..::Individuality::..
Maori
facial tattoos were indications of power and prestige, designed to impress and
intimidate, especially in battle. Since no two patterns were alike, men's facial
tattoos were also markers of individual identity. There is no doubting the
importance of individuality when getting a tattoo. However, this individuality
extends beyond to the certain designs of tattoo belonging to different groups.
Black tribal tattoos, which are bold and one-dimensional, often seen in ancient
tribes represents warriors. Colorful tattoos, represents life; or simply
something that is to be seen to either intimidate or acknowledge a statement.
One important aspect that many ignore is the community and acceptance. When you
get a tattoo, you belong in a certain community of people who have tattoos too.
Therefore, you can share the experiences and significance with others. There is
a significance connection between ancient tattooing and modern tattooing. This
connection lies mainly in the symbolism and embodiment of the tattoo to an
individual.
Piercing on the other hand has a much
less ancient spiritual connection; rather, it is more of a ritual that is
performed. In the 20th century Western society, the majority of
people have at least one piercing. Some extends the trend to holes along the
entire rims of the ears, stretching them to unimaginable degrees, and of course
to many other parts of the body. Many think that this form of expression has
diffused from the British punk Sex Pistols genre to what is now essentially
mainstream young American popular culture. In a sociological perspective, the
punk craze of the 80’s and the safety pins in ears was an expression of the pain
of growing up impoverished in London slums.
(Dearmas,
1996) Piercing with safety pins was actually a form of self mutilation,
performed much like cutting one’s self, to relieve the anger and frustration of
urban poverty and depression. It has certainly been adopted by mainstream
Americans since then. However, to adopt the piercing trend even further back
into history, piercing and mutilations can be connected with Judaism. Judaic
circumcision or the bris ceremony is highly ceremonial. Female circumcision (or
FGM) is highly ritualized, as are most circumcision ceremonies which are
performed as a puberty rite of passage. Money and gifts, food, clothing,
dancing, singing, seclusion, parades, drinking, etc. all accompany the event.
Today, as FGM falls under closer study and the age of the operation declines,
there is much less ceremony and more cultural maintenance.
(Dearmas, 1996) If we
think of surface versus deep level, this suggests that what is called "ceremony,
symbolism and ritual" arises out of deep structure, which implies that merely
copying the surface level (the immediately accessible aspect of the ritual such
as tattooing) ignores the deep structure from which the "ceremony, symbolism and
ritual" derives. In other words, “the farther away you get from the original,
the less ritual and ceremony is involved, the more condensed, simplified, and
obscure the original becomes.”
(Dearmas)
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