Body Art: The history and significance.

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Body Art The history and significance.

• Tattoos are a very old form of body art and have
  been practiced from a very long time in civilized
  human history. The history of tattoos is very
  ancient and seems to be of thousands of years old
  and even before the birth of Christ. The recorded
  indication of tattoos comes from the ancient
  Egypt where wall paintings as old as 2000 BC have
  been suggesting the use of tattoos in the ancient
  Egyptian society.

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• Mummies of dancers and royal concubines have geo
  metric designs tattooed on their chests,
  shoulders, arms, abdomens and thighs. In the New
  Kingdom, dancers, musicians and servant girls
  occasionally had a tiny representation of the god
  Bes tattooed on their thighs as a good luck charm.

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Origin of the word

• The Polynesian word tatao, which means to tap,
  can be the originator of this word though
  researchers suggest an Tahitian word tatu which
  means to mark something to be the distant
  ancestor of the modern word tattoo.

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Somoan Tattoo, another historical leader in body
art.

• In Samoa, the tradition of applying tattoo, or
  tatau, by hand has been unbroken for over two
  thousand years. Tools and techniques have changed
  little. The skill is often passed from father to
  son, each tattoo artist, or tufuga, learning the
  craft over many years of serving as his father's
  apprentice.

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• There were few Samoan men who refused the
  traditional pe'a, an intricate tattoo that
  covered their body from mid-torso to the knees.
  The artist would use a mallet to tap the teeth of
  the ink-laden comb into the men's flesh,
  following only simple guide marks.

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Those who could not endure the pain and abandoned
their tattooing were left incomplete, wearing
their mark of shame throughout their life.

• The permanent marks left by the tattoo artists
  would forever celebrate their endurance and
  dedication to cultural traditions.

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Tattoo as culture.

• According to mythology, the two sons of the God
  Ta?aroa -Mata Arhu and Tu Ra?i po?- found this
  art decorative and decided to teach it to humans.
  As there is no writing in the Polynesian culture,
  Polynesians used this art full of distinctive
  signs to express their identity and personality.
  Tattooing was used to identify your status in a
  hierarchical society sex, social status and
  rank as well as family clans differentiation.

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Social acceptance and mythology.

• Tattoo was not only used for social purposes but
  it was also considered as a good protection
  against evil spirits. It was also used in rites
  of passage to the adult life for teenagers
  -around 12 years. During this feast, the young
  men would show their tattoos as a proof of the
  accomplishment of their learning, prior to be
  fully admitted in the adults clan and recognized
  by the community. This step was compulsory to
  enter the world of men.

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Practice

• This art was ruled by strict laws and it reached
  the entire Polynesian society over the 5
  archipelagoes. It could only be practiced by
  tattoo masters, a highly respected profession
  that required a long period of learning and
  training.

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Polynesian tattoo today.

• After it was forbidden by missioners, the art of
  tattooing completely disappeared and it only came
  back in the 80s thanks to the notes and sketches
  of over 400 drawings made by missionary Karl Von
  Steinen. Indeed, it had been totally forgotten
  !Today, you will find many places to get tattooed
  in French Polynesia. The most popular and
  appreciated signs are the tiki, the turtle, the
  lizard (gecko), the ray as well as a lot of
  specific Marquesas designs. The first
  international festival of tattooing was organized
  in April 2000 on the sacred island of Raiatea. It
  gathered 50 tattoo masters from all over the
  world and encountered a big success.

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A little more visual, you know you want it!