A Brief History Of Tattoo Essay Research

A Brief History Of Tattoo Essay, Research Paper

The art of Tattoo has been around for many thousands of years.The styles and

reasons for it have varied from individual to individual as they have from society to

society.Some tattoos were done for simple adornment, others done for religious

beliefs,and others still for reasons only their owners will understand.Tattooing has

existed in one form or a another across the globe since before recorded history , and the

popularity of this unique form of expression will most likely continue for centuries to

come.Although the basic concept of tattoo has been a constant throughout the history of

mankind the styles and reasons for it have evolved along with mans own evolution.

Five thousand years ago,a man fell dead on the slopes of the Italian Alps.Five

thousand years later when his well preserved body was discovered,something remarkable

was found.Across his back and behind both knees were several simple line tattoos.The

significance to these tattoos , if there was any other then to decorate the body, are

unknown.Some speculate that they were done for medicinal purposes.The pigments used

may have been a certain type of berry know to have curative effects for different

ailments. (1,3)

The oldest tattooed mummy on record is the Lady Amunet,who was a priestess of

the Goddess Hathor.She lived in Thebes around 2160 B.C..Her tattoos consisted of

curling blue lines and dots scattered across most of her body.Historians don.t know if

there were specific reasons or meanings associated with the markings themselves,or the

placement,however, the current theory is that they are somehow related to a hieroglyphic

image of a woman covered in tattoos.These images of tattooed women , found in the

tombs of Kings , are known as the Brides of the dead.It was thought that these brides of

the dead would lead the dead Kings to the after life and there rejuvenate them.Amunet ,

perhaps,was a living representation of this religious belief.Eventually Egyptian tattooing

began to move past simple abstract symbols and into more representational art.The only

specific design found,was that of the God Bes.Bes protected the home,everything in

it,and also women who were giving birth.Done as a simple outline,this tattoo has been

found on the thighs of dancers. mummified bodies.(1,5)

The ancient Romans were vehemently against marking the body in any way.The

belief being that we are created in Gods image and to desecrate that was sacrilege .In

Rome at this time,tattoos were grounds for banishment.Further more Romans used

tattoos in order to brand criminals. However,while fighting on foreign fronts Roman

soldiers encountered warriors of the British Isles who wore tattoos as a badge of

honor.Perhaps in admiration or sympathy with these fierce foes, these Roman soldiers

adopted the practice of tattoo.As these Roman soldiers returned home the market for

tattoos grew in the heart of Rome.Doctors,whose tools could be adapted to the practice of

tattooing quickly took up the art and began to perfect the trade, becoming tattoo artists in

their own right. (4)

Here we begin to see how the individual has always persued the tattoo even

though it runs counter to the beliefs and values of the society in which they live.This was

never more true then in the early days of Christianity.It was at this time that tattoos were

forbidden under the guise of religion ..Thou shalt not make any cuttings in your flesh for

the dead,nor print any marks upon you . Leviticus 19:28.Despite this, many early

Christians had themselves tattooed with a cross to signify their permanent allegiance to

Christ.Some of the power of a tattoo comes from its permanence once placed on the

body.If found by the Romans,these early tattooed Christians would surly be put to death.

In 325 A.D. tattoos again came under fire as Emperor Constantine took up

Christianity.The pagan Roman Empire became the Holy Roman Empire.Constaninte

decreed the body sacred and was not to be defiled by man.This effectively drove

tattooing under ground.By the 4th century tattooing was nearly non existent in

western society. (3,4)

Tattoo carries a radically different meaning from one culture to the next.We see

this clearly in a sect of Egyptian Christians called the Copts.The Copts continued to

tattoo their inner wrists with small crosses.This was the beginning of some of the most

elaborate religious tattoos ever seen. (3)

During the Holy Wars of the 11th and 12th century warriors often marked

themselves with the Jerusalem Cross,fearing that if they died in battle the cross would

mark them for a proper Christian burial.Once the Crusades were over the practice of

tattoo largely disappeared in the west once again. (3)

The impulse to tattoo the body is universal and finds expression in every

culture.Japan may have had the most complete and exotic of devotion to tattoos.The art <

Внимание, отключите Adblock

Вы посетили наш сайт со включенным блокировщиком рекламы!
Ссылка для скачивания станет доступной сразу после отключения Adblock!

Скачать