The History of Tattoos & Piercings in Tribes
- Tattooing has been significant in Pacific tribal cultures. Considered the most intricate and skilled tattooing in the ancient world, Polynesian tattoos were meant to display the bearers spiritual power and life force. The tattoos were embellished throughout the bearers life and could cover the entire body. In Hawaii, tattoo art was called kakau and was supposed to guard the health of the wearer. Traditional Hawaiian tattoos were intricately patterned to mimic natural elements such as reeds.
- Nose piercing was traditional in the nomadic Berber and Beja tribes of Africa. The size of the ring would signal the wealth of the family and a husband would give a nose ring to his wife when they married. Some African tribes practiced scarification, a practice related to tattooing in which the skin is lifted with a sharp object and ash or sand is rubbed into it. This created raised patterns on the skin that could be felt with the fingertips.
- The Aztecs and Mayans of Central American and the Tlinglit, Haida and Kwakiutul tribes of Northwest America practiced ritual tongue piercing. Labret piercing, for which the lip is stretched so large clay or wood plates can be inserted, was traditionally practiced by Aztecs, Mayans, Inuits and Pacific Northwest tribes. Tattooing was also widespread among American tribes. Inuit women would tattoo their chins to indicate their marital status. Inca mummies have also been found with tattoos.
- Celtic tribes wore intricate spiral or knotwork tattoos rendered in woad, which was blue beneath the skin. The Vikings were also tattooed. Septum piercing was widespread among tribes in New Guinea and the Solomon Islands. Indonesian tribes also wore tattoos. When British explorers began sailing around the world in the 18th century they encountered tattoos among many tribal peoples and brought the practice back to England.