Featured Article: The History of Tattoo's
June 13, 2007
Many people, in writing a brief tattoo history, state that the practice began in ancient Egypt. When the Egyptians expanded their empire, so did the art of tattooing. Despite some taboos surrounding tattooing, the art continues to be popular all over the world. Hence the future of the tattoo machines seems secure. In the ancient and medieval period the people in different parts of the world employed different methods of tattooing. But the general belief is that with the growth of Christianity, tattooing was forbidden in Europe. Christian missionaries from the west attempted to purge tattooing among the Samoans, thinking it barbaric and inhumane. It is believed that first tattoo might have accidentally emerged. A legal inscription from Ephesus indicates that during the early Roman Empire all slaves exported to Asia were tattooed with the words "tax paid". Roman writers such as Virgil, Seneca, and Galenus reported that many slaves and criminals were tattooed. One early explorer reported seeing Maori women with complete facial tattooing like that of the men, but this was apparently rare. The Polynesians allowed both men and women to be tattooed, while in other cultures only men were permitted.The pigments used in tattooing may have been a certain type of berry known to have some curative and healing effects for different ailments. The positions of the tattoos suggest that they were applied for therapeutic reasons. They are put on the human body by monks who incorporate magical powers to the design while tattooing. Maori tribes in New Zealand believed that a tattoo of a certain animal would allow some of that animal's qualities seep into the wearer. Some tattoos were prepared for simple ornamentation, others done for religious beliefs and others still for reasons known better to their wearers. Those who could not endure the pain and abandoned their tattooing were left incomplete, wearing their mark of shame throughout their life. The first written record of Japanese tattooing is found in a Chinese dynastic history compiled in 297 AD. The origins of traditional Japanese tattoos can be traced back to the latter years of the Edo period in Japanese history. There are written records indicating that in Edo as early as 1830 there were formal gatherings of tattoo enthusiasts. Even the isolated tribes in Alaska got trained for tattooing, their technique indicating it was learned from the Ainu. The basic concept of tattoo has been a constant throughout the history. It is clear that tattooing did not become popular in Britain until after the return of Blig's voyage to Tahiti. During this time Bligh detailed in his log the tattooing of many of the crew. Rebellious boys and girls resorted to the tattoo, based on the notion that to have a tattoo was to outside "mainstream" society. Much more recently, in the 1800's it became fashionable for members of European royalty to be tattooed. The tattooing culture hit an all time low in 1961 when an outbreak of hepatitis sent the industry into a downward spiral.
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The Author: JUDE Pietersz
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