TattooSmart

The word “tattoo” is a borrowing of the Samoan word tatau, meaning to mark or striketwice (the latter referring to traditional methods of applying the designs). The first syllable “ta”, meaning “hand”, is repeated twice as an onomatopoeic reference to the repetitive nature of the action, and the final syllable “U” translates to “color”. The instrument used to pierce the skin in Polynesian tattooing is called a hahau, the syllable “ha” meaning to “strike or pierce”

Tattoos have served as rites of passage, marks of status and rank, symbols of religious and spiritual devotion, decorations for bravery, sexual lures and marks of fertility, pledges of love, punishment, amulets and talismans, protection, and as the marks of outcasts, slaves and convicts. The symbolism and impact of tattoos varies in different places and cultures, sometimes with unintended consequences.

A poll conducted online in July 2003 estimated that 16% of all adults in the United States have at least one tattoo. The highest incidence of tattoos was found among the gay, lesbian and bisexual population

Tattoo Designs at TattooSmart

This entry was posted on Monday, March 31st, 2008 at 9:43 pm and is filed under Back Tattoo, Sexy Tattoos, Lower Back Tattoos. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.