Nowadays, finding a person with a tattoo on their arms, legs or on any part of their body for that matter is a common occurrence. This just goes to show that the tattoo industry has been steadily prospering as more and more people, for their own reasons, has gotten a tattoo of their own. But have ever wondered as to how the process of tattooing came to be? Let’s try to trace back our tracks and see how the tattoos of the old days fare with ones on this modern age.
History
It wasn't clear as to when it started, but tattoos have been believed to exist for as far as 10000 B.C – back when we were still using rocks and twigs for tools. This was on Japan and it was mainly used for spiritual and decorative purposes. There were no actual records for this however. The oldest evidence of a tattoo came from a 5,200 year old frozen mummy dubbed as “Iceman”, replacing the mummies of several female Egyptians for the top spot – they’re now in second with their tattoos dating back to 2000 B.C.
Tattoos have also been proved to exist in other places as well. Aside from Egypt and Japan the culture existed in India, some parts of the Middle East as well as North Africa. It also flourished in some parts of Asia like the Philippines and in Europe too.
Purpose
Tattoos differ in various ways – be it in the designs, the materials used and of course, their purpose. Compared to the modern day tattoos which were more on self-expression and art, tattoos of the olds days bore a deeper and darker meaning to them. People back then have utilized these tattoos to indicate their status and nobility aside from being used for religious purposes.
However, during the Japanese Kofun period, these tattoos have been used to brand people as criminals. This was discontinued when the Meiji period came, but since the tattoos on the said people were permanent, they were still shunned by society. These people found it impossible to commingle with society, which have made some to resort to criminal activities. These happenings led to the birth of the Yakuza – the Japanese mafia.
Tattoos are also used to indicate ones prowess as a warrior. A tribe based on the mountainous regions on the northern part of the Philippines paints their warriors as a sign to others how many people have died by their hands.
Others have used the tattoo as a right of passage. The Samoan tribe has long regarded their tattooing process with high value. The boys who are in line as the leaders of their tribe have to undergo this process as a part of their ascendance for the role. If by some chance that they would back out due to severe pain, the tattoo would remain unfinished and they would be labeled as cowards. The tattoo would serve as a mark of shame that they’re going to bear for the rest of their lives.
Materials
Compared to what the tattoo artists use today, the materials and the devices used for tattoo making before were much cruder and thus, much more prone to infections. The device used to etch the tattoo could vary – from a needle to sharpened animal bones. And inks used can come from a variety of sources too. It can be made from plants or even blood.
Conclusion
Through the course of time, tattoo making has flourished all over the world. People inspired by it, be it as a form of self expression or for the sake of art, have continued to find ways in how to share their ideas to others. Nevertheless, even with the modern technology all around us, there are still those who are still using the old ways of tattoo making. Nevertheless, though lacking in modern devices, in the hands of a master, a traditional tattoo can be just as majestic as a modern one – and maybe even better.
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