More than a Polynesian Pattern
Tribal tattooing shows a sacred culture
Tribal tattooing shows a sacred culture
“Tattoos are a way to represent a culture that has a big impact on my life and I show it on my skin.”
-Cayman Conley
Cayman Conley grew up with the sandy beaches and waves of Honolulu, Hawaii. It wasn’t until his sophomore year of college where he experimented with tattooing himself. A friend of Conley’s knew that he was an art major and asked him for a tattoo. “I had always been interested [in tattooing] but it wasn’t until my friend bought me a kit where I actually did it,” Conley said. “I watched videos on how to do it and I had an idea of what it should be like, but I was a nervous wreck.” After giving his first tattoo to a friend, Conley began practicing on fake skins to practice until he was craving a tattoo and moved on to doing it on himself the next year.
“When you go to a shop it hurts but you won’t usually tell the artist and you just deal with it,” Conley said. “Humans aren’t made to hurt themselves, so when you tattoo yourself you stop every time it hurts and it takes a lot longer.” Conley advises to think about what you’re getting and if it has relevance to you in a respectful way regarding other cultures and that each Polynesian culture has their own style of tribal tattoo and shouldn’t be simply assumed or associated with any island. Symbols and Meanings Traditional tribal tattooing utilizes geometric and symmetrical design that often follows the natural muscle patterns of the body with thick black ink. Most of these patterns indicate the tribe they belong to, family protection, religious beliefs, bravery within war, social status and ranking, elements of home and heritage. As Western culture has adopted tattooing, the traditional tribal style is becoming westernized as well with the introduction of color and representational and easily recognizable images rather than strictly black pattern work. Shapes used in tribal tattoos represented animals and elements of nature. Patterns associated with the sea are common among Polynesian tattoos since they traditionally live near the ocean and are often incorporated with almost each tribal tattoo. Different Polynesian islands will channel a specific design that appeals to its specific culture. For example, Māori or indigenous Polynesians of New Zealand, often use swoops in their designs to channel the fern plant while Samoans often uses a pattern that represents a woven mat to represent stitching and closeness. Other imagery of animals represent their way of life, the turtle represents a long life, wellness, fertility, union, family, harmony and is a symbol for navigation. Approximately 50 percent of Polynesian tattoos have an element of shark teeth in them because they represent shelter, guidance, power, ferocity, and adaptability since sharks are seen as the god of Polynesian people. Polynesians see the ocean as their home before and after death, it gives life and acts as the homeland for their ancestors. The sun in Polynesian tattoos stands for riches, brilliance, grandness and leadership and sun rises are often associated with the idea of rebirth. Sea shells are not seen as much in traditional Hawaiian tattoos but represent shield, protection and intimacy such as marriage. Meanwhile, turtle shells are much more common and similar to the turtle itself, it symbolizes longevity, wellness, fertility and peace. The Tiki figure represents whom the Hawaiians believed to be the first man on Earth and a semi-god who symbolizes protection. History of Tribal Tattooing Captain James Cook came to the Polynesian Islands and discovered the art of tattooing with the Natives that he met. When he returned to Europe in 1770s, he told stories of the “tatau” – one of many pronunciation variations – which stemmed the term “tattoo” that we know today. The Polynesians believed that their spiritual power or “mana” were displayed through their tattoos and so almost every person had tattoos. Europeans quickly became fascinated with the tattoos that sailors were sporting back from their voyages to the Polynesian Islands. Position and hierarchy in the tribe were shown through tattoos so their power and strength could be seen and recognized immediately. Traditional tattooists were highly trained men with extensive knowledge on the meanings behind the associated responsibilities, placement and significance of the tattoos. The tattooists told people to fast or eat a special diet before being tattooed as part of the ritual in order to make sure that they were not tainted spiritually. Traditionally, the tattooist determined the design and placement of the tattoo based off of the persona that they perceived of the person who they were tattooing. This is contrary to Western culture where the client chooses the tattoo. Tattoos were often reserved for those who had a higher social status and so the tattoo masters were treated and compensated well for their work. Traditional tattoo designs varied but many of them were used to memorialize leaders, chiefs and family members who had passed away. Rather than having portraits tattooed Polynesians represented the people they cared about through patterns. The process was often done in great secrecy due to its sacredness that it was often guarded by others while someone was being tattooed. Tattoos were applied with needles made from bone that were tied to a stick and hit with a mallet to penetrate the skin with pigment. The art of tattooing began with the Polynesian islands and introduced it to the Western world. Its sacred and symbolic methods and patterns are some that should be respected and admired by everyone. Tribal tattooing is representative of a plethora of cultures and is more than a token that someone gets while on vacation. |
|