Polynesian Tattoo History
When the art of tattoos started, it was considered to be a pious and sacred art. Hence, there were a lot of rituals and practices that were attached to them. A person who wanted to wear a tattoo had to follow a lot of rituals both before and after the tattoo was made, in order to be eligible for a tattoo. Tattoo meant 'strike twice', which is very different from what tattoo means today. Unlike today, the equipment used to make the tattoo then, were turtle shells, bamboos, bird bones, etc. The entire process of tattoo making was given significant amount of importance and was usually accompanied by song and dance. tattoos took a lot of time to heal, but people got them made anyway, as they symbolized courage, valor and power. tattoos were made to display a person's rank and standing in the society.
A person was initiated to the tattoo art, after he turned twelve. It was considered to be the transition from boyhood to manhood. With each achievement, more tattoos were inked on the body. The more the number of tattoos on a person's body, more the respect and admiration for the person. Not only did men get tattoos made on themselves, but woman also had tattoos. However, the area of tattooing on a woman was limited to arms, lips, hands, chin and arms. The most important feature of the Polynesian tattoo is that they are very elaborate. Most of the Polynesian tattoos are usually abstract in nature, but they have a lot of cultural significance.
