Origins and History of Tattoos - Jamie Ellis, Candidate Number 9150

Origins and History or Tattoos

The origins of the word “Tattoo” are derived from the Tahitian word “Tatau” which translates to “To mark something”. Most countries have a form of tattoo history in one way or another.

The earliest record of human being having a tattoo was discovered in 1991 and is named “Otzi the ice man”. His frozen body was discovered and has a grand total of 57 different tattoos at various points along his body. It is believed that these tattoos were therapeutic for him, possibly to counter-act arthritis.

 

Japan

Japans tattoo history has evidence that there was pottery such as vases and clay figurines, both depicting imagery underneath the painted human subjects’ skin. The first record of Japanese human tattooing was found in a compiled Japanese history from 297 AD and tells us that Japanese tattoo marks were for their decorative qualities rather than magical ones, contradicting to other earlier, primitive cultures.

The traditional Japanese tattooing method is called a full-body suit. The technique used to create this full-body suit was performed by “ the Horis” – the Japanese tattooing masters. Their imaginative designs as well as their use of bright vibrant colours made them the masters of their craft.

 

Polynesia

< Samoan tribe tattoo

 

This encompasses many different early cultures.

 

In early Samoa, the tatau has long defined their ranks and titles among each tribe. Chiefs were the ones to apply these tataus to their successor. These tataus were gifted to the future leaders at the onset of puberty in the successors as this was a key time in their ascension to their leadership role in the tribe.

 

 

Hawaiians had a traditional tattoo art too.  Theirs was known as the “Kakau” and they were to safeguard their health, their well-being in addition to being an ornamentation and sign of distinction. These tattoos were naturally looking and had natural imagery such as woven reeds and flowers adorning men’s limbs and women were tattooed on their hands, fingers, wrists and sometimes on their tongues.

                                                                                      Tatau >

India/Thailand

Indian tattoos were a symbol of strength and one of the most prominent images that appeared was Hanuman, a Hindu deity. This mythical monk is still being placed on people’s skin to this day in Thailand and Myanmar. The tattoos are given magical properties by monks during the embedding process.

In this culture, the monks won’t give women a tattoo, as they believe women don’t need the physical and magical boost. They believe they are strong enough on their own. This is a unique concept, as during early cultures, women were seen as inferior to men, or that they didn’t deserve the boost, but this is a whole new attitude to this topic.

 

                                                           Hanuman tattoo >

 

 

Ancient Greece and Rome

In ancient Rome, tattoos were adopted from the Persians. In their culture it was typically criminals and slaves that were branded with tattoos. They weren’t ceremonial or symbolic, but were rather for punishment. Slaves were stricken with a tattoo that simply read “tax paid” when the early roman empire exported some of them to Asia. This is another new idea to tattoos. They’re not used to empower them, they’re used to hinder and make the individual bearing them to feel shame at having them under their skin.

Emperor Constantine Outlawed all tattoos on the face as he believed the face was in the likeness of god and shouldn’t be defiled by the tattoos.

However, soldiers showed their loyalty to the roman legion by having a tattoo reading “ SPQR” meaning “Senatus popolusque Romanus” which translates to “The Senate & People of Rome”

 

Circuses

These were responsible for popularisation of tattooing during the late 19^th century. Where circuses prospered, tattooing boomed. This is due to the circuses employing full body tattooed individuals. These people were typically gawped at, but others performed traditional circus acts like juggling or sword swallowing.