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The History of the Modern Tattoo

The History of the Modern Tattoo
The History of the Modern Tattoo
The best known example is the identification system for Jewish people People have also been forcibly marked for various reasons. Sailors on the voyage later introduced both the word and reintroduced the concept to Europe. The text reads, "...they print signs on people's body and call this tattaw", referring to the Polynesian customs. During the Victorian era, the modern tattoo machine was first invented and patented, a design that has changed very little in style to this day.The first closest known usage of the word in English was recorded in the diary of Captain James Cook in 1769 during his voyage to the Marquesas Islands.

One of the most notorious uses was in ancient China where the offender was marked with three lines on the forehead, forming the character for "dog" after the third offense. There are mentions of tattooing in the Bible, indicating that it was practiced among the ancient peoples of the Middle East. This was a very painful practice. Some tribal cultures traditionally created their markings by cutting designs into the skin and rubbing the resulting wound with ink, ashes or other agents. When thawed out, he was found to have 57 different symbols on his body.

The most famous historical figure found to have tattoos was Otzi the Iceman, going back around 3000 BCE. The word tattoo comes from the Tahitian word tatu, which means to mark something. It was also used to mark outcasts such as slaves. Some of them were rites of passage, punishment, protection,and marks of fertility. It has served countless different purposes.