Tattooing is an ancient art form more popular than ever
Just 50 years ago, tattoos were incredibly rare – only worn by sailors, bikers and people with a prison background. Today, tattoos are everywhere. They can be seen on athletes, musicians, movie stars and politicians. Tattoo parlors have been turned into reality shows, and the industry is hosting themed festivals around the world.
Tattoo is an ancient art form, popular more than ever – information and photo examples
Tattoo is an ancient art form, popular more than ever – all the fun
In fact, the practice of decorating the body with patterns dates back to ancient civilizations. Perhaps, once upon a time, our ancestors noticed that ashes hitting a wound leave an indelible mark even after complete healing. Tattoos quickly acquired a sacred and social meaning. They served as a symbol of status, adulthood or life achievements of their owner. The tribes of Polynesia maintained similar customs along with the traditional way of life until the 20th century. The word “tattoo” itself comes from the Tahitian word “tatau”, which can be translated as “designate”.
The oldest known image, applied to the skin of a primitive inhabitant of the Alps, is at least 5 thousand years old. Researchers have found 57 patterns in the form of stripes and simple crosses on the body of the “Ice Man”. Slightly younger drawings of Egyptian mummies – with the help of them, it was possible to determine the class to which the carrier belonged. It was believed that these signs will come in handy in the afterlife. Also, the Egyptians attributed healing properties to tattoos – in their opinion, they reduced pain and kept youth.
The art of tattooing has a long history in the countries of the East. The oldest evidence of wearable images in Japan dates back to the 2nd millennium BC. Over time, the technique reached the highest level. The most famous are the colorful tattoos of geisha, which allowed them to bypass the ban on showing the naked body, and the symbolic irezumi of Japanese gangs. Drawings with social meaning were used by the most mysterious inhabitants of the islands, the Ainu. For example, signs on the faces of their women indicated the number of children.
In European countries, everything was different. In ancient times, the Romans used tattoos exclusively as a criminal stigma – for example, they marked fugitive slaves in this way. It also had associations with barbarians – the custom of applying intricate patterns to the skin was part of the culture of the ancient Celts and many other enemies of the empire. The negative attitude was exacerbated by the arrival of a new religion. Christianity inherited from Judaism not only some commandments and the story of the creation of the world, but also the prohibition on hand-made images on the body. For a long time, tattoos have been used as a mark for criminals. The situation began to change only in the era of geographical discoveries. Sailors have always had a special relationship with social norms and adopted some of the customs of distant lands – albeit in their own way. For example, in the British navy there was a belief that crucifixion on the back protects from corporal punishment – it was understood that striking the image of Christ would be sacrilege. For the same purpose, tattoos were used by prisoners, depicting on the chest and back of their contemporary rulers and religious attributes. In a word, the phenomenon took place, but carried an element of exoticism.
If this art has always existed, then why has it gained such popularity precisely in our days??
One of the episodes of the new Netflix show with the telling title Explained is dedicated to this issue. Each of his episodes examines a certain current phenomenon with a social connotation: gene editing, diets, the gap in racial wealth, and much more. Among these topics, there was a place and the phenomenon of the popularity of tattoos..
Photo examples of modern tattoos from 02/01/2019
Watch the video:
Prepared by: wrk2008 (Poroshina Elena)