User:Emily.Greisman/History of tattooing

Hawai'i
Tattooing plays a large role in the culture of Hawaii. Traditional tattooing in Hawaii is known as kākau and utilized to commemorate status, honor ancestors, guard health, and represent religion. Tattoos were also used to make individuals and groups look more intimidating during battle. Kākau and its intricate symbols would be performed by a kahuna. The kahuna would administer the tattoos by cutting open one's skin to apply the ink, a process known as uhi, or hand-tapped. This often involved a tool called a moli, which is a needle made from bone from a small animal bone and then dipped in ink. The painful process is significant to those who endure it. Ink, known as pa’u, would be created with kukui nuts. Specific symbols represented different things to society, such as the Peahi Niu which was tattooed upon those with great power, or a hibiscus flower which would be utilized to represent femininity.

Modern Western Tattooing
Tattooing may express basic personal conflicts, conflicts with society, a desire to assert one’s individuality, autonomy, and self-expression, and even, unfortunately, violence. The practice of tattooing is very common among imprisoned criminals, with some studies reporting frequencies of tattoos of almost one third. Criminologists such as Cesare Lombroso believed that tattoos hold a great significance for the understanding of the criminal mind. Bromberg believed them to be an expression of exhibitionism, a means of bolstering feelings of inferiority and venting recriminations against a rejecting society, and an attempt to show projections of strength.

Scythian Tattooing
Scythians were a nomadic people whose tombs were placed under Siberian permafrost resulting in the excellent preservation of everything put into the tombs including the bodies. These bodies discovered, both men and women, were seen to be covered in intricate tattoos. These tattoos can be separated into two categories, dotted pattern tattoos, and illustrations of animals. The dotted pattern tattoos are believed to be a form of medical therapy found on the lower body. The animal tattoos are illustrations of animals abstracted to the Scythian style that are usually found on the arms, legs, and torso of the person. There is little documentation of the tattoos of Scythian people prior to discovery of these tombs and tattooed bodies, this lack of documentation is the reason that society has little understanding of the significance of these tattoos and the purpose that they served. There is however documentation from a war between Scythians and Thracians. When Thracians were taken captive, the women were given tattoos by Scythian women in order to punish them. This confirms that Scythians utilized tattooing but it was not directly recorded that the Scythians themselves were tattooed.

United States Air Force
The United States Airforce used to enforce a strict policy regarding tattoos on airmen, stating that personnel were not allowed to have tattoos on their back, chest, and arms that covered 25 percent of said body part. Then, a policy change to these rules was put into effect starting February 1st, 2017 that abolished the 25% rule, allowed personnel to get single-band ring tattoos on one hand, and permitted them to get tattoos on previously banned body parts. The previous rules about banning ethnic or racially offensive, gang-related, extremist, and sexist or racist tattoos remain in place. There are also rules regarding a personal review of certain tattoos that allow another officer to review a recruit's tattoo in order to determine if it is offensive or not.

The reason for said changes, as clarified by Secretary Deborah Lee James said, was in an "...effort to attract and retain as many airmen as possible...". She further elaborated that, "In this instance, we identified specific changes we can make to allow more members of our nation to serve without compromising quality. As a next step in this evolution, we are opening the aperture on certain medical accession criteria and tattoos while taking into account our needs for worldwide deployability and our commitment to the profession of arms".

With the emergence of a more progressive world, policy changes for military personnel with tattoos are geared more toward sensibility, prioritizing the ability of the individual over markings on their skin.

United States Navy
Prior to April 2016, sailors were not permitted to have tattoos larger than the size of a fist. After that date, sailors were allowed to have tattoos whatever size they want, as long as their back tattoos weren't visible through white shirts. Sailors are also now permitted one tattoo on their neck or behind the ear as long as it remains within the confines of one square inch.

The reasoning for such a policy change was due to the collective realization that tattoos on Naval officers did not hinder their performance, the widespread complaints regarding such regulations, and the need for adaptation to new societal trains of thought.

Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy, Mike Stevens, stated that, in regards to the new policy change, “It wasn't scientific research, but just out there on the web and the statistics were pretty significant…”The numbers of who has tattoos, especially in the primary category we recruit from, the 18 to 25-year category was over 40 percent already have a tattoo before they even join the Navy”.

Hong Kong
James Ho, a Shanghainese marine engineer and part of the merchant navy, was rescued in 1940 by an American warship from an attack by the Japanese navy. After being brought to Calcutta, located in India, Ho discovered the art of tattoo. With this, Ho brought this practice to Hong Kong. Different designs were shared and inspired between Hong Kong, Japan, and America. For example, the design of dragons, koi and tigers influenced American style.

The Dragon is a significant symbol, representing power and luck while the tiger represents failure. Some of these designs are used and defied, like the tiger, in tattoo designs. On the other hand, there are other designs that are prohibited in this tradition. For example, the tattooing of gods on one’s back is a sign of disrespect.

Japan
The traditional tattoos in Japan are called Irezumi, which means insert ink. In the 720 CE tattoos were used as a form of branding as a punishment for prisoners, and criminals. This would last over 1000 years, until eventually the colorful Ukiyo-e paintings became famous, and this would become common tattoo designs within the lower class. This practice was eventually outlawed but foreigners were still legally allowed to get tattoos in Japan. Tattoo artists started tattooing these non-native sailors, and this became globally known due to the precise and beautiful art they would design. Originally designs were mainly nature based like animals or flowers, one of the most popular tattoos being the Sakura, which is a cherry blossom. The vibrant pink color and the meaning of ephemerality appealed to many people. Japan’s culture still frowns when it comes to tattoos, people often affiliate people with tattoos to the Yakuza’s, and many bathhouses, hot springs, and gyms prohibit people with tattoos unless they are concealed. Many Japanese shops still practice the ancient technique called the Tebroi (hand-tattooing), a technique where they take a wooden or metal rod and put ink on the tip while hammering it on your skin. Japanese kanji has become very popular for tattoo ideas with many westerners due to its unique and cool design while telling a story with few words.