A great scientist – a social anthropologist Nicholai Miklukho-Maklai in the middle of ÕIX century did a great researching work in the traditions of New Guinea, Indonesia, Australia, Micronesia, and Melanesia. His sketches were very important in the study of the local tribes’ tattoos on different body parts: face, neck, back, legs etc.
Tattoos compositions. South cost of New Guinea. 1880-1881.
Several tribes in the South America have interesting traditions of tattooing. For example, a Brazil tribe Kadiuveo. They had practiced hypodermic tattoo till the beginning of ÕÕ, at least women. Usually an old woman made tattoo: at first she marked with coal the main lines of the tattoo, then she pricked the compositions with a thorn or a fishbone. Dye-stuffs include soot with saliva or ashes. Kadiuevo tattooed the whole body and face, and often right and left sides of the body had different designs.
Tattoo had a social meaning – it showed the social status of a woman. For example, women of Gulupi tribe make blue strips and diamonds on the cheeks; Maka women make the similar tattoos on chins and noses when reaching the puberty.
Tattoos compositions. Luisiada Isles.
Tattoos compositions. Melanesia Isles.
Tattoos of Asian Eskimos are a good example of traditional tattoo – these customs existed even in 1930s and were widely spread. Tattoos were made to a girl together with her puberty before her marriage. Non-ornamental tattoos – simple strips – are still made to the sick parts of a body and are of medical meaning. Men tattoos include circles or semicircles on cheeks and near mouth, short stripes on temples, and human figures on forehead. Women tattoos are much more diverse. Usually there are three, five, seven double or triple (rarely) strips on chins like the tattoos of Alyaska Eskimos.
Often two parallel strips are tattooed on forehead between eyebrows. Cheek tattoos are more complicated. As a rule, the right cheek has a complex tattoo; the left cheek has a simple tattoo. Sometimes there is a tattoo on one cheek only. The technology of Eskimos tattoo is easy – a thread polished with soot was passed under the skin. The most complicated tattoo took one, or two days of work.
Tattoos on Eskimos’ hands.
Tattoos on Eskimos’ faces.
Tattoos on Eskimos’ faces.
The first tattoo of Khanty and Mansi – Finno-Ugric nationalities – appeared in XVIII century. Social meaning of this tattoo is not still clear – it was the women secret. Khanty and Mansi women concealed the meaning of their tattoos from men, even relatives. The date of tattooing is not known as well – they may be made in the childhood, or when puberty comes, or in the case of a disease, or even just before the death. Men and women tattoos had different compositions: men tattooed the sign of their belonging to the family, and later, when a family collapsed – a family sign served as a
signature. Women often tattooed ornaments and a bird on the hand – a religious symbol.
Interestingly, almost every people, perhaps, except for Aryans and Europeans, has had a period of obligatory tattooing.
Tattoo in the shape of a bird.
Tattoo in the shape of a bird.
Thus, in the middle ages many labourers made tattoos in the shape of their departments’ signs- this tradition had preserved in France, Germany and Italy by the end of XIX. Pilgrims who visited Jerusalem, tattooed a cross, often on hands, despite the ban of the Catholic church. Japanese tattoo – irezumi – has a very long history. Archaeologists believe that the early settlers of Japan, the Ainu people, who live din the country from 7000 to 250 BC used tattoos that were of religious character. Crosses and strips symbolised the belonging to noble people, or to criminals. By the end of XVII tattoo had lost its social and religious meanings and became a means of body decoration. |
