History Of Tattoos

This self-scarification was a painful process and that is why prehistoric men believed that it helped in releasing the scared life forces in their bodies. The bleeding was linked to making sacrifice to gods. When they made tattoos depicting an animal, they believed that they would be protected from the same. Remember, prehistoric men used to hunt with primitive weapons and this always placed them in danger of getting gored or killed by the animal they were hunting.

In the ancient times, tattoos also had religious connotations associated with them. One of the main purposes of tattoos was to harmonize the human soul with god. In addition, people believed that by adorning their bodies with tattoos, they would increase their virility and fertility, and also use this art form to preserve their mortal remains after death. In addition, tattoos were used to establish hierarchies and define roles of individuals within a tribe.

However, there is very little evidence to show that prehistoric man indulged in the art of tattooing. Many of these claims are just speculations, but some artifacts found from the Paleolithic era shows that tattooing may be and old and ancient art used by mankind. The Egyptians used to use tattoos as funeral art and they believed that when tattoos were imprinted on the body, they would facilitate the departure of the spirit from the body without any obstacle from the evil spirits. Strangely, this belief is still practiced among the tribes of Borneo. It is because of the ancient Egyptians that the art of tattooing spread all over the world. The ancient Egyptians conquered so many countries and ensured that the art reached as far as Japan when the Ainu nomads reached Japan. Today, many people tattoo their bodies to remember their loved ones and these tattoos are normally in the form of initials of the deceased person, heart or some heavenly symbol.

In Japan, tattooing was used as a decorative measure. The artists who engraved the tattoos were called Horis and they used a variety of pigments and creativity to make tattoos. However, when in the first millennium Japan came under Chinese influence, tattoos were only used to brand people who committed crimes. The Goths used to brand their slaves with tattoos, so that their ownership could be claimed and people would know that they were slaves. This practice was also followed by the Romans. In fact, in the Roman Empire, those with tattoos could never become citizens even if the slaves were granted their freedom. On the other hand, the Thracians in the Balkans used tattoos to depict their social hierarchy. On the island of Tahiti, tattoos were used for rite of passage when young boys reached adulthood. This usually occurred when the boys got married. On the other hand, during the Ottoman Empire, soldiers were tattooed, so that they could be recognized and brought back if they went AWOL or decided to leave the army.

There are so many different uses of tattoos in the ancient times that it can be mind boggling. However, in the modern world, most people use tattoos as body decorations. There are some who want to show their beliefs and there are still others who use tattoos to show their affiliations.

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The Tattoo Collection: The History Of Tattoos
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