Wednesday, February 13, 2008

Tribal Patterns For Tattoos Today

The practice that existed thousands of years ago still exists today in much the same ways. Today, tattoos are extremely popular. People get tattoos today to set themselves apart and show individualism.

Just like many years ago, they get tattoos to highlight some important moment or time of their life. Tattoos today are used to commemorate the birth or death of someone close.

They can be used to show some religious or spiritual attachment. In some isolated parts of the world they are used to designate slaves or membership in some isolated community.

Gangs and fraternities commonly get tattoooed. It is quite safe to say that the history of tribal patterns for tattoos goes back almost to the beginning of man himself. They have been in use for so many different reasons and ways. As we know now, many of the purposes and uses of tattoos that existed thousands of years ago still exist today.

There is nothing really new about tribal tattoos, but there can be no doubting that they are an element of our culture that is continuously in a state of flux and generate tremendous interest among both cultured and uncultured men and women alike.

I will continue to discuss tattooing in my next post, but until then, click here to learn more right now more about tribal patterns for tattoos

The Practice Of Tribal Tattooing

Tribal tattooing as a practice, whether Maori tribal tattoos or chest tribal tattoos is believed to be a lot older than any physical evidence can prove. The physical evidence can only be provided by human specimens recovered that have sufficient intact skin with tattoos on them. This is why the evidence is limited to figures such as Otzi the Iceman and Chinese mummies. Still, it is widely believed that tattooing goes back in time a lot further.

It is believed that the earliest form of tattooing took the form of rubbing cuts and open wounds with ashes and hand pricking the skin to place dyes under the skin that were derived from various plants and herbs. Ouch! The wounds may or may not have been self inflicted. The hand pricking was most likely done with sharpened sticks or bones.

The practice that was most frequent was to use tribal patterns for tattoos to decorate the body of important people or to mark a passage of an important person into the afterworld. They were also used to recognize and designate status or rank of an individual in a tribe and as symbols of spirituality and function. Tattoos were also in use to identify those that were outcasts of their time, criminals, slaves of society, or convicts.

Until my next post, click here to find out more about tribal patterns for tattoos

Historical Look At Tribal Patterns For Tattoos

The history of tattoos is almost as old as the history of mankind itself. The most famous historical figure in the history of tattoos was Otzi the Iceman, going back around 3000 BCE. When thawed out, he was found bearing 57 different figures and symbols on his body. There have also been tattooed mummies that were found in western China going back to around 1000 BCE. If you wish to go back 10,000 years, there appears to have been tattooing in ancient Japan as well.

Tattoos that were found on the body of Otzi and various Chinese mummies were in the form of crosses, straight lines, monsters, and series of dots. The history of tribal patterns for tattoos is quite extensive, rich, and colorful.

The Somoan word tatau is responsible for the modern day word known as tattoo. Tatau in Somoan means to mark or strike twice. The very first reference to the word tatau in the English language was in a diary kept by Captain James Cook of England. In 1769 he stopped off on one of his voyages to the Marquesas Islands. He made notes in his diary of the strange ritual and practice of the natives of printing signs on their body and their calling it tattaw. It was believed that the crew of his vessel returned to England and recanted what they had seen and the rest is history. From England, tattooing spread to the rest of Europe.

Until my next post, click here to find out more about tribal patterns for tattoos

HISTORY OF TRIBAL PATTERNS FOR TATTOOS

The history of tattoos extends back in time as far back as the recorded history of man himself.The most famous historical find having to do with tattoos was in the form of an Ice Age inhabitant known as Otzi, the Iceman. This dates back to 3000 BCE.When he was finally thawed out after all that time after being picked out of an ice deposit, he appeared to have at least 57 figures on his skin that we would today call tattoos. Mummies with tattoos wee also discovered in western China going back to around 1000 BCE. If we go back 10,000 years ago, tattooing in Japan was discovered during the Paleolithic era. Forms and shapes of tattoos were found to be of crosses, dots, animals,monsters, and various other things.

The modern word tattoo is derived from the Somoan word tatau. Tatau has the meaning to mark, or stike something. The work tatau has its origin from the diary of Captain James Cook in 1769. He made an entry in his book on his visit to the Marquesas Islands where he observed and described the ritual of the natives painting markingson their bodies and called them tattaw. It is believed that the practice spread to the civilized world when the crew of the ship returned to England. The rest is history.

It is believed that the very earkliest form of tattooing began with cuts and wounds on the body of cannabals that were rubbed with ashes and the skin was hand pricked to insert various dyes from plants. Ouch! It is not known if the wounds were intentional or naturally occuring. Does it matter! The hand pricking was most definitely done on purpose, probably by the use of sharpened sticks or bones.

The most common use of tattoos was to use ritual patterns for tattoos to form decorations on the body for ceremonies and to connote the passing of warriors into the after-life. They also served as a sign of rank and importance in the tribe. Tattoos were also used as symbols of spiritulism, worship, and function. Tattoos also had negative meaning, being placed on criminals, outcasts, and slaves.

Click here to find out more about tribal patterns for tattoos.