Polynesian tattoo designs
Take the Maori and Samoan tribes for example, Polynesian tattoo designs were a Tapu, or sacred art form. Thus the revered tattoo artists in these societies, were held in the same esteemed regard as the higher echelon virtuosos of today. Yet the community where I lived, saw all tattooing, including tribal art tattoos, as an indication of a degenerate, or at best 'an eccentric' - and eccentric is, in many ways, another word for contemptible. "Yeah, thanks for the positive support Dad!"
Paying Reverence To Islanders' Heritage
The islanders' history suggests that the Polynesian conflation of soul with body, and the belief that one could gain special advantages in the afterlife, through tribal tattoo designs, was far from limited to their culture. ("Special advantages in the afterlife? Well ink me up then!"). Similar beliefs can be found in ancient European and Asian cultures, which were responsible for the prevalence of tribal art designs among the natives of North Africa and Papua, New Guinea.
The extreme proficiency of Polynesian design creation, has become renowned amid the great and meaningful art forms the world over. After all, when people are willing to spend their entire lives in the presence of such articulated art, and be judged by everyone that sees it, is truly a mark of admiration for such a specialized technique. They are such striking, intriguing and alluring forms of expression, I knew I had to have one, or two, or three...I was worried about running out of skin space!
Polynesian tattoo designs, as one of the last surviving sacred forms of body art, were the natural locus for my studies. Indeed, the word 'tattoo' emerged from their language, (originating from the Tahitian term - 'Tatu', meaning - "to mark"). Furthermore, in the absence of any written language, those cultures created a form of articulation, dialogue and communication from their tribal tattoo designs. Various parts of the body which displayed the jet-black patterns, symbolized certain facets of their lives, experiences and beliefs respectively.
Immersed In Both The Culture And The Art-Form
Having lived for two years in the Marquesas islands, witnessing the art from descendants of tribal masters, I've found that Polynesian tattoo designs, for the original islanders, both provided a sense of belonging (through the sharing of an experience), and a sense of individuality. The designs, and their positioning on the body, were generally decided by one's family history, societal ranking, succession of maturity and personal achievements.
I learned first-hand how the Polynesians used symbols, intricate patterns, plus swirling and linear motifs, to typify storytelling among other representations, when composing tribal tattoo designs. Watching the rituals carried out with such primitive, yet effective tools such as bird-bones for needles and burnt gum from indigenous trees as ink. At times, they even used burnt vegetable caterpillars to form a black soot-like pigment to tap into the body using a mallet.
The definitions and history of what they symbolize, dates back generations, more so than any other tattoo art designs that I can immediately recall. Other societies across the oceans, have shown a great deal of respect and reverence to those island cultures, who took this form of expression far beyond what we as westerners could typically ever imagine. Plus the fact, they really do stand out from other tribal tattoo art, due to their incredibly unique and distinct appearance. Just like eating peanuts or potato chips...it's extremely difficult to just have one!
There's a certain gem of a resource, where not only you'll have full access to those eye-catching Polynesian Tattoo Designs, plus boatloads of valuable free treats, but also a myriad of other tribal art tattoos as well.
butterfly foot tattoos for girls and women
girls back tattoos designs
back tattoos are a popular tattoo placement for Girl , specifically the lower back tattoos. Here are some girls back tattoo ideas and tips that would work well for that area.
1. Flowers, butterflies, or dragons! These range from the pretty to the dangerous. Whatever your personal tastes are, some popular choices for lower back tattoos have been flowers symbolizing feminine qualities, a butterfly symbolizing intricate beauty, or a dragon symbolizing strength and danger. All work well on the lower back and because of the large area they can be intricately inked on for detail.
2. Large vs Small Back tattoo. I bring this up because I've noticed many girls whom after getting their tattoo, express a regret of not having got it bigger! Usually people go in to a parlor relatively conservative and are fearful that their tattoo will be too big. But when all is said and done, many reflect and realize a bigger design would have been more preferable. And this often seems the case with girls back tattoos. Remember that there is a decent amount of surface to work with, and getting a tiny tattoo is probably not going to look that great, and could even resemble a blemish if it's not big enough too actually fully notice.
3. A mural girl back tattoo. Some of the sexiest tattoo's I've seen have been murals, or mini murals. This is where a combination of designs are infused into one large design, so for instance a combination of flowers with butterflies could make up a nice idea. You could also start out with just one design and make it into more of a mural as time goes on.
Nautical Star Tattoos on Chest
When you want to have a nautical star tattoo on your chest, you can go for a single large nautical star in the middle of the chest or you can get a tattoo with a group of nautical stars. These stars can be placed in various artistic manners. Nautical star tattoos are sculpted to give a three dimensional effect, hence they make some of the best tattoos on chest. A nautical star tattoo on chest is gaining popularity, specially among men. Read more on, nautical star tattoos for guys and nautical star tattoos for girls. Since, chest provides a large area for tattooing, you can place the nautical star tattoo anywhere. Though, there are not too many variations in the nautical star tattoos designs, but still a lot of experiments can be done with colors. Nautical star tattoo with wings are also among some of the beautiful designs, carved as chest tattoos. Alternate colors are used to fill the nautical star tattoo and most of these colors are dark and bright.
Nautical Star Tattoo Designs
Stomach Tattoos
Stomach Tattoos
In ancient times, tribal communities used to paint their body or get a tattoo to distinguish themselves from other clans, but today, people express their attitude through tattoos, and the kind of tattoos they wear defines their personality. Earlier, people used to wear tattoos on their hands or back, but as the popularity of tattoos increased, different places to get tattoos done on the body emerged. Stomach tattoos, as the name suggests, are tattoos that are done on the stomach, and due to the large canvas available on the stomach area, this has become a favorite and popular place to get a tattoo done. Another reason for the popularity of these tattoos was that stomach tattoos could be displayed when wanted, and hidden when wanted. Lower stomach tattoos could be easily hidden under clothes during college or work hours and could be shown off in parties by wearing short tops, low waist skirts or jeans.
Wrist Tattoo Designs
Wrist Tattoo Ideas
There are a number of ideas which can make your wrist tattoo stand out from the rest. Tattoos made on the inner wrist are very popular, as they are not always visible. There are people who are of the opinion that inner wrist tattoos are more interesting as compared to other wrist tattoos. On the other hand, tattoos on the top of the wrist are more visible and this tattoo design can extend onto the arm or over the hand. The size of the tattoo can either be small or large. Wristband or bracelet tattoos on wrist is the third variety of wrist tattoo. This tattoo encircles the entire wrist or follows the curves of the top and side of the wrist. Wristband tattoos are similar to armband tattoo designs.
African Tattoos
Most of the oldest of the records of African tattoos are found in Egypt. The only other record is that of a 5000 year old man, which was recently discovered in ice. The oldest tattoo was made during 2160 - 1994 BC., and was found on a mummy. The tattoo was simple, with parallel lines on her arms, legs and an elliptical pattern made below her navel. An interesting fact about the tattoos on the mummies in Egypt is that the tattoos were not found on male mummies; only the female mummies had tattoos adorning their bodies.
Bull Tattoos
Bull Tattoos Meaning
The bull is associated with several symbolism and meanings, which makes it one of the most popular tattoo designs today. The most prominent meaning of the bull tattoo is strength and vitality. We all are aware that the bull is an epitome of power, aggression and force and hence, people who believe that they too share the similar qualities; sport bull tattoos. Interestingly, the bull is symbolized as both, positive as well as a negative figure in different cultures. For e.g., in certain cultures, it symbolizes force of nature, a guardian like figure, etc.; while on the other hand, it stands for death or is even considered as a bad omen. However, in most parts of the world, the bull is looked upon as a sign of strength.
On the other hand, the bull is a symbol of the zodiac sign Taurus. Hence, people belong to the sun signs Taurus, i.e., individuals born in between 20th April to 21st May; sport bull tattoos. Similar to the bull, Taurus individuals are marked by their characteristic stubbornness. They are also loving, peaceful individuals who tend to be dominating at times. Although bull tattoos are considered as purely masculine ones; a Taurus tattoo can be sported by men and women alike. The Brahma bull tattoo which is sported by a wrestler cum actor Dwayne Johnson, better known as 'the Rock' has gained a lot of popularity and is one of the most sought after tattoo designs these days. Read more on Zodiac tattoos.
Bull Tattoo Designs
If you have decided to ink a bull tattoo, you will come across several different designs of the bull in different forms. An angry or raging bull digging the ground is the most common one. Peaceful and calm bull, the bull running towards something, charging bull, etc. are the other bull tattoo designs. On the other hand, most people rather hand only the head of the bull inscribed on their bodies rather than the entire body. Tribal or Celtic bull tattoos are also equally popular. When thinking of the placement of a bull tattoo, one should remember to have it made on upper arms, shoulders or the back as this tattoo needs a lot of space. Also, if you are a first timer or otherwise, you should remember that tattoo making and tattoo removal, both can be painful. Therefore, you should put a lot of thought before going for a permanent tattoo.
Dagger Tattoos Meaning
Dagger tattoos are quite exquisite and bold with a deep inner meaning. They emit strong vibes of aggression and fierceness. The word dagger itself expels a feeling of danger. However, this sign associates more closely with the word sacrifice. In earlier days, the imperial lot used this tattoo as a symbol of status and honor.
There are various interpretations for dagger tattoos depending on the religion and culture. In the Middle East, this tattoo is associated with animal sacrifice and illustrates killing and spilling of blood. In some places, dagger tattoos bear a caduceus conjoined by a pair of serpents and at times supported by wings on top. In mythology, it is closely associated with Mercury: The Roman God. According to Greeks, a dagger tattoo containing a caduceus symbolizes peace. In Buddhist culture a phurba containing a knife with a three-sided blade is a symbol of stability. Each blade represents the human characteristics of attachment, ignorance and fear. This tattoo is believed to ward off negative vibes. Similarly in China a dagger passing through a cherry illustrates contrariety between life and death.
Most of these tattoos depict a blade piercing a heart, skull, a fruit or a flower. Dagger through a heart tattoo leaves a very strong impression of betrayal. Though sometimes, it is closely related with sacred heart in religious context. Likewise, dagger through a rose symbolizes the harsh reality of life that, life is never really a bed of roses. However, in some countries this symbol implies renewal of life. In south east Asia, dagger through a skull is a popular tattoo that represents danger and impending destruction and is often put on as a talisman for protection from evil. American soldiers used to put the tattoo of a dagger through human head indicating war and destruction. This was most popular during the post events of Pearl Harbor attack. In European countries swallow tattoo designs were popular. This tattoo usually had a dagger passing through a swallow or a dagger surrounded by them. They were quite popular among sailors and is adorned even today in some naval commands. Swallow tattoos are treated as symbols of loyalty, wealth and safe return from sea.
Forever Yours Tattoo
Bryan with you, yours forever. He is deeply in love with him, this is a tattoo on her thigh. If I were Bryan, I never let go. The Promise. [Source]
The tattoo is written in Greek, meaning "In the beginning was the word" Book John 1:1 (New Testament Christian).