ADF Health
Source: www.defence.gov.au
Topic: Tattoo
Sort Desciption: fitting, and tattoos show that a person is ready for life, for ... culture, tattoos are often associated with people on the edge of. society. ...
Content Inside: 38 ADF Health Vol 7 April 2006 ADF Health ISSN: 1443-1033 1 April 2006 7 1 38-39 ©ADF Health 2006 http://www.defence.gov.au/dpe/dhs/ From the Warrant Officer’s Desk T ATTOOS HAVE BEEN AROUND for nearly as long as humans have, and tattooing is one of the oldest forms of body art. The art of tattooing has been practised among many cultures, including the Egyptians, Celts, Native Americans, Eskimos, Japanese, south-east Asians and Pacific Islanders. The earliest form of tattoo has been found on the European “Iceman”, dated about 5300 years old. The impetus to decorate and adorn is essentially a human characteristic and is something that people have always done. The designs and symbols of adornment can hold great meaning. Similar designs can be found across cultures, but their meaning can be significantly different. Tattoos are more serious than other adornments as they are more or less permanent marks on the body. There are many reasons why people choose to have a tattoo, including: ■ cultural reasons (coming of age or rites of passage) ■ to express individuality ■ to indicate membership of a particular group or way of life ■ to make a statement ■ to establish a permanent reminder of an event, such as the death of a loved one ■ to reclaim the body after an event (eg, a sexual assault) ■ to make the body more pleasing to the eye. It seems that getting a tattoo can make someone look like an individual or a conformist, depending on your view. In Samoa, the word tatau means appropriate, balanced and fitting, and tattoos show that a person is ready for life, for adulthood and to be of service to the community. In Western culture, tattoos are often associated with people on the edge of society. In the early 19th century, tattooing became very popular with criminals and the working class in the United Kingdom and the United States. Tattooing retained this negative image until its recent revival as a mainstream symbol of individuality as w ...
