Re: RE: tattoos
tamarin said:
Cosmo, I don't need to google. I'm a hoary 55 and the only women that had tattoos until the last ten or so years of my life span were biker babes and junkies. Not a single girl or woman I grew up with, went to school with, attended university with had a tattoo. No women of my mother's or grandmother's generation had tattoos either. The tattoo is as old as the hills but its incarnation amongst the women of staid North America is new. (Don't get me off-track with aboriginal instances.)
You 'chicks' might have gotten tattoos in other centuries but you sure haven't done it since confederation here- until now.
But don't mind me. I have a very negative view of tattoos on women. A very negative view of the industry that's promoted it. A very negative view of its chief spokespeople (and their cultural agenda) and the celebrity culture that's at the centre of the spin. But that's my opinion. You can do as you please. Whether I like it or not means absolutely nothing in the scheme of things.
Well, Tamarin, I'm 47 and not all that far behind ya, girl.
I was one of the few girls I knew who had a tattoo ... I got my first one at 15 years old, so ya, in western culture they were not in favour.
Historically, however, tattoos have always been around. Here's a fascinating article -- the first part discusses Japanese tattooing done on men, but later in the article comes this:
Ryukyu tattooing was first mentioned in 1461. However, some scholars consider the description of tattooing in the Zuisho of 622 to be the oldest record of the Ryukyu tattoo even though this information is still speculative (Yoshioka, 1996). The oldest reports of Ainu tattoos were recorded by an Italian researcher, Girolamo de Angelis in 1612 and 1621 (Yoshioka, 1996). The Ainus were tattooed on the face as well as the back of the hands and arms. The tattoos were done around the lips, cheeks, the forehead or the eyebrows. There are several motivations for Ainu tattooing: cosmetic purposes, tribal purposes, sexual maturity, religious purposes and adornment. Although only the Ainu women's tattoos were mentioned in most cases, it was also reported that the men were tattooed in some regions (Takayama; 1969, Yoshioka; 1996).
Ainu girls were first tattooed when they were 10 to 13 years old. Some women started when they were 5 or 6 years old. Their tattoos were completed by the time they reached marriageable age. The patterns of the Ainu tattoos are related to their tribal clothing.
Tosabayashi (1948) presents the study on the patterns of the Ainu tattoo in detail. He mentions that the patterns of the tattoos are similar to the chastity belt that the Ainu women wore, and that Ainu tattoos symbolize virtue or purity. The Ainu tattoo is also used for protection from the atrocities committed by other tribes.
http://tattoos.com/mieko.htm
Tribal tattooing has been done forever on both sexes. In western culture, though, the Puritans pushed them out of favour. Tattoos and anything Pagan became taboo.
There is a truly excellent book called "Book: Bodies of Subversion, Second Edition: A Secret History of Women and Tattoo" by Margot Mifflin.
Here's a review of the book:
http://www.beautysalon.com.au/product-detail/186/book/189045110X
This is a must-read for anyone interested in getting a fuller history of tattooing. The book does an excellent, well-balanced job of weaving biographies and social commentary regarding tattoos and tattoo-ers. And it's a story that must, to be fully inclusive, tell of women's involvement in this art, both as tattoo-ers and tattoo-ees. I had no idea this art form went back so far as it does for western female tattoo afficionados. It's a fascinating story that's seldom told or discussed. It appears that nothing is held back in terms of the whys and hows that these women came to acquire their tattoos, or to have become tattoo-ers. And it's a great missing segment in women's history, and art history for that matter, that needs more exposure (no pun intended) to help dispell the myths and prejudices about women with tattoos. This is a great, ancient art form that deserves more expression, appreciation and respect by the general public, especially in the United States where folks are just too uptight and puritanical about this kind of art.
There are zillions of other articles and books available on the subject and I could spend all day picking through my bookmarks to find great sites for you.
I get asked about my tattoos all the time -- by complete strangers. I have a labrys on my left arm, a great blue heron on my right arm, a collection of lilies and Chinese characters from ankle to knee on my leg and others that aren't shown unless I wear little tank tops. People are fascinated by them. I am often touched by the comments and the interest shown. People actually want to know what they mean to me, why I have them. They are willing to approach a total stranger and ask about them. In many ways my tattoos have opened doors to casual social encounters I would not otherwise have had. I enjoy people immensely so find this a good thing.
I also have gone from a rather, errrhhhm, let's say "interesting" life to one of quiet contentment. I stopped drinking 19 years ago and have spent nearly two decades working on bettering myself. There have been junctures in my life that I could not pass unnoticed and my way of honouring them is to get a tattoo representing the lesson learned.
I do respect your right to dislike tattoos. *shrug* I hate painted on eyebrows. We all have some cosmetic stuff we find unappealing. I'm not trying to convince you to run out and get something daring inked on your body, but I am making an effort to quell some of the judgmental feeling I get from your posts.
I am frequently approached by young women about my tattoos. I give the same advice to every single one of them ... go for it, indeed, but choose a pattern you absolutely love today and wait one year before having it tattooed permanently on your body. I'm always careful to point out the down side of getting a tattoo ... things like being stuck with a tattoo that you don't like, being stuck with a tattoo of inferior quality, etc. etc. etc.
I remind them that the body they have at 20 ain't gonna be the same at 50 and when getting tattoos, that has to be a consideration. I have a Pegasus on my tummy that has grown and shrunk with me since 1981 and has, at times, looked pretty funny. I was smart enough to get that one where no one would see the changes.
Oddly enough, Tamarin, I'm in agreement with you about having tattoos be such a common thing. When I got mine, they were a big deal, you really had to be committed to the idea of body art, there was no way to remove them then short of skin graft. There was a cache that is lacking today.
But that's the selfish part of me. The bigger part of me enjoys seeing others get tattoos they love. Like anything that requires that degree of commitment, there is an instant comraderie with others who have lots of tattoos. I recognize something kindred in these women and it leaves me feeling uplifted. It's a little like the days when I used to ride a Harley ... there was a kind of instant mental "high five" when you saw someone else (especially another woman) on a Harley. And no, Tamarin ... when I got my first tattoo I didn't know a Harley from a Moped, so I wasn't a biker babe, nor was I a junkie.
I find it interesting to discuss this with someone with such an opposing view to mine. I've told you why I love my tattoos, perhaps you can tell me why you dislike them so much? I know my mother hates them simply because she's "old school" and "nice girls" didn't do stuff like that. It's some kind of built-in prejudice that she has never taken the time to examine. And that's okay too -- I respect her opinion on it while living my life in a way that brings me joy. No hard feelings.
