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Tattoos and Piercings Throughout the course of our lives we see fads come in and out of style. From groovy bell bottoms to bright colored skinny jeans. As the years pass by so does clothing. One trend that I have never seen goes away or change is tattoos and piercings. Some people may say that tattoos and piercings are a trend or a fad, but throughout history, tattoos have always been around in various society and cultures. Fads and trends are defined as a “style of the moment” but tattoos and piercings are truly a forever. The significance of tattoos and piercings vary from each individual. The reasons why people get tattoos also vary from person to person. An Individuals history, culture, or affiliation can take a big part in why someone may have a tattoos and piercings or on the other hand, some people feel as though it is a form of self expression or rebellion toward society. Either way, tattoos or piercings are not a fad. Each drop of ink is an everyday reminder of what is significant to the person wearing the ink every day. The significance of tattoos and piercings varies from the fashion forward individual to the culturally connected individual. Personally I have many tattoos. My most significant tattoo to me reads “many are called, but few are chosen.” This particular tattoo is on my forearms. I tattooed this particular saying on this specific part of my body for daily inspiration. Every time I look at my arm, it is a reminder that many people can do what I do, but I was chosen to be the best at what I do. All my tattoos are personal inspiration to pursue my goals. On the other hand, I have a friend that is in a Greek fraternity and he has tattoos of his Greek symbols and each particular tattoo has a historical meaning behind them that dates back hundreds of years. Individuals of this particular fraternity must receive these tattoos on their journey to man hood with this fraternity, but only after they have accomplished specific milestones in this fraternity. My friend’s tattoos are a symbol of cultural and historical reasons why an individual’s tattoos will be significant to them, and my tattoos are a symbol of inspiration to me. An individual’s history can take a big part in why someone may have tattoos and piercings. Historically piercings are a form of body art. “Tattooing was only associated with barbarians in early Greek and Roman times. The Greeks learned tattooing from the Persians, and used it to mark slaves and criminals so they could be identified if they tried to escape. The Romans in turn adopted the practice from the Greeks, and in late antiquity when the Roman army consisted largely of mercenaries; they also were tattooed so that deserters could be identified.” www.vanishingtattoo.com In Roman history, the Romans would pierce their nipples to show their bravery. For the Carafa Indians in South America, wearing a thin cane in the lower lip shows that they are at the prime of their lives. Most piercing of primitive societies is done to signify their status within a tribe. It also represents a right of passage among the ancient Egyptians; to get a piercing in your navel is equivalent to being royalty. I personally know a woman of African descent that lives in America that still abides by her culture. She currently has specific piercings that will show her social status to other Africans that are a part of that culture. From an individual person that is not a part of this culture, they may not understand why this woman has these very unusual piercings. On the other hand, these piercings are significant to her because she is so far away from home but she is still active in her culture. Many different cultures have pierced their bodies for centuries. If you look in history books you will find that Egyptians, Greeks and Romans decorated their bodies with piercings and tattoos. People pierce their bodies to show their importance in a group or because they thought it protected them from evil. Today we know much more about the risks of body piercings. Nose piercings was first recorded in the Middle East approximately four thousand years ago. It is mentioned in the Bible in Genesis 24:22. Abraham requested that his oldest servant to find a wife for his son Isaac. The servant found Rebecca and one of the gifts that he gave her was a golden earring. The original Hebrew word was shanf, which also translates to nose ring. This practice is followed among tribes in Africa. This practice is still followed among the nomadic Berber and Beja tribes of Africa, and the Bedouins of the Middle East, the size of the ring denotes the wealth of the family. It is given by the husband to his wife at the marriage, and is her security if she is divorced. Nose piercing was bought to India in the 16th Century from the Middle East by the Moghul emperors. In India a stud (Phul) or a ring (Nath) is usually worn in the left nostril, It is sometimes joined to the ear by a chain, and in some places both nostrils are pierced. The left side is the most common to be pierced in India, because that is the spot associated in Ayuvedra (Indian medicine) with the female reproductive organs, the piercing is supposed to make childbirth easier and lessen period pain. In the west nose piercing first appeared among the hippies who travelled to India in the late 1960's. It was later adopted by the Punk movement of the late 1970's as a symbol of rebellion against conservative values, and conservative people like parents and employers still don't react well to it. Tongue piercing was practiced in a ritual form by the ancient Aztecs, Mayas of Central America and the Haida, Kwakiutul, and Tlinglit tribes of the American Northwest. The tongue was pierced to draw blood to propitiate the gods, and to create an altered state of consciousness so that the priest or shaman could communicate with the gods. Tongue piercing is one of the most popular piercings, it's shocking, provocative and fantastic for oral sex (for both sexes), but at the same time no one need know you have it. Janet Jackson, Keith Flint from Prodigy, Mel B from the Spice Girls and Malcolm Jamahl Warner from the Cosby show all sport pierced tongues. Although many people get tattoos and piercings for personal inspiration, culture, affiliation, traditions, etc you have many people that get them as a way to express themselves, whether it is artistically or rebelliously. When people wear tattoos, it is a representation of what they stand for and what they believe in. It’s most common to find people with tattoos of religion, love, and zodiac signs. These tattoos are typically the most significant and meaningful collection of art in someone’s life. At a first glance some tattoos may have meanings that you may never know by looking at them. Some may argue that tattoos and piercing are a fad among what is popularly known as generation X. People may feel that tattoos and piercings are glamorized by the media and has sparked the interest of young rebellious minds and leave the impression that tattoos are for “cool, bad, rock stars.” I personally am on the fence about the tattoos and piercings stereotypes. I feel that a part of it is portrayed in the wrong light, like I said earlier; I have tattoos, but on the first appearance an individual will never be able to tell that I have them. I am very clean cut and I work in a professional environment where tattoos are looked down upon. Unfortunately they are looked down upon because of the negative stereotype that the media has attached to tattoos and piercings. I feel as though my tattoos and piercings should not make anyone look any less professional or classy. It is just the way to express ourselves and what is important to us. I have a deep appreciation for art and I love to portray my life story through art on my body. Individual that may not understand the significance of tattoos may wonder why someone would permanently mark themselves with ink. The motivation much like the significance varies from person to person. Evidently tattoos and piercings are far from a fad. We have seen them on people from as far as we can remember. With the evidence of tattoos and piercings being around since ancient times, it is apparent that there is more to come. Maybe tattoos will just to keep the culture alive. Cultures may have the ability to live through tattoos as a constant reminder to the person with the tattoo of where they came from. People will still want to artistically express themselves, will get tattoos. Tattoos are not a fad, they are forever.