The word
"Tattoo",
comes from the Polynesian
word, "tatao"
which means "to tap"
or "to mark something."
The word
was introduced by Captain
James Cook to the English
during his voyage around
the world in 1769. Captain
Cook and his crew of his
ship, The Endeavour, were
welcomed by the friendly
and uninhibited Tahitians
(yes, that means many
of them were naked). Due
to the warm weather on
the island, clothing was
optional.
The Tahitians
tried to look their best
by decorating their bodies,
The fact of the matter
was that the application
of tattoos was painful.
It was done by dipping
a sharp-pointed comb into
lampblack and then tapping
it into the skin. Nonetheless,
everybody did it.
As word
of tattooing in Tahiti
and other Polynesian islands
spread, the European sailors
also began getting tattooed
themselves. This probably
explained why tattoos
were looked upon with
such a lack of credibility
in the early days and
were considered as a kind
of thing suitable only
for drunkards, sailors,
and criminals.
Modern
archeology has uncovered
the practice of tattoos
in many ancient cultures
all over the world.
In 1992,
in the Alps between the
border of Austria and
Italy, the perfectly preserved
body of a man was found.
He was estimated to have
lived 5,000 years ago!
And he had 58 tattoos
all over his body.
•
Mummies from the ancient
Egyptians had tattoos.
•
Clay figurines found in
Japan, dated 3,000 years
ago were engraved with
tattoo marks.
•
The
ancient Greeks and Romans
used tattoos to identify
slaves and criminals.
Tattooing
has only become acceptable
in the mainstream society
recently. Tattoo shops
and parlors were viewed
upon as nothing more than
wretched hives scum and
villains located in the
seediest parts of towns.
These places have now
have undergone significant
changes and are well accepted
in today's society.
Tattooing
has really become popular
with sports athletes as
well. How can anyone forget
the flamboyant NBA star,
Dennis Rodman, whose body
was a tattooing canvas.
A more current example
is Allen Iverson of the
Philadelphia 76'ers. The
tattooing trend is getting
really popular in college
basketball. And the trickle-down
effect is appearing on
high school athletes as
well. Football fans are
constantly reminded of
the barbed wire tattoos
on the well-developed
arms of football players.
The popular
show, Miami
Ink, from TLC is a
reality-based show. The
show's hugh popularity
demonstrates just how
mainstream body art has
become. And it gives the
viewers a look into the
skill and history of both
the artists and their
customers.
