| Tribal-Tattoo.co.uk | | | | intricate knots,interlacing patterns, spirals |
| | | | and animals. Deeply spiritual meanings |
| What is cooler than an exceptional piece of | | | | andsignificance the interwoven patterns and |
| tribal tattooartwork? Not a lot! No nonsense | | | | organic spirals indicate a neverending flow |
| colours, no meaningless images, just | | | | to the world as they viewed it. Today more |
| puresymbolic, sub-conscious tribal statement | | | | commonly used ascultural and heritage markers |
| to the world | | | | (Scottish, Irish and some Welsh), Celtic |
| | | | bands. |
| Now, you don't have to belong to a | | | | |
| traditional tribe foryour tribal tattoo to | | | | Feature the most and are very attractive |
| mean something, in fact we are all tribe | | | | designs with significance placed onwhere the |
| members of somesort; just think sub culture | | | | Celtic tattoo design is placed |
| (hip hop, grunge, rock etc). I doubt you will | | | | |
| finda group of die-hard rock fans, each with | | | | Maori Tribal Tattoos: |
| pretty flowery tattoos or hardened USA | | | | |
| convictswith pink fairies! Get the drift? So, | | | | "Ta Moko, the process", "Moko,the product". |
| with that in mind let's go through someof the | | | | |
| original tribal tattoo types and a brief | | | | There is an ancient New Zealand tale of how |
| history to help you form abasis for your next | | | | tattooscame to be for the Maoris which starts |
| tattoo design. | | | | with a relationship between a man, and an |
| | | | underworld princess Niwareka Mataora |
| Polynesian Tribal Tattoos | | | | foolishly beat Niwareka and she fled to her |
| | | | father's underworld domain (Uetonga, |
| (Tahitians) | | | | deeplysaddened and remorseful for his actions |
| | | | set out to retrieve his lover and thenembarks |
| These tattoos were pivotal to their culture | | | | an epic journey to the underworld Uetonga |
| as they had nowritten language as we would | | | | |
| know it. Social status, family and position | | | | Finally reaching dishevelled and with face |
| werethe top massages conveyed by their | | | | paint smeared and disfigured, hislovers |
| intricate designs and rituals around them. | | | | father taught him the art of tattooing which |
| | | | he brought back to the landof men - along |
| Tools used were a comb with needles generally | | | | with Mataora |
| made from bonefixed to a handle. The needles | | | | |
| were placed into the ink (made from water, | | | | Used primarily to mark status and male rights |
| oiland candlenut soot -think charcoal) then | | | | of passage,similar tools and techniques were |
| against the chosen physical locationand | | | | used like the Polynesians (Tahitians); in |
| tapped on the back, piercing the skin and | | | | factit is widely believed that early |
| injecting the ink. The noise madefrom this is | | | | Polynesians first brought the art to New |
| where the name "tattoo" is born, or " | | | | Zealand |
| | | | |
| Tatau" as the Polynesians (Tahitians) would | | | | Other Great Tattoo |
| say, oreven "Tattow" as Captain James | | | | |
| Cooksubsequently dubbed it! | | | | Civilizations: |
| | | | |
| Celtic Tribal | | | | Egyptian Tattoos - Just as they did their |
| | | | techniques spreadfar and wide across the know |
| Tattoos: | | | | world |
| | | | |
| The Celtic, once a dominant force in what we | | | | Japanese Tattoos - Deeply ritualised and |
| know as Europewere slowly and very violently | | | | formal, certainlyhad more to do with honour |
| pushed north west by the Romans, Angles and | | | | than visual symbolism |
| | | | |
| Saxons. The Celtic culture is rich with | | | | Hawaiian tattoos - Culturally and |
| history and legend, but again as therewere no | | | | geographically so close to |
| classical written language tattoos were | | | | |
| required to convey socialmessaging. | | | | Tahiti the history is too similar to |
| | | | repeathere but just know that the art works |
| Celtic Tattoos typically know for their | | | | differentiated over time. |