The Art of Island Ink Tattoo Patterns
An island tattoo often has something to do with the cultural heritage of the person getting the tattoo. There are many intricate patterns revered by islanders, usually for sacred reasons. Island ink tattoo designs each have their own meaning and the pattern will also depend on whether it is worn by a man or a woman.
Most island cultures use the art of tattooing to signify that a person has reached adulthood. Men from Samoa go through what is known as the pe’a to show they are courageous and strong. Women go through malu, which has a similar meaning and is usually performed once a girl has reached puberty. Both of these types of tattooing processes take place on the lower portion of the body. Men are covered from mid-torso to lower thigh and women from right below the knee to upper thigh.
Island tattoos are the way an islander expresses his/her personality and identity with unique symbols and patterns.
Some tattoos are even signs of an islander’s rank in society or of his/her genealogy. Polynesians were actually banned from giving and receiving tattoos after the missionaries arrived in the late 1700s, due to references against tattooing that were found in the Old Testament.
It wasn’t until the early 1980s that the Polynesian society was able to freely take pride in their culture once again. They were able to bring back the art of tattooing, but not with traditional tools. There was a ban on these tools due to the inability to sufficiently sterilize bone and wood, but the principal behind certain designs still stands.
Island ink tattoo designs are nearly as old as tattoos themselves. What started as a display of adulthood, courage, and strength has now become popular with people of all walks of life and for many different reasons.
Island Tattoo Designs Aren’t Only for Islanders
Island tattoo designs used to be most commonly worn by people residing on a number of islands in the Pacific Ocean. Today, even city dwellers are getting in touch with their Pacific Island roots. The word ‘tattoo’ is actually thought to be a word that derived from the Samoan word ‘tatau’.
The traditional male tattoo found in Samoa is called the pe’a. Hand tools made from turtle shell, tusks, wood, and bone are used to apply the tattoo. The process used for the pe’a is performed by a master in the art of tattooing, who is known as Tufuga ta tatau. The pe’a is only applied in the traditional manner, due to ritual and ceremony aspects within the culture. European needles or tools are never used for the pe’a.
This traditional tattoo is a bit more extreme than what non-islanders might receive. The pe’a is done in black and usually begins at mid-torso and finishes around the knees, covering most of the front and back of the tattooed individual.
Samoan women receive the malu, which is the female version of the pe’a. The design is more delicate and covers the area from the upper thighs to right below the knees on both legs. Samoan men and women who don’t receive these tattoos are thought to have less courage than those who have endured the painful process.
Some island tattoos are simple armbands, a repeating pattern of circles, triangles, zigzags or other repetitive line, and always a single color. The color used for the intricate patterns of island tattoos is traditionally black. People who stick a brightly colored hibiscus in the middle of one of the traditional island patterns aren’t usually getting the tattoo for cultural purposes, but for personal enjoyment instead. Many island tattoo designs have a significant meaning that is often sacred to the people who initially created the design.