The History of Tattoos
Tattooing was a widespread phenomenon around the world. There was no tribe or population group whose people did not decorate their bodies in some way, whether it be with paint, tattoos or scars. However, nowadays tribal customs of permanent body decoration have almost disappeared and because of this, they're no longer passed down from generation to generation. The main reason for the disappearance of ancient traditions in many places was the ending of their almost total isolation (Dinter, Maarten Hesselt Van). These indigenous populations around the world became overwhelmed by the dominant Europeans seafaring nations. These Europeans began to introduce their own value systems to these indigenous populations. The Europeans value systems were based on Christian beliefs. These technologically and militarily advanced Europeans, found the permanent body decorations of the "otherwise attractive" women distasteful. So because of this, many Greenland Inuit women began to reject the traditional facial tattoos they would usually get, in feat that the mainland men would find them unattractive (Dinter, Maarten Hesselt Van). This destructive western influence would change many tribes and other areas throughout the world.
However, even though these European mariners thought women with tattoos were unattractive they became interested in tattoos for themselves and even returned home with tattoos. Yet, even as these men returned home, other europeans, unfamiliar with tattooing, scorned the practice, and considered it outlandish (Dinter, Maarten Hesselt Van). The Catholic Church and their missionaries who followed in the wake of the explorers and conquerors considered it their sacred duty to convert the populations of the new territorities to Christianity and "civilise them". These Christians considered tattooing as barbaric and as bad as cannabalism and human sacrifice (Dinter, Maarten Hesselt Van).
By the 18th century, the Catholic Church's role in the disappearance of old traditions diminished (Dinter, Maarten Hesselt Van). Old traditions of body modifications such as painting, tattooing, and scarring of the body were restored in many areas. However, new missionaries would come in trying to influence and change people, thus the cycle would repeat. For instance, the wives of New Zealand missionaries tried to convince Maori women not to be tattooed at all. They told them that, "European woman would never do such a thing." (Dinter, Maarten Hesselt Van).
Before Charles Darwin few scientist devoted attention to the body decorations of non-western people. Many scientist before him regarded tattooing as a pastime of less developed people. They also considered tattoos as guady embellishments designed to attract the opposite sex, with an occasional advantage of striking fear into the enemy. Many scientist also believed that tattooing was without religious or mystical significance. They too easily skimmed over the enormous diversity of cultures in widely varying environments (Dinter, Maarten Hesselt Van). However, Charles Darwin, unlike most, had recognised that each people attached its own significance to tattooing and that traditions were crucial to group identity.
In Europe, during the 18th century, the interest of tattoos only roused when tattooing took on epidemic proportions among certain population groups in the west. The same ships that sent missionaries to the South Pacific and other regious brought tattooing back to Europe by way of tattooed sailors, written descriptions and illustrations of tattooed people, and decorated Ocenians who were exhibited as circus attractions (Dinter, Maarten Hesselt Van). |
Tattooing began to spread through the ports of the poorer sections of the population, which many Europeans described as "like a disease". This new tattoo phenomenon provided an affordable method of signifying the connections between people working in the same trades and sharing similar problems. It was common to have tattoos among labourers, sailors, prostitutes, street performers and soldiers. A tattoon on the arm, shoulder or abdomen was considered tough, daring, and above all controversial. However, even though some of the upper class got tattoos, the middle class considered them signs of low birth and even criminal temparament. Many academics of this time also agreed with these views. Academics such as Cesare Lombroso and Alexandre Lacassagne attempted to prove a relationship between criminal behaviour and tattoos. A anthropologist by the name of Robert Fletcher also suggested that tattooing int he West, as among primitive peoples, was a pastime of the idle (Dinter, Maarten Hesselt Van).
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Current Trends In The West
So as you can see there wasn't much research done on tattooing and because of this many people in the past tried to get rid of it. Europeans tried to use their Christian influences to see to the disappearance of idigenous tribal tattooing, which did happen to be a success. Yet, even nowadays indigenous cultures are rediscovering themselves after centuries of Western domination and are restoring ancient traditions as well as creating new ones because many of the old have been forgotten. The rejuvenation of various indigenous cultures has led to a revival of old tattooing cultures, especially among the Maori in New Zealand, the Iban in Borneo and the Tahitians (Dinter, Maarten Hesselt Van). Tattooing as an art form is even thriving as never before in Europe and North America. Tattoos have become popular and sports stars, pop stars, as well as actors set the trend by popularising something that was once looked down upon.
The meaning of someone's tattoo, form and location, are largely a matter of personal choice, whereas tribal variant was generally applied according to custom and associated with taboos and magic (Dinter, Maarten Hesselt Van). The modern individualized tattoo is a personal choice that young people decorate their bodies with. However, even though tattoos have become popular there are still some negative stereotypes associated with them. Many of these negative stereotypes or as you can say opinions; have originated from the 1800s and up to the early 1900s. Even though our culture is more advanced and has researched the art of tattooing more heavily than scientist in the past, there are still people who look down at this practice, especially among women. Despite the negative attitudes towards women with tattoos, women still continue to decorate their body with tattoos, thus allowing them to exhibit control over their body.