Even though we’re living in one of the most progressive eras in history, in a world that has become increasingly more open to different cultures and trends than ever before, some people still associate tattoos with certain subcultures and underground lifestyles. Tattoos have been around for thousands of years, and depending on the place and period, haven’t always been viewed negatively. A simple look back will show you that tattoos have been found across the globe throughout history and in many cases have symbolized something sacred or honorable (you can Google it).
Nowadays, for all those who see tattoos as works of art or as a way to enhance one’s beauty, there are those who still see them in a dark light; in their minds, tattoos are associated with prison life, gangs, drug use, and racist organizations among other bad things. So in case you happen to be one of those people who want to get a tattoo but are skeptical, read the following 10 Surprising Facts About Tattoos That You Probably Didn’t Know and will also enlighten you enough to make the right decision.
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10
The Iceman (3300–3200 BCE), whose physical remains are still intact, has the oldest tattoos that have been preserved. He has a black cross on the inside of his left knee, six straight lines on his lower back, and parallel lines on his ankles, legs, and wrists. When scientists X-rayed his body, they discovered joint disease under each tattoo, which makes them believe these tattoos were meant to relieve his pain.
Source: The Tattoo History Source Book, Image: Wikipedia
9
Archaeologists have discovered tools in France, Portugal, and Scandinavia that were probably used for tattooing. These are at least twelve thousand years old, or from the time of the last ice age.
Source: The Tattoo History Source Book, Image: Wikipedia
8
The word tattoo derives from the Polynesian word ta, which describes the sound of a tattooing spike being hit against skin. The first recorded reference to the word tattoo is in the papers of Joseph Banks, a naturalist aboard Captain Cook’s ship. Europeans called tattoos “marks” or “prics” until then.
Source: The Tattoo History Source Book, Image: Wikipedia
7
Polynesian tattooing as it existed before the arrival of the Europeans in the South Pacific is considered to have been the most skillful.
Source: The Tattoo History Source Book, Image: Wikipedia
6
Ancient methods for tattoo removal include using scum from the bottom of a chamber pot mixed with “very strong vinegar” or pigeon feces mixed with vinegar and applied as a poultice “for a long time.”
Source: The Tattoo History Source Book, Image: commons.wikimedia.org
5
With the advance of science and technology, however, these days laser surgery is considered the most effective and popular way to remove a tattoo. The laser penetrates the skin and breaks up the tattoo pigments so that they can be carried away naturally by the body’s immune system. Black is the easiest color to remove because it absorbs more laser waves. Green and yellow are more difficult to remove.
Source: webmd.com, Image: Wikipedia
4
The Greeks learned tattooing from the Persians and used them to mark slaves and criminals so they could be identified if they escaped. The Romans learned it from the Greeks and would tattoo “fug” on the foreheads of slaves, for “fugitive.”
Source: The Tattoo History Source Book, Image: Wikipedia
3
It’s recorded that one of the craziest Roman emperors of all time, Caligula, amused himself by capriciously ordering members of his court to be tattooed.
Source: The Tattoo History Source Book, Image: Wikipedia
2
In 787, Pope Hadrian I banned tattooing of any kind, even on criminals and gladiators. From that point, tattooing was virtually unknown in most of Western Europe until the nineteenth century.
Source: The Tattoo History Source Book, Image: Wikipedia
1
Tattooing wasn’t viewed positively in Eastern Europe either, more specifically, in the Byzantine Empire. It has been reported that the Greek emperor Theophilus took revenge on two monks who had publicly criticized him by having eleven verses of obscene iambic pentameter tattooed on their foreheads.
Source: The Tattoo History Source Book, Image: Wikipedia
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