History and Polynesian Tattoos

History and Polynesian Tattoos History is all about studying past events and how they relate to human beings. The study of historical events informs us of the things that helped shape the world as we know it today. While most continue to evolve the way our predecessors did, some continue to carry on the traditions of the old world. Polynesian tattoos are one of those traditions that have withstood the test of time and maintained their heritage. In this paper I will cover the history of Polynesian tattoos and the events going on in the world at that time. On the basis of mythology, humans learned the art of tattooing from the 2 sons of the God of Creation Ta’aroa. Tattooing was operated by high trained shamans (tahua) in the religious ceremony, who was an expert in the meanings of the tattoo and skills of the art (www.apolynesiantattoo.com, 2014). The origin of the Samoan tatau is believed to have been introduced to the Samoa islands by two Fiji women, who came ashore with the tools and knowledge of tattooing. The tale proclaimed that the two sisters sang a song, which chanted that women are only to be tattooed, but as they neared the beach shores, the song mistakenly became reversed, indicating that only the men will be tattooed (www.nps.gov, 2014). Getting tattooed is a sacred ceremony in Polynesian culture. Tattoos and their location on the body were determined by one’s genealogy, position within the society and personal achievements (www.apolynesiantattoo.com). A person was also to undergo a cleansing before getting tattooed. They were expected to fast and abstain from sexual intercourse for a period of time before the tattoo process could be done. This ceremony has survived the test of time and while there is no record of when exactly these sisters arrived and introduced tatau to the Samoans, the discovery of tatau is known. The first Polynesian Islands to be visited were the Marquesas Islands which were found the Spanish navigator, Álvaro de

Cited: http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/cook-james-1917 http://www.apolynesiantattoo.com/polynesian-tattoo-history Bishop, Philip E. Adventures in the Human Spirit, 6th edition. Upper Saddle River: Pearson Education, Inc., 2011. Print.