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Taylor Fujii
Paudyal
English 100
7 October 2012
Society has taken away cultural tattoo’s meaning
In places such as Ancient Japan or Polynesia, tattoos were used to mark certain people.
According to Stephen Mansfield, author of “The Indelible Art of the Tattoo,” criminals in Japan
were tattooed on the forehead to show that they have made several offenses against the law.
While in Ancient Polynesia, the tattoos were given to show kinship and authority. Today, tattoos
are given for a different reason, which is the fact of how good the artwork looks rather than the
original meaning behind the image. These tattoos have become a big part of the culture in places
all over the world but it can specifically be seen here in Hawaii.
Since this land is a giant mixing pot of different ethnicities, different art forms and
traditions came over when the immigrants did. For example, since Ancient Hawaiian art was
already here hundreds of years before the immigrants came, Japanese tattoos made its way over
as the years passed. In Ancient Japan, tattoos were used to ward of evil spirits and animals as
well as show social ranking like with Polynesian tattoos. But these tattoos were also used to
discriminate convicts from the rest of the population in the 18th century. This brought tattoos to
become so popular in the criminal world that the criminal was probably the tattoer's best
customer (Mansfield). But as time passed tattoos began to spread around Japan and people who
weren’t criminals started to wear art on their bodies, which lead to people having “full-suit”
tattoos, which is tattoos that cover their neck to their legs. This showed a great appreciation for
the art even though there was a ban on tattoos in old Japan. Around this time love or religion also
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influenced the works of art as Buddhism and Confucianism was spreading throughout Japan. For
example, prostitutes had their lovers name inked into their wrists to show a pledge for eternal
love (Mansfield). But even then they were looked down on by the polite society and still are
today even though many citizens still carry on the old traditions of having Japanese tattoos.
In Ancient Polynesia, tattoos were given to people at a certain age or stage in their life.
Each tattoo had it’s own intricate design representing the kin’s amakua or family spirit that
protected the kin. Each tattoo has a different meaning depending on who wears the tattoo and
what the person has tattooed on them which Kate Sedgwick says in ‘What do your tattoos mean
to you?” “The intricate designs carry signifiers of family and history” (Sedgwick). In an article
written by Anvanika Mote, the way tattoos are given which is unique to Polynesia is explained.
Tattoos or tatau is given through a tool made out of wood and a birds beak and is then dragged
across the skin to make the design. This process took months and since it was given at a certain
stage in life it was considered more of a ritual (Mote). But in order for this ritual and tattoo to
happen, the whole family’s permission was needed first. These ancient tattoos brought the newly
tattooed person into the family on a different level than before which it’s intricate meanings that
link the person even closer to their family.
Today people don’t take Japanese, Polynesian or many other ancient culture’s tattoos
seriously anymore. As although the practice of having one’s whole body tattooed is still
continued, the meaning of tattoos being symbols of convicts or symbols of love or religion in
Japanese culture is gone. Instead, these works of art are being tattooed on people simply because
they have a good look to it. The same goes for Polynesian tattoos, as today in Hawaii I see many
people everywhere I go sporting a Polynesian tattoo but barely any of them have any real
Polynesian blood in them which shows that the original meaning isn’t there since the Polynesian
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tattoo ritual and process was meant for a Polynesian. It is also shown because most people don’t
even understand what the intricate shapes and designs in their Polynesian work of art means.
Another way that shows the meaning is lost is the fact that these tattoos aren’t given the same
way they were before. In Ancient Polynesia the tattoos took weeks or even months to complete,
as it was a slow process with tools made from the resources of the land. And since these tattoos
took so long to complete it allowed the individual to tell the tattooist about their life, family and
social rank, which is how the design was decided.
Today, tattoos don't have the same meanings they did in their original times but on the
rare occasion that someone truly does appreciate the culture and history behind that specific
work of art, the person is not only worthy but also has the potential to revive some of the culture
behind the art. For example I have a friend that is Hawaiian and wants a Hawaiian tribal tattoo to
represent his family’s amakua and bloodline. He has done his research for years by talking to
different tattoo artists, family members and resorting to books that describe the ancient history
and process. Because of all of the research that this person has done and the passion he has for
his heritage it is clear that he is not one of the many in our society that takes advantage of the
beautiful works of art on skin. He appreciates the hard work that goes into the artwork as well as
the significance of tradition that is represented through it.
But unfortunately, the rest of his generation don’t show appreciation like he does and just
gets tattoos like the one he wants because it is todays “hype” or current trend that everyone
follows. These people don’t realize how much tradition and culture is behind every work of art
whether it’s on someone’s skin or on a canvas. These traditions date back to hundreds of years
ago and have been passed down ever since trying to stay alive. But this gets complicated sine
today’s youth likes to get traditional tattoos for the hell of it. But they don’t realize that by doing
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that they are insulting someone else’s culture and beliefs. For example today it is very
inappropriate for a non-Polynesian person to get a Polynesian tattoo simply because they like
Hawaii. It is considered disrespectful to those who practice the art as well as those who belong to
the culture behind it. This shows that society should always show respect for another culture by
not getting something tattooed for the hell of it, but by showing appreciation and knowledge;
which is what Sedgwick states in her article, “when asking what your tattoos mean to you, you
might also want to ask what they might mean to other people, too” (Sedgwick) because you
never know how it will spread throughout society and impact another’s heritage.
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Works Cited
Kengwick, Kate. "What do Your Tattoos Mean to You?." Matador Nights. N.p., 26 09 2011.
Web. Web. 6 Oct. 2012. <http://matadornetwork.com/nights/what-do-your-tattoos-mean-toyou/>.
Mansfield, Stephen. "The Indelible Art Of The Tattoo." Japan Quarterly 46.1 (1999): 30.
Academic Search Premier. Web. 27 Nov. 2012.
Mote, Avanika. "Samoan Tattoos." Buzzle. N.p., 31 03 2010. Web. Web. 5 Oct. 2012.
<http://www.buzzle.com/articles/samoan-tattoos.html>.
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