Collection of Mark and Carolyn Blackburn. The pain of traditional tattooing is extreme. Serving kava. The Beginning: Tatau in Samoa Your necklace may break, the fau tree may burst, but my tattooing is indestructible. The revival of the art and practice of tattooing, particularly in Tonga, in recent years is predominantly referred to as a result of the work of scholars, researchers, visual artists and tattoo artists. It was in Tonga and Samoa that the Polynesian tattoo developed into a highly refined art.
Tongan warriors were tattooed form the waist to the knees with a series of geometrical patterns, mostly consisting of repeated triangle motifs, bands and also areas of solid black. Priests who had undergone a long period of training who followed strictly prescribed rituals and taboos that took place during the tattooing process.
For the Tongan people, the tattoo carried profound social and cultural significance, as mentioned previously. In ancient Samoa, tattooing also played a hugely important role in both reglious rituals and warfare. The tattoo artist held a hereditary and by the same vein, a very highly privileged position. He usually tattooed groups of six to eight usually men during a ceremony attended by friends and relatives. However, it was not unusual for Samoan women to be tattoo too. But the images were limited to things such as a series of delicate flower-like patterns usually geometrical , on the hands and lower parts of the body.
Over a period of more than years one of the most complex Polynesian cultures evolved — Marquesan. Marquesan art and architecture were highly developed and Marquesan tattoo designs, which often covered the whole body, were the most elaborate in Polynesia.
Although many years have passed, the tools and techniques of Polynesian tattooing have changed very little. For a very traditional design the skill of tattoo art was usually handed down through generations. Each tattoo artist, or tufaga, was said to have learned the craft over many years of serving as an apprentice.
The advent of Christianity in Tonga witnessed the loss of several indigenous practices such as the practice of tattooing. Although the art of tattooing was retained in the nation if Samoa, it was completely erased in Tonga. In Samoa, the tradition of applying the tattoo by hand has been unbroken for over years. Tools and techniques have hardly differed whatsoever.
The skill is often passed from father to son, each artist learning the art after many years of serving as an apprentice. A young artist in training often spent hours at a time, or even days, tapping designs into sand or bark-cloth using a special tattooing comb or au.
Honouring their highly revered tradition, Samoan tattoo artists made this tool from sharpened boars teeth fastened together with a portion of the turtle shell and to a wooden handle. James Samuela tattooing a man in the traditional Tahitian way in French Polynesia. The permanent marks left on someone after they have been tattooed would forever remember and commemorate their endurance and dedication to cultural traditions.
The pain was extreme and the risk of death by infection was a huge concern for many people. The men who could not endure the pain and abandoned their tattooing were left incomplete, wearing their mark of shame throughout their life. A tattooing session typically lasted until dusk or until the men could no longer stand the pain and would resume the following day, unless the inflamed skin needed a few days to heal.
The entire process could last up to three or even four months. This process usually took months. The tattooed skin would have to be washed in salt water, to keep infection at bay and then the body area had to be massaged to keep out impurities.
Family and friends would assist in the healing process because even extremely simple tasks e. Within six months, the distinctive designs would begin to appear on their skin but it would take almost a year to completely heal. Placement on the body plays a very important role in Polynesian tattooing.
There are a few elements that are related to specific meanings based on where they are placed. So in short, their placement has an influence on the meaning of a Polynesian tattoo. Humans are said to be descendants or children of Rangi Heaven and Papa Earth , which were said to once be united. The upper part of the body is related to the spiritual world and heaven, whilst the lower part of the body is related to the world and to earth.
The placements of some elements on the body, such as genealogy tracks on the back of the arms, suggest that the back may be related to the past and the front to the future. The head is said to be the contact point to Rangi, and so is related to themes such as spirituality, knowledge, wisdom and intuition. This area is from just above the navel to the chest and is related to themes such as generosity, sincerity, honour and reconciliation. The traditional word for tattoo in Samoa was "tatau" and "tatu" in Tahiti.
The word first appeared in the journals of Joseph Banks who came to the region with Captain James Cook. Cook and his crew visited all major islands of the Polynesian Triangle, and brought the tattoo tradition to the European countries. A Tahitian man, Ma'i, even joined Cook's second voyage and spent years in England before returning home during Cook's third voyage. The modern spelling of tattoo appeared in the late s after Cook returned to Europe to share his experiences.
The word tattoo became official in English when Merriam Webster dictionary included it in The symbolism behind traditional Polynesian tattoos was much more complex than modern work. Tattoos had meanings that represented important information about you. On many Pacific Islands, someone's social status, role in the community, and even their specific family lineage could be identified by the design of their tattoo.
From simply looking at your tattoo design, people could understand pieces of who you are and where you came from. Getting a tattoo also often marked the start of adulthood. The actual tattoo was a rite of passage for the recipient and marked a significant moment in their life.
The tradition of Polynesian tattoo can be traced back over 2, years ago. However, the practice was nearly eradicated in the 18th and 19the centuries by European and American missionaries, and sometimes the local chiefs themselves. After almost being completely wiped out on all islands except for Samoa, traditional tattoo art has made a comeback starting in the s and s.
Reviving the ancient art was difficult. In the Pacific islands where the knowledge of tattooing had been lost, very little was known of the original meanings of the indigenous tattoo designs.
Thanks to the help of researchers, scholars, and artists, the practice of traditional tribal tattoos has been preserved. You can learn more about this in a future blog article. The knowledge and skill of tattooing was usually passed on from master to apprentice, who were often father and son. In many Pacific cultures, it was considered a sacred knowledge. Often, they started by simply watching the master work, then progressing to serve the master throughout each tattoo session.
For example, apprentices performed the important task of stretching the skin. The apprentice also had to learn how to make the traditional tattoo tools and the techniques of using the tools well. You could not become a tattoo artist without knowing the specific construction and placement of the tattoo design, the significance and meanings of the motifs used, how to choose the appropriate tattoo designs for a person, and the rituals and traditions surrounding tattooing. Today, this tradition is continued by the small number of apprentices of the Samoan Sulu'ape family of tatau masters who have earned their place in the family and the title Sulu'ape.
Polynesians used the materials nature offered. The black color of the tattoo could be made from the soot of burnt coconut shells. The tools to puncture the skin used bone, animal teeth, shell, bird beaks or fish bone. These were shaped into comb shapes or needles and attached to a stick made from bamboo or some light wood.
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