The History of Polynesian Tattoo in Tahiti
 The
origin of the English word 'tattoo' actually comes from the Tahitian
word 'tatau' and goes back as far as 1500 BC. In ancient Polynesian
society, nearly everyone was tattooed. It was an integral part of
ancient Tahitian culture and was much more than a body ornament.
Tattooing indicated ones genealogy and/or rank in society. It was
a sign of wealth, of strength and of the ability to endure pain.
As such, chiefs and warriors generally had the most elaborate tattoos.
Tattooing was generally begun at adolescence, and would often not
be completed for a number of years. Tattooing was not limited to
men. Tahitian women were also tattooed – it was an indication
of a girl’s sexual maturity.
With the arrival of Europeans, came a dramatic change to both tattooing
and the culture in general. Captain Cook and others returned from
the Pacific with tales of exotic islands, of "savage"
cultures indulging in erotic dance and bizarre rituals. One of these
rituals was tattooing. It wasn’t until the arrival of the
missionaries that this art form was nearly killed. Considered to
be a sinful glorification of the skin, the missionaries strictly
forbid tattoo. Fortunately the art of tattooing was well documented
and it is only in recent years (since 1981) that tattooing has enjoyed
a renaissance. Today, Tahitian tattoo has again gained recognition
as a highly respected art form and is sought by travelers the world
over.
Traditional Tahitian Tattoo
Traditional Tahitian tattoo is the tattoo practice originally invented
by my ancestors. The word tattoo comes from the Tahitian word tautau.
Tautau was the sound made by tattooing -- tat tat. Traditional tattoo
involves the creation of traditional tattooing tools called tatatau.
The tools consist of a comb with anywhere from 3-20 needles and
are carved from bone, shell or shark’s teeth. These “needles”
are placed on the skin and the handle is tapped with a second wooden
stick, causing the skin to puncture thus inserting the pigment.
This procedure is obviously much more
labor intensive... (continued)
Photo by Macduff
Everton
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