
single,
doubled
or
tripled.
knotwork
is
probably
the
most
recognized
form
of
Celtic
art,
with
lines
forming
complex
braids
which
then
weave
across
themselves.
these
symbolize
the
connection
of
all
life.
step
or
key
patterns,
like
those
found
in
early
labyrinth
designs,
are
seen
both
in
simple
borders
and
full
complex
mazes.
much
in
the
way
that
labyrinths
are
walked,
these
designs
are
symbolic
of
the
various
paths
that
life’s
journey
can
take.
central
and
south
America
in
Peru,
tattooed
Inca
mummies
dating
to
the
11th
century
have
been
found.
16th
century
Spanish
accounts
of
Mayan
tattooing
in
Mexico
and
central
America
reveal
tattoos
to
be
a
sign
of
courage.
when
Cortez
and
his
conquistadors
arrived
on
the
coast
of
Mexico
in
1519
they
were
horrified
to
discover
that
the
natives
not
only
worshipped
devils
in
the
form
of
statues
and
idols,
but
had
somehow
managed
to
imprint
indelible
images
of
these
idols
on
their
skin.
the
Spaniards,
who
had
never
heard
of
tattooing,
recognized
it
at
once
as
the
work
of
Satan.
the
sixteenth
century
Spanish
historians
who
chronicled
the
adventures
of
Cortez
and
his
conquistadors
reported
that
tattooing
was
widely
practiced
by
the
natives
of
central
America.
north
America
early
Jesuit
accounts
testify
to
the
widespread
practice
of
tattooing
among
native
Americans.
among
the
Chickasaw,
outstanding
warriors
were
recognized
by
their
tattoos.
among
the
Ontario
Iroquoians,
elaborate
tattoos
reflected
high
status.
in
north-west
America,
Inuit
women's
chins
were
tattooed
to
indicate
marital
status
and
group
identity.
the
first
permanent
tattoo
shop
in
new
York
city
was
settled
up
in
1846
and
began
a
tradition
by
tattooing
military
servicemen
from
both
sides
of
the
civil
war.
Samuel
O'Neill
invented
the
electric
tattooing
machine
in
1891.
middle-east
during
the
time
of
the
old
testament,
much
of
the
pagan
world
was
practicing
the
art
of
tattooing
as
a
means
of
deity
worship.
a
passage
in
Leviticus
reads:
‘ye
shall
not
make
any
cuttings
on
your
flesh
for
the
dead
nor
print
any
marks
upon
you’.
(19:28)
this
has
been
cited
as
biblical
authority
to
support
the
church's
position.
biblical
scholar
m.w.
Thomson
suggests,
however,
that
moses
favored
tattoos.
Moses
introduced
tattoos
as
a
way
to
commemorate
the
deliverance
of
the
Jews
from
slavery
in
Egypt.
Vikings
it
is
very
likely
that
the
Vikings
were
tattooed.
at
around
year
1100
the
Arab
ibn
fadlan
described
a
meeting
with
some
Vikings.
he
thought
them
very
rude,
dirty
-
and
covered
with
pictures.
England
explorers
returned
home
with
tattooed
Polynesians
to
exhibit
at
fairs,
in
lecture
halls
and
in
dime
museums,
to
demonstrate
the
height
of
European
civilization
compared
to
the
‘primitive
natives’.
after
captain
cook
returned
from
his
voyage
to
Polynesia
tattooing
became
a
tradition
in
the
British
navy.
by
the
middle
of
the
18th
century
most
British
ports
had
at
least
one
professional
tattoo
artist
in
residence.
in
1862,
the
prince
of
Wales,
later
to
become
king
Edward
VII,
received
his
first
tattoo
-
a
Jerusalem
cross
-
on
his
arm.
he
started
a
tattoo
fad
among
the
aristocracy
when
he
was
tattooed
before
ascending
to
the
throne.
in
1882,
his
sons,
the
duke
of
Clarence
and
the
duke
of
York
were
tattooed
by
the
Japanese
master
tattooist,
hori
chiyo.
France
in
the
18th
century,
many
French
sailors
returning
from
voyages
in
the
south
pacific
had
been
tattooed.
in
1861,
French
naval
surgeon,
Maurice
berchon,
published
a
study
on
the
medical
complications
of
tattooing.
after
this,
the
navy
and
army
banned
tattooing
within
their
ranks.
stereotypical
and
sensationalized
association
of
tattoo
design
sailor
sailors
on
their
ships
returned
home
with
their
own
tattoos...
usually
of
a
very
basic
style
that
only
uses
a
minimum
amount
of
details
making
the
tattoos
look
quite
two
dimensional
and
flat.
this
often
gives
a
cartoonish
feeling
and
typical
motifs
would
be
flowers,
hearts,
mermaids,
ships,
anchors,
snakes,
birds,
and
names.
criminality
for
a
long
time,
tattooing
was
the
preserve
of
sailors
and...
criminals!
in
prison,
the
tattoo
-
professionally
done
and
homemade-
indelibly
imprint
on
their
bodies
what
these
men
desire
in
their
souls:
autonomy
and
identity.
the
ultimate
symbol
for
gang
members
are
their
gang
tattoos,
getting
a
permanent
mark
is
a
sign
of
showing
total
commitment
to
the
gang.
these
tattoos
can
reveal
lots
of
things,
like,
who
you
are/what
gang
you're
in/
what
your
beliefs
are
(racist
etc..),
what
you
have
done,
where
you
have
been,
how
many
years
you
have
been
in
jail
(also
referred
to
as
‘dead
time’)
and
even
things
like
how
many
you
have
killed.
known
symbols
include
teardrops
under
the
eye
as
well
as
spider
webs
on
the
elbows
to
symbolize
people
killed.
circus
the
popularity
of
tattooing
during
the
latter
part
of
the
nineteenth
century
and
the
first
half
of
the
twentieth
century
owed
much
to
the
circus.
when
circuses
prospered,
tattooing
prospered.
for
over
70
years
every
major
circus
employed
several
completely
tattooed
people.
some
were
exhibited
in
sideshows;
others
performed
traditional
circus
acts
such
as
juggling
and
sword
swallowing.
tattoo
flash
as
with
other
artistic
mediums
and
cultural
developments,
vocabulary
continually
evolves,
reflecting
the
depth
and
potential
of
body
marking
and
of
the
contemporary
imagination.
in
recent
years
tattooing
has
emerged
to
the
forefront
of
popular
consciousness.
today
a
tattoo
‘flash’,
is
a
folder
of
tattoo-artwork
by
tattoo
artists.
styles
range
from
the
traditional
and
vernacular
to
the
sacred
and
innovative.
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