Other Cool Tribal Tattoos
Note: This is page 2 of of this article, page one is here: Armband
Tribal Tattoo Designs
Traditionally the process of getting cool tribal tattoos was by use of a needle and was
extremely painful. The needle was attached to a bone chisel or match head. The skin was stretched and the tattoos were placed deep into the skin using a mallet and a bone
chisel, because of the extreme pain associated with the process it represented bravery to many Polynesian
tribes.
Applying cool tribal tattoos by hand is still widely practiced by the tribes in Samoa, one
of the many islands of Polynesia. The traditional ways of applying tattoos have been unbroken for two
thousand years. It is considered a craft and the skill set is passed on from generation to generation, from
fathers to sons.
Those learning the tattoo arts from an elder often spend hours after hours placing designs into the
sand or cloth using a special tattooing device called an au. This special tool is still created today, the
way it was created hundreds of years ago, by combining sharpened boars teeth with part of a turtle
shell.
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Designs
Samoa is just one of the many islands in Polynesia. Polynesia is comprised of over 1000 islands al
over the Pacific Ocean. Some of the other Islands and their tattoo styles are listed:
- Easter Island (Rapa Nui) – Tattoos from the Easter Islands are considered to be the most sacred
of all tribal tattoos. People who wore the bold and vivid designs originating from the Easter Islands
where thought to be also sacred and could communicate with the Gods
- Hawaii – Cool tribal tattoos from Hawaii stand out from the other Polynesian islands
because they usually have a more personal meaning. Popular tattoos among the Hawaiian's include turtles and
Hawaiian flowers
- Tonga – Tattoos from Tonga are very similar to ones from Samoa. They are usually very
large and stretch across a lot of area on the skin. They show the rank and social status of the person
wearing them
- The Cook Islands – Tribal tattoos from the Cook Islands were also very large and spread across
the entire body. The different tribes on the Cook Islands had their very own distinct
tattoo
- Tahiti – In Tahiti, otherwise known as French Polynesia, only the people with high social status
wore tattoos. Tahitian tribal tattoos covered the entire body except for the face. Tattoos where not only
for men, but woman also. When a girl is young, they are tattooed. Then they are tattooed once again once
they reach sexual maturity. When a woman was attracted to a man they would lift their skirts and reveal
the tattoo to that man
- The Marquessa Islands – The tribes that inhabited the Marquessa Islands where the most heavily
tattooed of all the Polynesian tribes. Tattoo art is has a long tradition and is deeply rooted in their
culture
Though the Polynesian tribes each have distinct characteristics, they also have a lot of cultural
similarities. Their cool tribal tattoos all have some characteristics that were similar and tattoo
art was a big part of each tribe’s culture. Even if you don’t know much about the ancient tribes of
Polynesia, you cannot deny their impact on tattoo art and culture.
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