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With the current resurgent trend in tribal tattoos, its surprising that African tattoos are not much more common in the western world of body art designs. However as beautiful as African Tribal designs are, do you understand the meanings behind them?

Well here are five facts that explore some of the lesser know ideals behind African Tribal Tattoo designs:

Fact 1

Some African body art are drawn to give the wearer protection from harm, the symbolism in the images guarding them throughout life.

Fact 2

African body art were never meant to be merely drawings for bodily decoration. They are drawn so that the wearer of the art can take on an almost Supernatural state. Given the term scarification, represent a way for the wearer to appear more than human.

Fact 3

African scarification or tattooing, often uses symbols that reflect the wearers character, and is used as proof of courage and braver; which are the things one needs to undergo the painful application of the body art.

Fact 4

The first African tattoo found was dated back to a mummy in 1994 BC, although it is estimated that there are tattoos dating back to 2000BC; and images showing Egyptian High Priestesses with tattooed arms have been found.

Fact 5

There is a type of body art that is done by those in Africa whose skin is generally too dark for regular tattoo coloration to appear. It is called cicatrisation and it works by opening a small part of the skin to create a designed wound. They then rub ash into the wound so that when it heals, it results in a permanent raised scar.

About The Author

Allen Stevens writes for www.TattooDesignOnline.net, a website that has an easy to search, free online database of tattoo designs.

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So you’ve finally decided to join the counter-culture and get yourself a wicked-looking tat on the likes of Angelina Jolie, Justin Timberlake, Sean Connery, Michael Jordon, or our own Desi handsome hunks, Salman Khan and Sanjay Dutt? Read on!

Some years back, the magic of signature henna treatments along with seductive body marking /body piercing used to be adored by brides at celebrity weddings. However, of late, the elite/upmarket Indian males are getting branded by tattoos/scarifications/body piercing on each and every part of their bodies, from the face to the genitalia. Such practices, which today are the latest fashion fads of the gen-Y, were an integral part of a deeply symbolic, centuries-old tradition around the world among tribal communities. Interest in tattooing and body piercing has surged during the past ten years, spawning a new aesthetic of personal appearance for umpteen young people.

Blame it on the movies, the showbiz world, the photographic shoots, or the global fashion/ramp shows, body marking with tattoos are “in”. Indeed, a lot of it has already been featured in the media. Everybody seems to be talking about how celebrity henna/tattooing/body piercing artists are touring the globe and making their marks in the movies and popular culture and how they are creating stunning body tattoo designs with a unique smoothness and texture to adorn male skins.

Starting from skulls and crossbones to more effeminate dolphins and intricate geometrical patterns, men are getting all at upmarket tattoo parlors as well as at expensive sessions with celebrity tattoo artists in India and abroad. Gone are the days when body marking with tattoos was considered a pseudo-art for freaks and soldiers. In recent years tattooing has emerged to the forefront of popular consciousness. Today a tattoo ‘flash’ is a folder of tattoo-artwork by tattoo artists, with styles ranging from the traditional and vernacular to the sacred and innovative.

In India, this explosion of body art may not have reached such heights of craze like in America, where it has been found to be an ever-growing obsession with kids and teens, fashion-freak males and even baby boomers. (Researches have revealed that in three percent of American households today, at least one of their members has one or more tattoos, which means at least twelve million Americans have one tattoo). Nevertheless, body markings with Disney, Spiderman, Princess, Celtic Arm bands, Mascots and more have been common practices among teenager guys, college-goers as well as with the fashion-conscious “metro-man” aspiring for a cult stature among peers and pals.

In the ancient, Celtic times, Polynesian culture, tattooing used to signify one’s ancestors, family, or something else equally as personal. On the hand, today’s tattoo artists reflect the depth and potential of body marking, keeping in tandem with contemporary imagination. While in the pre-historic times, Neolithic times and so on, body marking with tattoos was considered only among the royals to signify vigor and virility, today’s tattoo artists can create the stunning magic of tattooing on anyone by injecting specially created color pigments into the skin. For this, they use a solid, round-tip needle attached to a motorized instrument that holds up to 14 needles attached to the pigments.

Ignoring the potential complications of such body marking (starting from gangrene, syphilis and hepatitis B to HIV), men in increasing numbers are flocking to amateur artists, do-it-yourselfers, and informal tattooers, (known as “scratchers”) to have their arms, backs, chests or legs tattooed. However, while you gravitate towards body marking with tattoos, body piercing and scarifications, considering these hip and cool, make sure to have these done by professionals who follow health and safety guidelines that prevent the spread of these diseases. Professional tattoo artists charge more because they use electrically powered, vertical, vibrating instruments to inject the tattoo pigment, while maintaining safety and sterility precautions. So, whether you are serious about the resurrection of such ritualistic body marking that spans a broad spectrum of our history, or you just want to do it for the heck of it, the bottomline is: Do it safely!

Lopa Bhattacharya is a content writer/developer for overseas/Indian corporate website projects, CD-Rom presentations, brochures, flyers and other communication materials. Have worked on SEO copywriting projects on varied themes ranging from travel, hotel industry, photography, web design and software development to US-based clubs and network communities. Does freelance writing assignments for the print and web media featuring women, children, health, literature, art, and media.

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There was always an important role in ritual and tradition for tattoos. Women in Borneo used to tattoo symbols on their forearm indicating their particular skill. If a woman was to wear a symbol showing she was a skilled weaver, her status was then considered as prime marriageable material. To ward away illness tattoos were place around the wrist and fingers. All throughout the history of tattoos, they have signified membership in a clan or society. Even groups today, like the Hells Angels, tattoo their group symbol. It has sometimes been believed that the wearer of an image that was tattooed calls the spirit of that particular image. If that belief holds true, the ferocity of a tiger would belong to a person with a tiger tattoo. That tradition seems holds true even today shown by the images of tigers, snakes and bird of prey tattoo on a person’s body.

The word tattoo is said to come from the Tahitian word “tatu” which means “to mark something”. Tattooing has arguably been claimed to have existed since 12,000 years BC.

Tattooing’s purpose has varied from culture to culture and its place on the time line. The earliest tattoos can be found in Egypt during the time of the construction of the great pyramids (It probably started much earlier) but this is the earliest recorded history. After the Egyptians expanded their empire, the art of tattooing began to spread as well. The ancient civilizations of Crete, Greece, Persia and Arabia picked up tattooing and expanded the art form. Around 2000 BC tattooing was then spread to China. For communications among spies, the Greeks used tattooing. Certain marking identified the spies and showed their rank. The Romans used tattoos to mark their criminals and slaves. This tradition continues even today. In western Asia girls coming of age were tattooed to show social standing, as were the married women.

The Ainu people of western Asia were known to show the Japanese the art of tattooing. It Japan tattooing was developed to be used in a religious and ceremonial rites. The women of Borneo were the tattooists. They were the one to produce designs that showed indications of the owner’s station in life and what tribe he belonged to. New Zealand developed a facial style of tattooing that is still used today. It is called Moko. There are even tribes found in Alaska that practiced tattooing. Their style indicated that it was learned from the Ainu. There is even evidence that the Incas, Mayans and Aztecs used tattooing on rituals.

William Dampher is the one who is responsible for re-introducing tattoos to the west. He was once a sailor and an explorer who traveled the South Seas. In 1691 he brought a heavily tattooed Polynesian named Prince Giolo to London. He was known as the Painted Prince. He would later put on exhibition, a money making attraction showing off his tattoos and became the rage of London. Before that it had been 600 years since tattoos had been seen in Europe. It would be another 100 years before tattoos would make it’s mark in the West.

Chatham Square in New York City was the birthplace of the American style tattoo. At the turn of the century, Chatham Square was a seaport and an entertainment center that attracted working-class people with money. Samuel O’Reily came from Boston and set up shop there. Samuel O’Reily was the first one to patent the first electric tattooing machine. The machine was based on Edison’s electric pen which punctured paper with a needle point. The basic design of this machine was with moving coils, a tube and a needle bar, are the components of today’s tattoo gun. The electric tattoo machine allowed anyone to get a reasonably priced and readily available tattoo. As the average person could easily get a tattoo but it was the upper classes that turned away from it. He took on an apprentice named Charlie Wagner and when O’Reily died in 1908, Wagner opened a supply business with Lew Alberts. Lew Alberts had trained as a wallpaper designer. He then transferred those skills to the design of tattoos. He was noted for redesigning a portion of early tattoo flash art.

It wasn’t until the late 1960s that the attitude towards tattooing changed. A lot of the credit should go to Lyle Tuttle. He then tattooed celebrities, particularly women. Television and magazines went to him to get information about tattooing. Tattooing has made a strong comeback. It is more popular than ever.

Michael Russell

Your Independent guide to Tattoos

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