Anthropology of Tattoos

Scarred across her back atomic number 18 raise bumps forming intricate designs of lines and angles, a reminder of who she is and where she is from. She thinks back on the ceremony in which she was marked with the painful scarification. She remembered popular opinion a sense of calm as the village artworkist pierced her back with a polished arrowhead, stretching the skin a mien from the ashes and swiftly plainly skillfully cutting a excoriation in her back. He repeated this several times as a ceremonial pile was modify with gathering soot from the burning fire. later on the artist finished his tedious design, he rubbed soot from the pot bottom deep into the slits, planting the b croperia that would infect the skin, raising the scars into their meaningful design. She felt accomplished that she withstood the agonising pain while separate members of her clan could non. Her novelly inherited em soundbox art signified the brook of her first son, and left her with a renewed sense of beauty. This is the centering of life common to people endemic to the motherland of Africa. Scarification, however, is not the only form of bole art that is used.Body painting, staining, and brand be e truly uniform forms of system art, which can be be in Africa and other cultures byout the world. The word tattoo comes from the Tahitian word tattau, which means to mark. Tattoos wipe out evolved from being symbols of punishment that were given to identify criminals and slaves in the early ninth-century Chinese culture, into a pop-culture trend of using he skin as a way of describing the exotic uncivilized other within ourselves (Schildkrout 2004324). For centuries, the body has been used as a visible way of formation individual identity and cultural difference (Schildkrout 2004319).This cultural difference becomes app arnt when studying the ontogenesis of body art everywhere time, especially when focusing on the differences surrounded by the western sandwich and Non-Western cultures. People establish been adorning their body with tattoos and piercing for centuries, but until tardily, the thought of tattoos in ancient Egypt had been pushed aside. It has now been discovered that, without a doubt, tattoos did make up in that time period. Although miniscule, a multitude of enormously important tattooed mummies serve to help prove this exhibit (Bianchi 198821).The first mummy to be discovered was one f a womanhood named Amunet, whose mummy was establish in an excellent state of preservation, most likely due to the fact that she served as a priestess of the goddess Harthor at Thebes during Dynasty XI(Bianchi 198822). The tattoos on her body were comprised of a pattern of dots and dashes in an elliptical shape on her abase abdomen. The thighs and arms adorned the identical parallel lines of the aforementioned pattern. Two more women mummies, who were discovered and believed to be from the similar time period, also had similar tatto os on their lower abdomen (Bianchi 198822).This group of woman represents an exclusive group of Egyptians who received tattoos in that time period, because there is no other evidence that shows tattoos to be a start of the Egyptian culture until the time of the Middle Kingdom. These abstract patterns associated with ritualistic tattooing survived into the New Kingdom. The Egyptians, more accordingly likely, borrowed a form of tattooing from the Nubian civilization. Unlike the Nubians, whose purpose for tattooing is unkn admit, the Egyptians appear to have regarded the tattoo as one of several vehicles by which the procreative powers of the deceased could be revived (Bianchi 198827).Substantiation proposes that only women were associated with the decorating of their bodies and the ritualistic activities that went along with it. The art of tattooing began with the pigeonholing of bluish or black dots and/or dashes forming abstract geometric patterns that system of body art lasted f or over two thousand years in ancient Egypt. Just like other ideas and goods, the idea of tattooing began to fail to several antithetical societies, and has evolved into extremely different forms of art all over the world.In northeastern Zambia, the Tabwa formerly covered themselves from head to foot with scarification (Roberts 198841). The women of the Tabwa began receiving refine marks on their face, chest, and backs when they were young girls it sometimes was continued at other points in a womans life (Roberts 198843) such(prenominal) as courting rituals and for woman wishing to bear a child. Male sculptors would trace designs and make incisions on the lesser intimate part of the body they left the rest for the women to do. Tabwa women used razors to slit skin that had been plucked up with a fishhook or arrowhead.These incisions were then rubbed with soot from a pot bottom, an irritant that produced the pronenessd raised cicatrices (Roberts 198844). There were several reaso ns that this customs duty was done, different to every age and gender in the tribe. Young women went with this process in bless to achieve a state of perfection, which was required for those wanting to marry and have children (Roberts 198845). Scarification is a form of body art that was used in several tribes because according to their customs beauty is not physically innate, but rather a function of the girls inscriptions (Roberts 198845).Not only the Tabwa, scarification was used in such tribes as the Gaanda and the Tiv all the tribes have distinctly different purposes for doing this, but the process and effect of the body be the same. Another form of body art is body painting, which the people of the southeastern Nuba begin at a young age but the meanings, and time frame from when they begin decorating the body are very different between males and females. The males paint themselves from the ages of 12 to 27 (Faris 198831). Typically, they only paint during the down time a fterward the harvest season and before the next years planting begins.This is the time that the males are less tangled in mandatory and productive activities they cast their supplementary time with festive activities such as dancing and sport participation. The restrictions placed on the men by their age, most importantly deal with the color that they use on their bodyfor example only the older age groups are eligible to use the great working out in color, including the deep black and yellow colors, that are prohibited to younger grades(Faris 198832).The change in elaboration allowed on the body does not coincide with any physiological changes, rather, it corresponds with changes in productive status or sport (Faris 198832). As they move up in grades from young laborers that answer to the elders, to mature men that own their own property, farm and family, their elaborate painting ability increases. The elders though, do not decorate their bodies rather, they delegate and cons ort rituals for the younger men and enforce the rules of allowed color use.Therefore, the male body painting shows their progression thru ones life stages. The women of Southeast Nuba, from the age of six years, until consummation of marriage, oil and ochre their bodies daily, in colors that are appropriate to their patri-clan section (Faris 198834). After childbirth, they may continue to wear some oil and ochre on their shoulders. The face-to-face body art of women is strictly related to the physiological changes that occur as a women goes through life, and are fixed nearly body scarification as a way of showing her changes.A womans scarification is so important, that if a husband refuses to pay for a scarring specialist, a woman may seek a lover who go away do so, and her first marriage will end (Faris 198835). Unlike the males elaborate body art, a womans body art is simple, but it accumulates over her life-span and is very standardized, while a males body art is constantly ch anging. Body painting, tattooing and scarification thus far had been tools used by individuals to beautify their body and elevate their status within their tribe this is not the case with all societies.In several other cultures, tattoos have been used in a form of brand, which is quite the opposite. Though tattooing and branding are similar in that both involve the insertion of pigments under the skin to create permanent marks, branding is implemented in order to lower an individuals status, to punish for crimes committed, to identify slaves, but most importantly, to eliminate personal identity (Schildkrout 2004323). The immutable alteration of homosexual skin by branding needs to be considered in relation to, but ought not be confused with, tattooing (Bianchi 198827).Two recent studies originating in South Africa elaborate on this subject, reporting on the political influence of tattooing as a means of social suss out (Schildkrout 2004330). They site examples from Zambia in whic h a medical practitioner travels around to villages in which witch craft accusations have been commonto inoculate people against people against witch craft (Schildkrout 2004331). The villagers would submit to bodily inspections, they were then handle by getting subprograms tattooed on their arms (Schildkrout 2004331).This is disturbingly reminiscent of Nazi concentration camps when an abyssal number of Jewish people lost their personal identities and became known as only a number in the system to be disposed of. This symbolic denial of personhood served as a system of have got and surveillance (Schildkrout 2004323). This system of control was also imposed by authoritarian regimes in Southeast Asia (Schildkrout 2004323). The chow chow and Ming Dynasties branded criminals as a form of punishment with extensive, very much full-body tattoos, with elaborate pictorial imagery as well as written inscriptions (Schildkrout 2004324) portraying their crime.This form of tattooing is defin itely contrary to traditional methods. Similarly in Brazil, branding was used to mark convicts by the penal authorities. Penal tattoos derived their power from subjugation of the marked convicts. The abjection of being visibly branded was a significant component of the convicts punishment. In an act of resistance, those that had been branded were known to reclaim their bodies by writing over the inscriptions or by displaying them in new social situations (Schildkrout 2004324).The branded, thereof, became the empowered, restoring the function of the tattoo to being personally-motivated. This personal motivation is perhaps most notable in Western cultures, specifically North America. In America, the Native Americans used body painting in galore(postnominal) ways, usually connected with ethnic identity, social roles or marital status (Rubin 1988179). The Natives also used the body as a canvas in ritualistic ceremonies, on warriors going into battle and for the beautification of thei r women.When the Europeans discovered America, they brought with them slaves from Africa and they introduced branding of the slaves into the American culture. After the civil war, when the slaves had been freed, branding was still embedded in American culture through groups of people including gang members and convicts. Though branding is often associated with involuntary marking and the denial of personhood, it has also been adoptive in contemporary Western body culture as an assertion of group identity, for example in college fraternities (Schildkrout 2004323). Tattoos were also prevalent in other parts of America, including Alaska.Among the Eskimos the function of these art forms was essentially manifesting ones place or role within the hierarchy of hunting life (Gritton 1988190). With the introduction and adaptation of the western civilization in Alaskan culture, the marks of a hunter or hunters married woman served no purpose in their new lives and were understandably abandon ed (Gritton 1988190). The function of body art and tattooing has been Americanized, evolving from its intrinsic origins to incorporate self expression. This self expression has mushroomed from a manor of identifying oneself to a way of gaining attention through shock value.Though ever-changing, all forms of body art mentioned play enormous roles in the lives of people. Certain non-Western cultures are based around the ability to use skin as a visible way of defining status or bettering their self-image, in order to attract companions. So the artists who are allowed to perform the act of adorning bodies with different designs are regarded as having a very important place in the lodge. They are scarring specialist (Faris 198835), body artists (Drewal 198884), but most importantly, they are known as the one-who-creates- art (Drewal 198884).In the non-Native American culture, however, the general spatial relation towards tattoo artist in present-day American culture is less than appr eciative. Extreme critics even dispose tattooist as opportunist, exclusively seeking monetary gain (Sanders 1988229). The tattooist interest in artistry and control is often in conflict with his pro reconcile orientation, revealing the major flaw within the American guild (Sanders 1988229). This is the major difference in western and non-western cultures. Body tattoos in western clubhouse are an objective to be purchased.Americans obtain tattoos in the same manner that they acquire a new Louis Vuitton handbag. They purchase them as accessories, which is in stark contrast to the non-western cultures, who acquire tattoos as an essential ritual in their society. With this is mind, the process in which Americans purchases body art seems slightly ridiculous. Tattoo artists often complain of the unwillingness of customers to spend the quoted amount of money for a tattoo they are going to wear for the rest of their life (Sanders 1988229).It is more acceptable in American culture to inve st in short term materialistic purchases, therefore the legitimate tattoo artists are constantly being monitored and regimented under strict laws imposed by the government. Despite the absurdity of the purchasing process, the reasoning that propels the American society to obtain tattoos is just as flawed. whatsoever reasons people give to explain permanently marking their skin include, they were drunk, its a macho thing, to fit in with a crowd or even worse, for no reason at all (DeMello 199542). Western society seems to have a complete disregard for the spiritual origins of body art.Tattoo artist are even witness to clients apathy, avoiding working on people who are obviously under the influence of alcohol (Sanders 1988225). Where once there was a ceremonious celebration deeply rooted in spiritualism, in American society the only ritualistic ceremony is the receiving of a piece of paper on how to care for the recently acquired body art. This apathetic attitude of Americans is per haps derived from the renouncing majority of the population. This bias stems from very early regulations including Moses remarks in Leviticus 1928 forbidding any cuttings in the flesh or the printing of any marks (Armstrong 200539).Since tattoos were not sanctioned by the church the profile for the tattooed archetype became unconventional (Schildkrout 2004325). Christian belief has been adapted to the masses, forcing those who are tattooed into rebellion. The majority of people adopting body art include bikers, convicts, and other low lives (DeMello 199540). In Western society the idea that the unmarked body as a sign of Gods work was linked to the Protestant reformation and the idea that body markings were a sign of savagery goes back even primitively ( Schildkrout 2004324).This is ironic considering tattoos in earlier cultures signified positions of high status. Perhaps the only entity that ties these drastic cultures together is the desire to increase their inherited beauty. If the body is metaphorically a site of inscription to various degrees for various theorist, then cosmetic operating theater can be seen, at one level, as an example of the literal and hard-core enactment of this process of inscription ( Schildkrout 2004320), which is also seen in the aforementioned tribes with the rituals of scarification.DeMello also agrees that along with tattooing and piericing, that cosmetic surgery is seen as a form of body modification (DeMello 199537). Not only does the tattooed skin negotiate between the individual and society and between different social groups, but also mediates relations between persons and spirits, the human and the divine (Schildkrout 2004321).Body art is a tradition that extends throughout the barriers of the world and although the forms in which they are found may be different, the idea of using your body as a canvas is universal. Although recently, several anthropologists concord and have begun to examine body art more closely, lo oking at it as a microcosm of society (Schildkrout 2004328), Roberts still believes that there can be no ultimate explanation of symbolism (Roberts 198851).He claims that the blazes on trees in the Ndembu forest will remain many years after their purpose and meaning are forgotten. So it is with other inscriptions (Roberts 198851). This is exemplified in the woman who endured the agonizing pain of her scarification to instigate a new chapter in her life. Nevertheless, soon after her body is placed into the ground, her skin will no longer be a visible indication of who she once was. She will become a memory and her body will no longer be used as a canvas.