Body Modification Part II - Tattoo

Tattoo

The common negative view on tattoos stems from their rather problematic history. The craddle of this technique is Ancient Egypt, where it was used for marking slaves, captives and criminals. From Egypt it spred through Arabian countries to almost all the asian continent, Pacific and later to Ancient Rome, keeping its original purpose in most of the countries it reached. The exceptions include for example India, where the hinduistic parents marked their children to recognize them in afterlife, or New Zealand where tattoo served as a sign of belonging to a tribe and to religious purposes. Later on thanks to this kind of use tattoo was seen as paganic in Europe, a very inappropriate thing in world ruled by Christian Church. In 787 it was even forbidden as such by Pope Adrian I and thanks to his act it went forgotten in Europe for centuries and centuries, till the tales about "painted creatures" came with great discovery cruises and sailors that besides veneric diseases (from European ports, though) carried pictures on their skins as souvenirs from their journeys.

Tattoos remained a realm of sailors, prostitutes, actors, dog soldiers, criminals and prisoners till later twentieth century, when adorning one´s body with ink became massively popular thanks to music and movie stars; but still its label of a sign of criminal activities remains in many minds till present times. Just a prejudice, one might say - and of course such quotes like my father´s "Every tattooed girl is for sure a prostitute" are exaggerated for sure. On the other hand... do you remember colourful tattoos of Japanese Yakuza?

More information about tattoos and tattoo artists can be found here:

zjimas.blog.cz/0611/tetovani