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A Brief History of Tattooing

Tattooing has existed in various forms since around 12,000BC. It has taken on different cultural and social meanings in each time and place. Now it is a form of self-expression; a way to communicate something about yourself to the people around you. In the past it has been both punishment and self-aggrandisement, communication and identification.

Ancient Egypt, Greece and Rome

As the influence of Egypt spread across the world so did their art of marking the skin. The Greeks used tattoos as a form of communication between spies. Their tattoos allowed friends to be identified and information to be passed between them. The Romans used tattoos to mark slaves and criminals.

Asia and Polynesia

The Ainu used tattooing to indicate status as did the people of Borneo. Here, tattooing was performed by the women of the tribe to show ownership and skills. In Polynesia, tattooing developed as a means of expressing tribal and familial relationships. The Polynesians took their tattoo art to New Zealand and the Maori culture appropriated it in the now famous facial tattoos -- known as Moko.

Northern Europe

Early Britons used tattooing in ceremonies while the Norse, Saxon and Danish cultures all used the practice to show family allegiances. Though Pope Hadrian attempted to ban the practice, tattooing continued in Britain until the Norman Conquest when it disappeared from European cultures for hundreds of years.

Japan

At the same time, tattooing became increasingly important in Japanese culture. Initially, tattoos were used to mark criminals; each offense added another stroke to the mark on the criminal's forehead until -- after three offenses -- it formed the Japanese symbol for "dog". After many years, Japanese tattooing evolved in to what we would recognise today as the Japanese bodysuit form.

Back to Europe

When Captain Cook took his voyage of discovery he rediscovered the art of tattooing for European cultures. On returning to England, he brought with him a Polynesian called Omai. Omai's body was covered in elaborate tattoos and tattooing became the darling of the upper-classes who would have small designs in discreet places.

Go to A Brief History Of Tattooing page 2

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