Whether they are on arms, legs, ankles or buttocks, tattoos are painted all over our bodies by injecting ink into our skin.

A needle attached to a hand-held tool injects ink into the cells of the dermis-a section of our skin that keeps tattoos from fading and stretching. The tool moves the needle up and down at a rate of several hundred vibrations per minute and penetrates the skin by about one millimeter. The ink that is left in the skin after the injection process is the tattoo.

Decorating our bodies with tattoos is a popular fad among many people.

The word, tattoo originates from the Tahitian word tattau, which means "to mark" and was first mentioned in explorer James Cook's records from his 1769 expedition to the South Pacific. [b]However, some scientists believe that the earliest known evidence of tattooing dates back to markings found on the skin of the Iceman, a mummified human body that dates as far back as 3300 B.C.

More widely recognized are tattoos found on Egyptian and Nubian mummies dating from about 2000 B.C. [/b]Classical authors mention the use of tattoos in connection with Greeks, ancient Germans, Gauls, Thracians and ancient Britons.

Tattooing was rediscovered by Europeans when they came into contact with Polynesians and American Indians through their explorations. Because tattoos were considered so exotic in European and U.S. societies, tattooed Indians and Polynesians amazed crowds at circuses and fairs during the 18th and 19th centuries.

The practice of tattooing has different meanings to various cultures. Decoration was the most common motive for tattooing and that still holds true today.

In some cultures, tattoos served as identification of the wearer's rank or status within a group. For instance, the early Romans tattooed slaves and criminals. Tahitian tattoos served as rites of passage, telling the history of the wearer's life.

Body decoration has a very long and strong tradition for the African people dating back almost 6000 years to the pharaohs of egypt and many of the body painting and tatauing rituals have still survived over the centuries. On the one hand it survived in some regions because the natives were, and still are, making their living serving tourists as photo models. On the other hand because civilization didn't advance to many parts of the third world countries yet, especially in the southern regions. In those from civilization untouched regions it survived because the natives, bushmen and pygmies are still carrying out their rituals like their forefathers did thousands of years ago. In some tribes of norther Africa the art of tatauing is still left from mothers to their daughters. The images on the skin, climbing work of points, straight lines, crosses and triangles, work as amulet. They illustrate the fertility of a woman, enure her health, wealth and repel transcendental forces. And because the natives believe those forces are entering the body through it's holes, the women mostly apply the patterns on their face and parts on the body that can not constantly protected with clothes.

The Scar tatau has survived until today with some tribes of black Africa, the so called ethiopic race. Therefor the skin is pulled up with a thorn, some tribes use a fishing hook, and incisions are made with a sharp knife or a razor blade sometimes cutting out the skin part completely. To ease the pain oil, flour and healing herbs are applied. The results of this procedure are small scars decorating the skin with diversified patterns. The scar decoration tells about the social standing of someone since not everybody can afford an extensive scarification because the procedure is performed by specialists and is very complex and expensive. The more complex the scars are the higher is the social standing of the carrier.

Adorning scars also characterize a certain age class. In some places the first incisions are already made after birth and more scars follow in continuous intervals. At women, for instance, scars are applied after the first menstruation, after child birth or after the breastfeeding period. At the same time the scarifications are considered as a beautification since they ensure success with the other sex. The scars show overcome diseases, physical qualities and awards of personal achievements and you only become a real men or women with the scars.

Scar designs also simply characterize a tribal designation. A simple sign of local and related groups but no matter which tribe or which region, people without any scars are treated as misfits and cowards. Many African governments have made scar decorations illegal by law nowadays but those practices are still carried out secretly in most of those countries.

To get an overview of the art of the body painting in Africa is an almost impossible venture. Each region had, and sometimes still has, their own motives which could vary from family to tribe. In the Republic of Niger, for instance, the man used to painted themselves for hours for the groom exhibition. In southern Ethiopia again, tribes would use body paintings as a designation of ancestry and affiliation when going to battle. In neighboring Kenya the men painted themselves according to their age group and in Tanzania young men painted themselves to enhance their health and abilities for the transition into adults. On the contrary in Sudan body paintings were applied for big, social occasions and in Zaire, to display the social elite of a tribe, especially red colors were used. In south Africa the young men painted themselves, during the transition process to adulthood, extensively with the color white symbolizing their standing outside of society during this transition but at the same time getting closer to their ancestors.

Tattooing has been a Eurasian practice at least since around Neolithic times. Ötzi the Iceman, dating from the fourth to fifth millennium BC, was found in the Ötz valley in the Alps and had approximately 57 carbon tattoos consisting of simple dots and lines on his lower spine, behind his left knee, and on his right ankle. Other mummies bearing tattoos and dating from the end of the second millennium BC have been discovered, such as the Mummy of Amunet from Ancient Egypt and the mummies at Pazyryk on the Ukok Plateau.

Pre-Christian Germanic, Celtic and other central and northern European tribes were often heavily tattooed, according to surviving accounts. The Picts were famously tattooed (or scarified) with elaborate dark blue woad (or possibly copper for the blue tone) designs. Julius Caesar described these tattoos in Book V of his Gallic Wars (54 BC).

Tattooing in Japan is thought to go back to the Paleolithic era, some ten thousand years ago.[citation needed] Various other cultures have had their own tattoo traditions, ranging from rubbing cuts and other wounds with ashes, to hand-pricking the skin to insert dyes.

Tattooing in the Western world today has its origins in Polynesia, and in the discovery of tatau by eighteenth century explorers. The Polynesian practice became popular among European sailors, before spreading to Western societies generally.

eddy1977:

i would have to respectfully disagree with you here dear. mayas and incas had tatoes as well, did they copy that from africans?

also, i have never heard of any westerner claiming that tatooes originated from them, not in a book not on tv not anywhere. so, would you kindly tell me where you learned your wonderfull infos from? i would be very honored to double check. thank you.

eddy1977:


first of all brother, thank you for staying original in your outwear. i salute your patriotism.
i have just one question: does wearing african outwears a sign of being proud to be african? can i wear american outfits and still keep my african dignity and pride? dont you think if you didnt live in a western country and stayed back in your native african nation and never spoke any english would have made you an even more prouder african? please help me out i am just trying to understand better. thank you.

Exactly! If Barak Obama had been Nigerian maybe he would have changed his name to Micky Jack, still be washing dishes and talking with an invented accent.

TheSeeker:

sugabelly: oh and sweetiepie, who ever LIED to you that Africans used to dress "modestly/moderately" is a very wicked person.

We wore very minimal clothing before the European bitches came and started making noise about nudity. It's hot in Africa, so no need for so many clothes.

So my dear, you are not old-fashioned, you are actually NEW-fashioned because your moderate dressing is actually AGAINST your culture.

Thanks, I just had to point that out.

A lot of Africans think that European culture is THEIR culture and then they start making noise about dressing. I'm sorry, but you're mistaken.

Epiphany: Its called GLOBALISATION and like an earlier poster said, it is not only Africans that are imitating. The Asians, South Americans and most others are doing the same. It comes with whoever drives the world economy - they eventually influence the local cultures.

We all watch films made in the US, drive cars made in Europe, wear clothes made in the Far East (who are also imitators of the West), read books and magazines written by all these people put together, etc. How will we not be affected by the west?

Mind you the west is also influenced, in varying degrees, by those from these countries they are supposedly influencing. People in the US and Europe love to eat native foods: like Indian Curry, Thai and Chinese dishes etc. They wear native 'charms' and accessories from these places: bangles and jewellry from Africa and Asia, they drive cars made and imported from countries like Korea, Japan, china, india,

My conclusion is that we all influence eath other - even though we may claim that we are more influenced by the west than they are by us!

One last question: what are we doing to stop being influenced by the west or what are we doing to influence them back? NOTHING. WE IMPORT EVERYTHING AND EXPORT NOTHING. Even our crude which is collected locally is sent abroad and sold back to us as refined products. Shame!

Ptolomeus: First, historically, the inclusion of Western customs by Africans was not a question of imitation, but IMPOSITION.
Just read about nineteenth-century history (no need to speak of slavery), we understand that Europeans divided Africa (Berlin Agreement) ended with the traditions, customs, and miraculously failed to end all languages.
Today, indeed, there is some imitation. But it's logical, because after the historical facts above, the mentality of most Africans is Western. Something similar happened in South America ...
It would be interesting to evaluate the importance of Mc Donalds and Coke for the African people ... and perhaps consider whether it would be good to recover some of the missing values.
My respects.

Fulaman198:

Wow, well-written 100% agree you sir are very wise.

kengis: Many africans have low self esteem and think western culture is better

Ptolomeus:
I am very grateful for your kindness.
Best wishes!

@TheSeeker: Excellent contribution!
Thank you!

Fulaman198:

This is very true, I agree with that it's a shame though.

onila:

Fulaman198:

You are one of them Onila with your talk of "swag" and "swagger". You also talk about Basketball, which Nigerian who is a true Nigerian even mentions basketball? Only Americanized Nigerians do

Mrs.Chima:


Then why did Nigeria formed a Nigerian basketball team for the Olympics?

Where did you think the origin of soccer come from? Soccer is like a drug sport in NIgeria.

Mrs.Chima:


Then why did Nigeria formed a Nigerian basketball team for the Olympics?

Where did you think the origin of soccer come from? Soccer is like a drug sport in NIgeria.

Fulaman198:

Also soccer/football is a world sport abi

There is no one country where it is not played excessively (except the Americas) save Mexico.

Mrs.Chima:


If we are going by your conclusion then any sports played by the world is a world sport. Don't pinpoint one thing and not pinpoint other things that are "imitated".

Fulaman198:

Ok, I guess you are right, Soccer/Football w/e you want to call it is imitated. But it has been around A LOT LONGER than basketball has in Nigeria. Basketball is a recent phenomenon in Naija because of the influx of Nigerians who believe copying America instead of being themselves is the right thing to do.

Mrs.Chima:


But it is okay to copy other countries? If it isn't good for the goose then it shouldn't be good for the gander.

I know you have issues with America and that is on you...however I don't see much American influence in Africa as I do other countries' influences. Just because America has huge African immigrants doesn't mean AFricans are imitating American culture. From what I see on this side of the world that AFricans are maintaining their "culture" while in AFrica many are imitating other "cultures" of neighboring countries.

Africans speaking language of their explorers aren't of American culture but of their explorers' language. AFricans weren't speaking English, French, and Spanish before slavery.

The fact that you are writing in English....does that mean you have low self esteem?

Fulaman198:

I don't have issues with America, my issue is with Africans not being themselves. Also, I disagree, The youth are copying American customs by dressing like Americans and singing rap music in more urbanized areas. If you like I could type in my native tongue of Fulfulde, but then you would not understand would you?

One thing I do agree with is that we should not copy other countries (unless if that country has similar culture to us then fine ok). A lot of "Nigerian popular music" is so Americanized or Indianized (if that is even a word) that it isn't even funny.

Mrs.Chima:


You can type in your native tongue...it won't change anything I said. I see other influences in Africans that aren't Americanized and a hand full of Africans wearing Sean Johns and rapping California Love isn't a solid representation of "African Imitation Fad".

What is being "themselves"?


Some chatters need to stop contradicting themselves.

Ptolomeus: When hanblamos of "imitation" or influence, do not think it correct to speak of sports.
Each sport may have an origin, but it belongs to everyone ...
The soccer was invented by the English, but does not belong to them.
Basketball is also played throughout the world ...
All countries practice all sports.
I think the thread is being distorted with that ... there are much clearer examples of imitation, or cultural penetration.

My respects to all.

Fulaman198:

You are right sir, and perhaps I made a bad example by using sports, for that I am sorry. But other things like media, dress, fashion, Africans (Nigerians especially) are borrowing a lot if not too much from the West.

Ptolomeus:

Hello dear friend.
Always a pleasure to greet you!
That's what I meant. There are thousands of examples of cultural penetration, and imitation, which may be a much clearer example than the game.
That imitation exists even in the ceremonies, birthdays, baptisms, the name given to children ... in idiomatic phrases, in the "Halloween" ... at the Christmas dinner ... Anyway ... the list is endless.
This is not only a problem of Africa ...

Warm regards dear friend!