Samoan tattoos, or
tataus as they are rightfully called, are more than just body art. A
tatau
is a sign of respect for the traditions and culture of the Samoan
people, and the person who wears one is marked with a representation of
the pride of his/her entire family.
It's generally believed that the art of tattooing was brought to Samoa
by two women from the island of Fiji. Although the women at first had
some trouble convincing anyone to give them a chance, tradition has it
that one of the tribal
chieftains finally relented and submitted to the ordeal, and it
definitely was an ordeal because the traditional design could take weeks
or months to complete.
The process was and still is very painful. The traditional
tatau
is created using very primitive tools. A bone or tortoiseshell comb is
dipped in ink made from the ashes of cremated candlenut shells, and
dragged across the flesh to slice it open. The ink seeps into the wounds
and the blood is wiped away. The process is repeated over and over
until the
tatau is complete, but because of the pain there could be days in between sessions while the recipient takes time to recover.
Traditionally, the
tatau was reserved only for the young men in
the tribe, but as time passed the women also began to receive tattoos -
although they were nowhere near as extensive as the men's ritual
markings.
Peace tribal tattoos on arm