The Mark of Excellence

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The Polynesian islands (which include Cook Island, Samoa, Tahiti, and Hawaii) are a favorite tourist destination among Americans and people from around the world. With its pristine beaches and rich tropical culture it is really a place worth visiting. Polynesians have a rich background in the arts. They are known for intricate carvings, embroidery, and other crafts. Among these artform is the Polynesian way of tattooing.

The widely popular style of “Tribal” tattooing could trace its roots in the Pacific Rim and Southeast Asia. The Polynesians refer to tattoo as “tatao” which has a literal meaning “to tap”. Tahitians use the word “tatu” which means “to mark something”. The word “tattoo” was said to be coined by Captain Cook when he explored the pacific islands in the 1700’s.

Polynesian culture did not have a robust system of writing so they used this art of tattooing to make their identity and personality known. Tattoos also indicate a person’s rank, marital status, and ones status in the society. As this is the case almost everyone in ancient Polynesia had a tattoo. Even girls have tattoo on them, usually given when they reach the age of twelve. Traditional tattooing tools came from tortoise shell. They are fashioned like comb with needles carved from it and attached to a wooden handle. The pigment was made from soot of burnt candlenut mixed with oil or water. The needle point is then dipped in the pigment and placed on the skin. A wooden stick will be used to tap the needles wooden handle thus causing the comb to pierce the skin inserting the pigment.

But when the missionaries arrived in 1797 the practice of tattooing was totally banned in the islands as they contradict the teachings of the Bible. In the 80’s renewed interest in Polynesian tattoo grew. Many Polynesians have slowly learned and revived the lost art of tattooing. Though tattooing using traditional methods have been banned in French Polynesia in 1986 because of the difficulty in sterilizing the wooden and bone equipment.

Polynesian tattoo has two different types. The first type is the Enata. Enata designs are usually of natural origins. It might symbolize a person’s life, origin, occupation, social level type, etc. If for example a person is a fisherman he could have a tattoo that will protect him from the dangers of the sea or the elements.

The other type is the Etua. This type of tattoo usually has strong magical, spiritual, and religious meanings. These symbols usually shows honor to a particular person or group of people with a tribe. It is also believed that these tattoos could give its bearer protection from the gods.

Today Polynesian tattoo holds little meaning as it is just based on the design a person wants. Usually popular designs are the tiki (god like figure), the turtle, the ray, the dolphin, the shark, and many other abstract designs. You don’t need to pass such rituals nor go to a shaman to get these tattoos. Just go to any decent tattoo artist and show him the design you want and presto you have a mark that is truly extraordinary.