Celtic Tattooing

In the 1970s, the counter culture in America rediscovered the beauty of primitive and tribal taboos. The most copied designs are primarily from Borneo, Japan, and the islands of the South Pacific. In the 1980's, Celtic tattoos became very popular, probably as a result of the popularity of Wiccan and pagan religions.. Most modern Celtic designs are sourced from ancient scrolls called the Irish Illuminated Manuscripts, which were created during the sixth and seventh centuries. As before that the Celts did not keep written records, designs are also found in ancient stone and metal work. Before the sixth century, these ancient peoples often tattooed or painted their faces and bodies to protect them from evil spirits and ensure victory in battle. The knot work tradition of tattooing that was derived from Celtic manuscripts spread from Britain and Ireland to Scotland. Viking invaders eventually appropriated many of the Celtic designs into their own culture, often adding totem animals into the interlacing designs.

Celtic knots are "zoomorphic" meaning that each strand of the design connects or spirals into another strand. Often these designs will graphically terminate in images of the feet, heads and tails of animals and other natural symbols. These animals were to do with different Celtic tribes and nationalities.

Roman documents also indicate that ancient British and Scottish peoples may have tattooed themselves before entering into battle. Ancient stones from Gaul also show leaders with tattooed faces. These tattoos were created from woad, a plant that produces blue dye. A body of a Pict found frozen in the permafrost in Siberia indicated that these pre-Celtic peoples tattooed using puncture marks to create the forms and outlines of animals using woad as the dye.

 

Rite of Passage

  Primitive people also tattooed their adolescents as a rite of passage. The theory was that if a young boy couldn't take the pain of a tattoo at a young age, then he would be useless at battle. Similarly, if a young girl couldn't handle the pain of a tattoo, she would not be able to handle the pain of childbirth. Many of these children ended up with a tattoo anyway, that would label them as an outcast of the tribe.

Totem animals are also another common motif in primitive tattoos. Totem animals such as snakes, frogs, butterflies wolves or bears signified that the individual has taken on the physical prowess of that animal. In some cultures, the totem animal is thought to have a special spiritual relationship with the bearer of tattoo and acts as a spirit guide. From the South Pacific to the South America, primitive people have customs involved with their tattooing rituals. Usually the person being tattooed is separated from others, smudged, isolated from the opposite sex or fed a special diet.

From primitive times to now, Hawaiians celebrate specific tattoo gods. The designs associated with each God are locked away in the temples and priests conduct tattooing. Each tattooing session begins with a prayer to tattoo gods that implores that the operation goes well and that the designs be gorgeous in the end.

 

 

Japanese Tattoo's

Traditionally, Japanese tattoos began as a means of conveying societal status as well as serving as spiritual symbols  for the use of protection as well as symbolizing devotion to where there from etc., not unlike modern religious tattoos. Over time, tattoos in Japanese culture developed as a form of punishment similar to what was seen in Rome where it was common practice to tattoo prisoners of war, criminals, and slaves as a means of making their status in society instantly recognizable. Eventually tattoos were outlawed by the Emperor of Japan in an effort to improve Japan’s image in the west so that business in trade and to be able to communicate and not scare of the west from visiting. Tattoos in Japan then took on a criminal element, but this didn’t stop foreigners from being so intrigued to learn the traditional ways. The modern association between Japanese traditional tattoos and the criminal element is said to have led to the adoption of tattoos by the Yakuza, the Japanese mafia. There are a number of images and symbols used in the Japanese style of tattooing to convey specific meanings. These images are used to portray a persons belief or for now days the simple love of the artwork.
The latest recording for tattoos in the Japanese culture is around 10,000 B.C. But because it becoming outlawed and criminals in the mafia got them there not looked at as what they were back then.

 

Ancient Chinese Tattoo

Tattooing has been a massive part of Chinese culture for thousands of years stemming all the way back to early , before Christ. The southern song dynasty (960-1279) was most popular for tattoos as monks in this time encouraged the use of different types of art. This went down to the emperor and accepted the way these people where living. This then was accepted into the great city's. unfortanaly good things come to a end and tattooing was banned. The only tattoos around after this dynasty was the mark of criminals so they can be identified. Which this also didn't help the ban as tattooing was still practised with monks but was passed down to criminals, this lead to tattoos going underground and causing gang symbols for criminals. Eventually the ban was lifted but its only been in recent years that tattooing has become more acceptable.   Of course tattooing came from a tribe, this type of tattooing was named after each tribe. For example Dia tattoos was one. But all of these had symbolic or a belief in each design.

Philippians tattoo

Throughout the years tattooing has been a big part of tribal culture. One of the biggest Tribal cultures to adopted the art of body modification are the Philippians.  It was tradition for men to get tattoos for there rank and for there accomplishment, men mostly had tattoos on there chest and on there heads to show the signs of being a worrier and of there strength. Women got tattoos from there chest back and arms and had very intricate designs. These were a mark of beauty and were worn proudly on there skins. Most tattoos had to be earned through a rite of passage and ceremonies or for accomplishing tasks. There styles depends on the regain that the tribe came from and the tribe itself.



History of Egyptian tattooing

Many recorded discovery's in ancient Egypt found that many tombs had Men and woman had the earliest recorded tattoos. But it is still scares in there history. Mostly woman were tattooed in Ancient Egypt this would show ether the statue in a city or for god and religious. This was done because of there beliefs in a god called bes. They copied the gods tattoos so they can be protected while going through a pregnancy. This isn't the only time this is happened many women got a tattoo so it would fight off illnesses. Men where buried in tombs with tattooed dolls so when they move on to the afterlife they may find a woman with prolonged fertility, But men didn't really get tattoos back then. Tattoos where done with soot and water mixed together so it would enter the body easier. This also helped with it lasting longer because soot has a high density so it would take longer for the white blood cells to attack. But they didn't just have black and blue for colours. Egyptians started to find ways to make colours and started to have beautifully coloured designs with reds, greens and yellows.



 

 Tattooing History

The history of tattooing is extremely large and can date so far back to 5000BC. The most common history's know about in the tattooing culture is the Egyptians, Innuits, Mayans and Maori. But one of the biggest story's is "the ice man", this a mummified body that was found in the alpines. He was then later tested and found to be about 5300 years old. This Mummified body had tattoos on his ankle, lower back and wrist. But the ice man was the oldest mummified tattooed man ever found. Most the discovery's that have been found have mostly been woman. This could be to show and help in a time of pregnancy or to help through sickness. In ancient Greece tattoos were considered a very noble to carry in there skin. So when it came to it , mostly men and worriers got these done. It's no doubt that tattoos have been very popular in all cultures and in ancient times. Its only been in the last few hundred years because of Christianity and Jews etc that tattoos where prohibited in some cultures and still are very frowned upon today. But that has never stop anyone so far.

Artist: Brandon Hood

Modern Body Art

I will be looking at the acceptance and popularity that has increased in the tattooing industry.

Over the past five to eight years the tattooing industry has been growing larger and larger in the urban culture we live in today. One of the many reason why the acceptance of tattoos is becoming larger is because the culture we live in today is you have to be accepting. The society today have become a muticutel community. Tattooing back in the 70's was a rebellious statues for bikers, gangs, sailors and prisoners but slowly it started becoming a fashion statement. It started getting popular within celebratory and this then went onto every day working class people. After this it started getting more and more popular and now is one of the most successful industry in today's economic climate.