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September 13, 2004
Tattoos have long history
Heather Cutler
Mesa Legend
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| Photo by Rebecca Straughmatt Mesa Legend |
| Tattoos, like this American eagle, carry many symbolic meanings for those who have them. Throughout history, tattoos have represented everything from religious beliefs to gang affiliations. |
For many generations styles and fads have come and gone with only a few lucky enough to make a comeback. But the one trend that has not changed since the beginning of time is the art of tattooing and body piercing. The only way it has changed is the way people view these forms of self-expression.
Tattooing and body piercing has been a right of passage, not so much a religious or cultural belief, even though some cultures still see them as such. The reason many teenagers have pierced their navels and tongues or tattoo their lower backs and upper arms is more along the lines of self-expression. “It’s less of a big deal. There are more younger people with tattoos,” says student, Kristy Swires. “Some of them (teenagers) don’t realize that what they put on their bodies will be there forever, so it should have some significance.”
While most teenagers have kept the tattooing to a minimum and have only gotten one or two, there are some teens that see their own bodies as blank canvas which needs to be filled.
Stephen Taylor, a student, has altogether sixteen tattoos; all of which, except for two, he received while in the army. He has one on his upper back that shows his last name with three skulls underneath it, which have the famous facial expressions of Hear no Evil, See no Evil, and Speak no Evil. He also has his zodiac sign, an American eagle, a Playboy bunny on his lower leg, and a sword with blood dripping off of it.
Tattoos and body piercing, especially, are seen by the younger generations to be a symbolic meaning of sexuality.
Navel piercing is done to show off a young women’s mid-section, which in today’s pop-culture is a symbol for sex and sexuality.
Tongues are pierced to somehow enhance the sexual experience and show off that one is of a sexual nature.
The art of tattooing and body piercing has been around for many years and has been practiced by many cultures. The only aspect that has changed is the way people interpret them. In 1992, a 4,000-year-old man was discovered in a glacier just off the Australian border. His body was preserved just enough so his tattoos could still be seen.
“Some of them (teenagers) don’t realize that what they put on their bodies will be there forever so it should have some
significance.” |
From 4,000-2,000 B.C, Egyptians of the time viewed tattoos as a sign of fertility and nobility, while pharaohs pierced their navels as a rite of passage. The Japanese have shown tattooing on their bodies for ornamental, religious, and even cosmetic purposes.
In some cases, tattooing proved to be an easy way to identify a human being.
During the Holocaust, hundreds of thousands of Jewish men and women had tattoos on their inner arms to show who they were and what number they had been given.
As time went on, tattoos became popular with gangs, motorcyclists, and criminals who wanted a trademark to show some kind of loyalty to the group he or she belonged to.
Tattoos and body piercing are art forms that can only be appreciated by those who understand its origin and symbolic meanings. Once the fear of needles is put behind teenagers, self expression in this way is inevitable, in whatever form fits best.
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