In ancient times, tattoos were used to mark slaves and
criminals. Its use declined in the Western world during the
Middle Ages when the practice was condemned by the church.
However, many societies and tribes in North America, Africa and
Asia continued to use tattoos as body decoration, a sign of
rank, a sign of mourning, as a charm to ward off evil spirits
and as part of religious and ceremonial rituals. The tattooing
skills achieved by the Japanese and the Maori people of New
Zealand had yet to be surpassed.
The practice of having pictures and designs tattooed onto
the skin was reintroduced to the West by seamen returning from
America in the 16th and 17th centuries. Numerous tattoo
establishments set up business in both Europe and the US.
Samuel eilly, an American, invented the first electric tattoo
machine in 1890. This invention sparked a renewed interest in
the art of tattoo. People became interested in having various
pictures and designed drawn and colored on different parts of
the body. It was a common practice among sailors who frequently
had their arms and chests tattooed with hearts, military
insignias and religious symbols.
Henna and Mehndi were and still are the main materials used
in making the colors for the tattoo ink in India, North Africa
and parts of the Middle East. Copper was commonly used among
the Picts of what is now the United Kingdom. In Japan, tattoos
were used for various purposes at various times during the
country history. It was used to communicate a person status and
was the mark of punishment that criminals were forced to endure
to show that had committed an illegal act. By the late 1800
this act was outlawed by the government and those with tattoos
were segregated from society.
In the early tattoos of the Middle East, this was a common
way of showing that a person was in mourning. A person would
deliberately cut themselves and rub ash into the cut to express
reverence for the deceased.
In Samoa, the tradition of applying tattoos by had has not
changed from early times. Here tattoos are still applied using
a tool, called an au, which is a comb made by fastening boar?
teeth together onto a wooden handle and a portion of a shell.
It takes many weeks to complete a tattoo in this manner and it
is a very painful process.
Some religions do prohibit the use of tattoos, such as the
Hebrew religion and it is specifically mentioned in the King
James version of the Bible.
Article Source:
http://www.articlesbase.com/art-articles/a-brief-history-of-tattoos-525530.html
About the Author
For more information on the history of
tattoos as well as lots of free tattoo designs thefree
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