Tattoos In
History
What did President Theodore Roosevelt and Winston
Churchill's mother have in common? They both had
tattoos. While Jennie Churchill's tattoo was allegedly
covered for the sake of reputation, and Teddy Roosevelt's was
simply in a location which was not readily visible, this
information caused a stir amongst many of their day as well as
modern-day history buffs. President Roosevelt's daughter Alice
also had a tattoo which was in a concealed location. Neither
Mrs. Churchill's nor President Roosevelt's artwork, however,
lent itself to gaining a sense of respectability amongst the
average citizens. Even when such notable figures
possessed tattoos, they were still considered to be socially
unacceptable for most people.
Going as far back as any studies have been on the subject,
it is claimed that the "Ice Man" who lived some 3300 years
B.C., had some form of tattoos. Upon discovering the
remains, researchers have been able to do little but guess that
this most primitive form of tattoo was for the purpose of
warding off evil spirits, or that it may have been some type of
rite-of-passage. Combined on his spine and behind one
knee and on one ankle, the Ice Man had approximately
fifty-seven tattoos. While it is impossible to do more
than speculate as to the actual reason for them, it certainly
shows that tattoos are not unique to current eras nor to the
people in the modern-day world. As the Ice Man was the
oldest mummified human remains found in Europe, today's tattoo
fans have history on their side-- there's nothing
"modern" about tattoos.
In the distant past, tattoos were connected to an entirely
different nature than they have been during the last few
decades. There was nothing notorious or rebellious about
them. It used to be that tattoos were reserved for those
of high social standing, and were not available to average
people. Tattoos were only available to-- and a sign
of-- those who were wealthy, important, and usually in
some high position of government or royalty. Sweden's
King Oscar had tattoos; so did England's King George the
fifth. In that era, tattoos were a status
symbol.
In other time-periods, tattoos also served specific
purposes. Going the furthest back in American history,
many Native American tribes utilized the practice of
tattoos; it was primarily for the purpose of showing
one's connection to one's specific tribe. For the
Polynesians, tattooing was a method of relating family
history; each individual person had his own individual
tattoos to show the story of his family. Some of the
earliest explorers on the American continent have been said to
have acquired this practice from the Polynesians' forms of
tattoos.
Two of the oldest Egyptian mummies were discovered to have
had tattoos. These tattoos, which have only been found on
female mummies, consist of patterns of lines, dots and
dashes. As the women themselves were connected to
ritualistic practices, it is assumed that the tattoos they had
in common were in some way representative of that fact.
It is only speculation on the parts of the researchers, of
course, based on their knowledge of the lifestyles of that
period in time.
Although Oriental symbols are quite popular for tattoos in
America, it is not widely known that both the Japanese and
Chinese cultures have held a strong opposition to the practice
of tattooing throughout history. With both societal and
religious viewpoints agreeing that tattooing is something which
should not be done, it is still considered to be a means of
contaminating one's body. For the ancient Chinese,
tattooing was used as a punishment for criminal activity,
putting such visible marks on a person to forever brand him as
a criminal.
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