Whether you’re running errands around town or chilling by the poolside, you probably notice people with tattoos. In the Western world especially, as the years go by, more and more people are beginning to embrace tattoos on their bodies. To some it may mean a great deal, while to others, it’s art and goes well with their personal aesthetic.
Across the globe, tattoos mean different things for different people. Each culture embraces tattoos in unique ways. Let’s take a trip to Japan, Africa and The United States and explore the similarities and differences regarding tattoos in each culture.
Exploring the Meaning of Tattoos Across Cultures
Cultural Meaning of Tattoos in Japan
Tattoos have a complicated history in Japan. Anyone who has visited the country has most definitely encountered “no tattoos allowed” signs at public bathing facilities, saunas, ryokans, and other locations.
Unlike many other countries nowadays, visible tattoos are uncommon in Japan. Many Japanese who have tattoos keep them completely concealed for social and occupational reasons. As it turns out, the Yakuza (Japanese mafia) is responsible for a big portion of Japan’s aversion to tattoos. Sometimes, even Yakuza members contain their ink by covering it with clothing.
Irezumi is a term used to describe traditional Japanese tattooing. The complexities of Japan’s tattoo connection started in the 1600s, when the government adopted a policy requiring all offenders to be tattooed – an act known as bokkei. This would make it difficult for them to regain social acceptance. People with tattoos were shunned by their families and ostrasized by society as a whole.
Tattoos in Japanese culture represent many things. To some it is viewed as spiritual protection, during wards samauris used them for identification after death and more recently, they are seen as going against social norms (or maybe even the law).
Cultural Meaning of Tattoos in Africa
Africa has one of the most ancient tattoo traditions in the world. Tattoos have been used for hundreds of years to cure sickness, ward off spirits, demonstrate allegiance to specific tribes, and represent personality attributes such as bravery, courage, and social standing.
Around 2000 BCE, the earliest tattoo ever discovered was on an Egyptian mummy. Aside from this find, several more mummified tattoo instances have been found and documented. According to one Egyptologist, these tattoos may have meant and reflected female rejuvenation and fertility.
North Africa
Tattooing has long been considered taboo in North Africa owing to its Islamic influences. Tattoos are viewed as equivalent to spraying graffiti on the body, which is deemed a gift from Allah. However, early twentieth-century research reveals that there was a substantial traditional tattoo culture in portions of North Africa, including Libya, Morocco, Tunisia, Egypt, and Algeria, throughout recent history.
Sub-Saharan Africa
Although it appears that tattooing culture did not receive much historical attention in the Sub-Sahara, it was discovered that small groups of indigenous people from these regions practiced a kind of body alteration known as skin scarification.
Scarification entailed cutting the skin deeply enough to produce a scar over the region using a sharp object. Sections of skin were carved into shapes and patterns such that the shape/pattern would remain even after the skin healed and scarred.
These scars, however harmful owing to the possibility of infection, were used to fend off evil.
In more modern times in Africa, the art forms of tattooing and scarification have fused to form a technique known as cicatrization.
This entails extensively cutting the skin to form scar tissue before applying ash or soot into the area. While the ash does contribute color pigments to the scars as they form, the major aim of introducing these components is to inflame the skin, causing the scars to rise and protrude much more than they would naturally.
Scars often reopen later, only to have stones or pearls inserted beneath the skin to produce an even more noticeable elevated impression.
Cultural Meaning of Tattoos in The United States of America
Tattoos in the United States are separated into two time periods: pre-colonial Native American culture tattoos and contemporary American culture tattoos.Tattooing arrived in the United States 1,500 to 2,000 years ago–long before the United States of America formed.
The Eskimos, Native Americans, and Hawaiians were the first to adopt the art form in the United States. The latter two cultures began tattooing themselves at the same time as tattooing became widespread in Polynesia, although the Eskimos most likely began tattooing themselves much earlier.
Before 1851, tattooing was often a lengthy, painful procedure undertaken with rudimentary implements such as soot-covered threads used by Eskimos and pointed bones and boulders used by Native Americans.
Tattoos were originally considered fit for misfits, sailors, and bikers in the modern United States. They have, however, grown prevalent and popular among young people.
Cultural Meaning of Tattoos in India
Tattoo’s have been part of India’s culture for centuries. It has been ingrained within the many different tribes found across the vast Indian subcontinent and to this day still has some significance.
For many tribes, tattoos are jewelry that cannot be stolen. But it’s also a tactic to protect young women from being stolen from their tribes. Women are seen as unattractive to other tribes if their bodies are tattooed.
In northeastern India, the headhunters had facial tattoos as a way to keep record of all their kills.
Presently, India’s tattoo culture has become one in the same with that of western culture. This means that tattoos are not fashion statements. It’s important, however, that the initial meanings of tattoos not be forgotten. These meanings hold a lot of Indian history and culture inside of them.
Wrapping Up
Tattoos have an extensive history and culture. They can mean something different depending on which country in the world you go to. It’s interesting to learn the twist that each country adds to their tattoo culture to make it unique.
At Day Translations, we are passionate about the nuances of different countries and cultures. Why not take advantage of our professional translation services? Our expert team is here to help you get connected with the rest of the world. Contact us today!