Samoan Tattoos as a Part of Polynesian Tattoo Designs

Posted on March 15, 2010
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Samoan Tattoos as a Part of Polynesian Tattoo Designs Samoan tattoos constitute a substantial part of Polynesian tattoo designs. They have rather a long history and go back to time immemorial. Nowadays, with the popularity of tribal tattoos growing, people are interested in original tattoo designs.

Samoan Polynesian tattoo designs preserved their originality for local people have always tried to minimize the influence of foreigners on their culture. Yet nobody knows how tattoo art appeared on Samoa Island. One story tells us about two Fijian women who came and taught the locals the art of tattooing while another story mentions a Samoan who travelled to the kingdom where spirits reside and learned there the trade.

What strikes and astonishes about Samoan tattoos most is the painful process of getting a tattoo. It is also an important ritual marking the transition from childhood to adulthood or acquisition a special status in society or a title.

The procedure is accompanies by songs and dancing and taboo is placed on those who are about to get a tattoo, and it is lifted after the ordeal is complete. So to get a traditional Samoan body tattoo one need at least ten days with a lot separate sessions and “day-offs” for the skin to heal as the damage is really great.

Samoan Tattoos as a Part of Polynesian Tattoo Designs

Take into account primitive tools like combs and sharpened animals’ teeth that are used in tattooing instead of needles and you will understand why getting a Polynesian tattoo is the real endurance test. Meanwhile, it is very shameful for Samoans not to pass this test.

The tattoos themselves can be extremely large and cover nearly a half of a man’s body, their patterns are intricate and complex and combine lots of meaningful symbols. In fact, every tattoo is like a book that can tell a life story of its wearer.

Samoan women received tattoos as well, but this didn’t constitute any ritual. Their patterns were also simpler and incorporated fewer inked areas than that of men’s tattoos.

Samoan tattoos alongside with other Polynesian tattoo designs, definitely contribute to the art of tattooing. One can incorporate their patterns in his or her tattoo though nobody I guess will be willing to undergo the original process.

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Polynesian Tattoo Designs

Posted on March 14, 2010
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Polynesian Tattoo Designs Tattoo designs can be classified as Celtic, Japanese, Chinese, Polynesian, etc. according to their origin. Tattooing was widespread in ancient communities but the original designs has either been lost in the flow of time or undergone some changes. It happened with the majority of tribal tattoos.

Yet, specialists claim that it is Polynesian tattoo designs that remained unchanged and preserved their cultural and historical identity, because local people tried to fend off the influence of outsiders. The term Polynesia refers to a group of islands in the Pacific with some of them being far away from each other, but their inhabitants share the same culture as they once had a common homeland (though nobody’s sure where it is).

So, Polynesia includes the Marquesa islands, New Zealand, Hawaii, Easter Isnas, Samoa, Tonga, the Cook Islands. Accordingly, there’re Samoan tattoos, Maori tattoos, Hawaiian tattoo with their bright flower patterns, etc. Marquesa people are the leaders in the amount of tattooing of all the Polynesians.

Nowadays more and more people are interested in tribal as well as exotic tattoos, so Polinesian tattoo designs can be a good choice for tattoo enthusiasts. There’re a lot of tattoo artists around who are skilled in tribal tattoo art.

It is interesting that Polynesians, as well as other tribal communities, used tattoos as a means of showing people’s status in society, and as a rule, it was an honorable status while western communities used tattooing as a punitive measure.

Polynesian s didn’t have written language, so Polynesian tattoo was like a book and could tell about life and achievements of its wearer. They got their first tattoo to mark the transition from childhood and adulthood, and it was very important to endure the procedure. Otherwise, you were considered a cowardly man. Tattoos were also believed to protect people from evil spirits, so it acted as a talisman.

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Scorpion Tattoo Designs

Posted on March 12, 2010
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Scorpion Tattoo Designs There are some tattoos that have broad semantics due to their history. If you think of a scorpion tattoo design you will soon find out that scorpion has rather a controversial symbolism combining the meaning of death and betrayal with strength and power.

Scorpion carries different symbolism in different mythologies and religions of the world. For instance, Greek mythology tells us that scorpions as well as snakes appeared from Medusa’s blood when she was killed by Perseus. In Ancient Egypt scorpion embodied goddess who was thought to relieve the pain of childbirth while ancient Mayas viewed it a symbol of surgery.

In Christianity scorpion is a symbol of betrayal of Christ by Judas. In Middle Ages it was also associated with Jews who rejected their king, and the King of Jews was Christ. This derives from the opposition of two contrasting symbols: the bee that is loyal to its queen and the scorpion that kills its king.

Buddhists, unlike, ascribe positive connotations to scorpions and believed that they had power to protect people. That’s why scorpions were included into sword handle, personal seal and amulet designs.

The negative symbolism of scorpions can be also explained through the behavior of this creature in its natural habitat. It attacks unexpectedly and its bite is painful and venomous and can be even be fatal. So not surprisingly it carries the meaning of envy, hatred, wickedness, treachery and fear.

The ancients also connected the bite and venom of scorpions with astrology. In November and October, the time of Scorpio constellation, scorpion has enormous power.

But every thing has two sides, and scorpion tattoo is not an exception. Scorpions live in hot areas and can endure tough environmental conditions, so their symbolism includes also strength and ability to hold the ground even in difficult situations. .

Scorpion tattoo design is often chosen by people who were born under the Scorpio star sign (October 24 -November 22).

The most popular places for a scorpion tattoo are the arms, shoulders and the back. There you can have rather a large tattoo. Women can consider tattooing their ankles and get a small scorpion tattoo which would be a perfect hint about scorpion’s nature: “small yet powerful.”

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Here’s a Quick Way to Look Stylish This Season

Posted on March 9, 2010
Filed Under Curious Tattoo Facts, Tattoo Designs | Leave a Comment

Do you remember transfers which you did in your childhood on the parts of your body and which could be washed off rather quickly? Now, thanks to modern designers such decoration on your body is called “Temporary Skin Art”.

The season spring/summer 2010 will be marked by a new fashionable trend - temporary tattoos. The collection of such tattoos is called “Les Trompe L’oeil de Chanel” and it includes only 55 temporary tattoos. Peter Philips is responsible for this unusual idea to turn a childish entertainment into a stylish trend. And this idea seems to be cute.

At the fashion week in Paris Chanel surprised everybody not only by its striking collection but by extravagant appearance of the models. Their bodies were covered with a great number of tattoos, but one could notice, that this unusual accessoires in a form of transfers were mostly painted on women’s legs.

The pictures, which can decorate your body this season and emphasize your uniqueness and beauty, are various, ranging from cherry-tree flowers and the images of birds to pearl beads, earings and classical logo of Chanel.

The edition of temporary tattoos by Chanel is limited and it makes all the fashionable girls all over the world even to struggle for an opportunity to wear such a work of art on the body. These tattoos can be painted straight up or down from a thigh to an ankle, which will make your legs optically longer. If you paint them horizontally you will emphasize your slenderness. The cost of a set of temporary tattoos by Chanel will be nearly 75-80$.

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