MINISTERUL EDUCAȚIEI NAȚIONALE

COLEGIUL TEHNIC ENERGETIC

SIBIU

LUCRARE PENTRU OBŢINEREA

ATESTATULUI DE COMPETENŢĂ
LINGVISTICĂ LA LIMBA ENGLEZĂ

Profesor coordonator:

Prof. Soare Constanţa

Elev: Calinoiu Ioan-Andrei

SIBIU
2020
 MINISTRY OF NATIONAL EDUCATION
ENERGETIC TECHNICAL COLLEGE SIBIU
THE ENGLISH DEPARTMENT

TATTOOS AND THEIR HISTORY

Scientific Advisor:

Soare Constanţa, Teacher

Student: Calinoiu Ioan-Andrei

Sibiu
2020
 CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION ..................................................................................... 4
CHAPTER I- TATTOOS AND THEIR HISTORY ................................. 5
CHAPTER II- TATTOOS- CATEGORIES AND MEANINGS ............. 9

CONCLUSION........................................................................................ 13
BIBLIOGRAPHY.................................................................................... 14
 INTRODUCTION

Since ancient times, people have shown interest in the human body, tried to
beautify it, to attract attention. From makeup and tattoos to cosmetic surgery, both women
and men have appealed and continue to appeal to change what they do not like about their
body, to improve it and make it more attractive. A person's physical appearance is directly
reflected on the perception he has of himself, in the identity he creates in his relationships
with others.

Tattoos convey an important message about the individual: it is a way of telling the
world who you are and what you believe in, a visual way with specific cultural and social
meanings. Tattoos are nowadays a very fashionable "accessory". In fact, they record the
greatest popularity this type of body painting has ever enjoyed. Body changes transform
the body and, with it, the identity we attribute to someone.

There are many people nowadays who cover their body with tattoos, some just
discrete ones, others entire parts of their bodies. It has become a fashion as well as a
statement for many of us nowadays, and as stated before also a form of self-expression, a
way to show the world who we are and how we are.

Yet, maybe, tattoos have not always had the same significance for the people that
wore one as well as for those around. Actually, even though tattoos seem to be in fashion
now, and one might think that they are a relatively new thing, judging by their popularity,
tattoos actually have a long history, going back to the times when human beings lived and
functioned in tribes.

Consequently, tattoos is a topic I have become interested in lately, although I

myself do not have one, and I find it fascinating how so many people are so caught into
this, almost like a religion for some of them, a way of expressing themselves no matter
what the situation. I feel, though, that the initial significance of tattoos has changed,
maybe now it is more an individual thing rather than a symbol of social status.

My paper is structured into several chapters, mainly focusing on the history of

tattoos, as well as their significance then and now, on what tattoos mean for some people
and the reasons why some people wear them.

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 CHAPTER I- TATTOOS AND THEIR HISTORY

Tattooing has been practiced across the globe since at least Neolithic times, as
evidenced by mummified preserved skin, ancient art and the archaeological record. Both
ancient art and archaeological finds of possible tattoo tools suggest tattooing was
practiced by the Upper Palaeolithic period in Europe. However, direct evidence for
tattooing on mummified human skin extends only to the 4th millennium BC.

The oldest discovery of tattooed human skin to date is found on the body of Ötzi
the Iceman, dating to between 3370 and 3100 BC. Other tattooed mummies have been
recovered from at least 49 archaeological sites, including locations in Greenland, Alaska,
Siberia, Mongolia, western China, Egypt, Sudan, the Philippines and the Andes. These
include Amunet, Priestess of the Goddess Hathor from ancient Egypt (c. 2134–1991 BC),
multiple mummies from Siberia including the Pazyryk culture of Russia and from several
cultures throughout Pre-Columbian South America.

Primitive people used tattoos during rites

of passage to protect themselves from evil
forces or simply from the desire for beauty.
Today, this fashion is very popular among
artists, be they rock singers or film actors.

In 1992, a man's body was discovered

near Austria's border with Italy, on the heights
of the Alps. With his clothes and equipment
well preserved in the ice, the man was estimated
by archaeologists to be more than 5,000 years
old. The discovery caused a sensation. He was
called "Otzi, the ice man." Well, Otzi had marks
around his ankles and knees that looked a lot
like today's tattoos. There were 58 such
drawings made up of simple dots and lines, and
historians appreciated that the tattoos were not accidental, the practice being probably a
common one in those times.

Proof of this was that, immediately after World War II, in 1948, Russian
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archaeologist Sergei Rudenko discovered during excavations on the heights of the Altai
Mountains, on the border with China, a Scythian leader whose body featured animal
paintings, fantastic griffins and monsters whose significance was magical, but also purely
decorative designs. All showed the social status of the tattooed. The mummy was older
than 2,400 years and was very well preserved.

In fact the history of humankind is full of evidence of people wearing tattoos since
what may seem forever for us. Besides the discovery dating back to more than 5000
years, there are others dating back to 4000BC- 3500BC, in Egypt and they are female
mummies. There is certainly evidence that women had tattoos on their bodies and limbs
from figurines c. 4000-3500 B.C. to occasional female figures represented in tomb scenes
c. 1200 B.C. and in figurine form c. 1300 B.C., all with tattoos on their thighs. Also small
bronze implements identified as tattooing tools were discovered at the town site of Gurob
in northern Egypt and dated to c. 1450 B.C. And then, of course, there are the mummies
with tattoos, from three women bodies already mentioned and dated to c. 2000 B.C. to
several later examples of female mummies with these forms of permanent marks found in
Greco-Roman burials at Akhmim.

Because this seemed to be an exclusively female practice in ancient Egypt,

mummies found with tattoos were usually dismissed by the (male) excavators who
seemed to assume the women were of "dubious status," described in some cases as
"dancing girls." The female mummies had nevertheless been buried at Deir el-Bahari
(opposite modern Luxor) in an area associated with royal and elite burials, and we know
that at least one of the women described as "probably a royal concubine" was actually a
high-status priestess named Amunet, as revealed by her funerary inscriptions.

And although it has long been assumed that such tattoos were the mark of
prostitutes or were meant to protect the women against sexually transmitted diseases, I
personally believe that the tattooing of ancient Egyptian women had a therapeutic role
and functioned as a permanent form of amulet during the very difficult time of pregnancy
and birth. This is supported by the pattern of distribution, largely around the abdomen, on
top of the thighs and the breasts, and would also explain the specific types of designs, in
particular the net-like distribution of dots applied over the abdomen. During pregnancy,
this specific pattern would expand in a protective fashion in the same way bead nets were
placed over wrapped mummies to protect them and "keep everything in." The placing of
small figures of the household deity Bes at the tops of their thighs would again suggest
the use of tattoos as a means of safeguarding the actual birth, since Bes was the protector
of women in labour, and his position at the tops of the thighs a suitable location. This
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would ultimately explain tattoos as a purely female custom.

Also, at the very beginning, not really a tattoo in the sense of today, but rather a
form of body painting, was the use of the blood of the animal ne had just killed to paint
themselves various symbols- probably a sign of power, to show others that you are strong
and capable and that you conquered the beast and killed it.

Obviously, a bit later, when people started living in a more organized system- the
tribe, tattoos might have been a symbol of the tribe you belonged to, as well as be used at
certain ceremonial events, such as weddings, deaths or rites of passage.

Then, and again this is not a tattoo per se, but throughout history there were also
moments when a certain regime was marking people’s body, not using ink, but rather hot
iron to mark a certain status of that person, for example in the case of slaves. As I said,
this is not really tattoo, but it is in a way in the same direction of body marking/ painting
or modification.

As years passed, tattoos came to be associated with rather low-class people, such
as criminals for example. For many of them it was quite a fashion and probably also a
sign of power, in their attempt to impose themselves against the others convicts in the
prison. So there was this impression, at least in our country, whenever someone saw a
person wearing a tattoo, that that person was probably low-life and might have spent
some time in prison. And most of the time this was not a misconception, as it was quite
true in most cases.

Then, there was a transition from this statement of the people that were usually
criminals, outcast, or not well seen by the society they lived in towards tattoos being a
statement of the liberty of expression and will, mostly worn by teenagers who were quite
rebellious in nature. Most of them used to have a tattoo done, as a form of rebellion
against almost any kind of authority- school, parents etc. As most of the time, both
parents and school authorities regarded the wearing of tattoos as being something
indecent, and going against any dressing code, wearing a tattoo was forbidden. Teenagers
felt constrained by this kid of laws, which they felt would contradict their freedom of
expression, so they wore them as a form of protest, as well as expression.

Still somehow, related to this idea of rebellion as well as self-expression and a sign
of identification there have appeared tattoos related to gangs. There are plenty of gangs
that wear certain tattoos that show you belong to a certain group having certain ideology
and principles.
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 Much later on, as times became less harsh, tattoos started being seen as a form of
art and self-expression. Today, there are plenty of artists who specialise in the art of body
painting as well as tattooing to such an extent that nowadays there are even competitions
and festivals dedicated to this body art. Each year, they organize such events on a local,
national and even international level and there are dozens and even hundreds of artists
that participate. Moreover, with the extension of the internet nowadays, these artists can
also promote their art all around the globe, having galleries and not rarely promoting what
could be seen as almost a philosophy. For these artists, tattoos are not just a form of art
through which they give way to their creative process, but also a philosophy of life,
almost a religion. Most of these artists are very proud of their talent and work and some of
them even have certain particularities of their work that their work is actually easily
recognized. They hand and work are so precise and they also use certain symbols and
symbolism and create intricate designs and their work is thus recognized, appreciated and
valued for what it is.

So you see how much has this art of tattooing evolved throughout the years to a
point where now many people wear one, no matter the social status or the position in
society one might have. Nowadays you can see managers or directors, doctors, or even
teachers wearing a tattoo. It is true that most of the time that tattoo was made in their
youth, but still it was well chosen, many times with significance. And, what is more, the
attitude of the others around has changed. Now when you see someone wearing a tattoo
you no longer consider that vulgar, poor judgement or young foolishness, you no longer
see that as a clear sign that that person once spent time in prison. Wearing a tattoo has
almost become like wearing a jewel or any other kind of garment, and people no longer
consider that to be necessarily a bad sign.

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 CHAPTER II- TATTOOS- CATEGORIES AND MEANINGS

A tattoo is a form of body modification where a design is made by inserting ink,

dyes and pigments, either indelible or temporary, into the dermis layer of the skin to
change the pigment. The art of making tattoos is tattooing.

Tattoos fall into three broad categories: purely decorative (with no specific
meaning); symbolic (with a specific meaning pertinent to the wearer); and pictorial (a
depiction of a specific person or item). In addition, tattoos can be used for identification
such as ear tattoos on livestock as a form of branding.

The tattoo, more than a body sign with a strictly visual function, is a factor in
reorganizing the body identity of the individual being tattooed. The change in body
attitudes, which occurs in the act of tattooing, takes various forms that oscillate between
the exposure of the body and its coverage. Considering both gestures - covering or
exposing the tattoo, as conscious and deliberate acts of manifesting bodily identity, their
understanding refers to a number of variables that start from the place where the tattoo is
placed on the individual's body, to public space, or private in which the body is exposed
and the status of the individual tattooed in the group in front of which he exposes his
body.

Overall, tattoos have various meanings, most of the time, it is a personal

expression and choice. Sometimes, people have their tattoos done when drunk, or out of a
bet, or encouraged and pushed by friends, and in this situations, the tattoo did not have a
meaning for the wearer. Other times, the wearers think quite a lot of time before choosing
their tattoos, and many times they associate the tattoo with a certain event or person in
their life, as well as something important for them.

There are several types of tattoos depending on the size (small, or covering a more
extensive part of the body), inspiration (there can be chosen from a gallery already
created by the artist, or inspired by an image, a person or an object), it can also serve a
purpose (if for example the tattoo is an identification number, or a map, or something
important to remember). Yet, no matter what the inspiration and the reason behind a
certain tattoo is, throughout the years there have been noticed that certain particular
tattoos have some significance that is always there.

So, if you want your tattoo to convey a certain meaning you have two choices: you
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either come with something totally personal and unique, or you can take a look at the
Tattoo dictionary, a collection of tattoos and their significance and choose from there.

1. Tribal Tattoos are generally based on ancient tribal art. These tattoos originated
from the artworks of ancient tribes, such as the tribes of Celtic, the Borneo, the Haida, and
the Maori. The modern form of these tribal artworks is called New Tribalism. Some styles
also originated in India, Hawaii, Aztec, Samoa, and Polynesia and spread to the rest of the
world.

Tattoos in these communities were used to depict the social status of a person, rites
of passage, and family status. They were sometimes even used for medicinal purposes.
Every culture has its own designs and techniques, but most of the tribal tattoos are done in
black.

Tribal tattoos feature bold line motifs, repetitive patterned designs, elements, bold
black lines, and spiritual and mythical symbolism. The most popular tribal tattoos are the
Hawaiian flower, Indian motifs, letters, and rose tattoos.

2. Traditional Tattoos are based on the traditional American or the Wild Western
tattoo style. Traditional tattoos are possibly the oldest among all the other tattoo forms.
They have been used by most of the sailors around the world to set themselves apart from
others.

They generally feature bold, black outlines and have a limited colour palette,
featuring red, green, yellow, and black. Later on, purple was also added to the palate.

Some popular traditional tattoo designs include sparrow tattoos, eagle tattoos,
pin-up tattoos, native American tattoos, heart tattoos, anchor tattoos, mermaid tattoos,
navy and army symbols, dagger tattoos, rose tattoos, and gypsy design tattoos.

3. Realism Tattoos look like photographs or actual 3D objects. In the tattoo world,
the term realism refers to designs that are detailed, precise, and exact representations of
real-life images. They generally focus on faces, scenery, animals, and everyday objects.

This style of tattoo requires a lot of patience and a great eye for detail. Realism
tattoos have many colours and layers. Depth is used to maximize contrast and 3D effect of
the tattoos. The most beautiful realism tattoos have perfect depictions of the eyes.

4. Watercolour Tattoos have become insanely popular because of their ethereal

style, fluid forms, and vivid hues. They are inked the same way normal tattoos are done.
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The only difference is the techniques of colouring and shading. Watercolour tattoos
generally have no bold outlines. The designs are mostly splashes of colours with a few
bold lines in between for shape – and sometimes not even that.

5. New School Tattoos style includes elements from many tattoo styles, such as
old school, irezumi, and folk art. This style of tattooing uses the heavy outline style of the
old school tattoos. But contrary to using a limited colour contrast as in old school, new
school tattoos use a range of bright colours.

They do not use realism as all the details in the tattoo are exaggerated and
represent graffiti style. New school tattoos feature fantastical subjects and allow the artists
to do a lot of customization.

6. Japanese Tattoos with Meanings are called irezumi. They are also known as
motifs. The unique thing about these tattoos is that every image that is inked has a
specific meaning and purpose.

Japanese tattoos may depict a person’s character traits, personal beliefs, and
aspirations, or even declarations of gang associations. They are also sometimes based on
myths and famous stories.

7. Blackwork Tattoos also called neo-tribal tattoos, are created using solid black
ink. These tattoos use linework and dotwork to a large extent and have large areas of
black tint, black shading, distinctive motifs, graphic art, and symmetrical and complex
geometrical patterns.

These tattoos are made up of minimalist images and symbols. They are heavily
influenced by Polynesian artwork and tattoos. All-black tattoos were done by the ancient
Polynesian tribes to flaunt their identities, lineage, and social standing, and their ideas of
warfare or religious beliefs.

8. Henna Tattoos- The tradition of applying henna tattoos can be traced back to
Ancient Egypt. It is believed that Cleopatra used to apply henna to adorn her body.
Egyptians would use henna to paint the nails of mummies before burial. Henna tattooing
is traditionally done to celebrate a happy occasion or acknowledge rites of passage. These
are the most common tattoos.

Hindus don henna tattoos on their weddings to symbolize purity, joy, beauty,
happiness and spiritual awakening. Moroccans paint their doors with henna as they

11
believe that it brings prosperity to the household and eliminates evil.

These were but a few types of tattoos from entire lists of categories that anyone can
read about and admire online, as well as in galleries or books. There is such a variety of
styles and symbolisms used that it would be difficult in my paper to pinpoint all of them. I
guess in the end it is all up to what everyone wants to display and transmit about
themselves, the message and the significance they want to share. Also, it depends on the
style and taste everybody has.

All in all, it is amazing what a variety of styles and sources of inspiration there are
out there, as well to see how many people nowadays wear a tattoo.

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 CONCLUSION

Tattoos are viewed very differently by different people. Some are all for
expressing their personalities through permanent ink on their own body and others are
totally against it. Then there are those who are in the middle about tattoos.

Along with those for and against tattoos, there is the question of if tattoos should
be considered art. There are many different museums that have exhibits dedicated to
tattoos, like the Royal Ontario Museum and the Virginia Museum for Fine Arts.

Tattoos are not necessarily horrible things that should define a person and their
ability to do their work properly, but sadly they are. People are so quick to judge others
and especially when it is with something expensive, like tattoos. Tattoos do not effect
anybody, unless it is purposefully trying to offend people, then that is another story.
Tattoos are just ink, nobody, but the person it is on, has to deal with it for the rest of their
lives.

Personally, I think that tattoos are just a form of expression, a personal unique way
to express and share something about yourself with the rest of the world. As long as it
something tasteful and of common sense, I do not think that the wearers should be
criticized or considered as offensive and low-life, or as being less educated than the rest
just because of a tattoo.

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 BIBLIOGRAPHY

 https://biblioteca.regielive.ro/proiecte/arta/estetica-tatuajelor-241612.html

 https://www.historia.ro/sectiune/general/articol/istoria-tatuajului-de-la-omul

-gheturilor-la-vedetele-holywoodului

 https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/contemporary-psychoanalysis-in-

action/201311/what-do-tattoos-mean

 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tattoo

 https://www.stylecraze.com/articles/amazing-tattoo-designs-and-their-meani

ngs/

 https://www.cloakanddaggerlondon.co.uk/tattoo-styles/traditional/

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