SUPER RARE Bronze 2 Section Tattoo Needle Hindu God Vahana on Elephant

SUPER RARE Bronze 2 Section Tattoo Needle Hindu God Vahana on Elephant

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SUPER RARE Bronze 2 Section Tattoo Needle Hindu God Vahana on Elephant:
$100.00

Really Old Bronze 2 Section Tattoo Needle

Hindu God Vahana on ElephantDesign

100% HANDMADE

THIS IS A REALLY OLD AND MAGNIFICENT HAND OLD BRONZE TATOO NEEDLE WITH EXQUISITE AND UNIQUE HINDU GOD VAHANA STANDING ON AN ELEPHANT DESIGN THAT I PICKED UP DURING MY MOST RECENT VISIT TO THE GOLDEN TRIANGLE REGION. HINDUISM PRE-DATES BUDDHISM IN SOUTHEAST ASIA AND LORD VAHANA IS WORSHIPED BY HINDUS AND BUDDHISTS ALIKE IN CERTAIN REGIONS OF SOUTHEAST ASIA. LORD VAHANA IS OFTEN DEPICTED RIDING AN ELEPHANT. I HAVE INCLUDED MORE INFO ABOUT LORD VAHANA BELOW.THIS IS NOT A REPRODUCTION... IT IS AN AUTHENTIC TATTOO NEEDLE THAT WAS PREVIOUSLY USED.DECORATIVE OLD BRONZE TATTOO NEEDLES INCREASINGLY DIFFICULT TO FIND. THIS WILL MAKE AN EXCELLENT SHOW AND CONVERSATION PIECE IN ANY HOME OR OFFICE. DON\'T WAIT, BUY IT NOW!

ATTENTION: THIS PIECE IS INTENDED FOR DECORATIVE PURPOSES ONLY... NOT FOR ACTUAL USE.

DIMENSIONS: APPROX 14 INCHES LONG (CAN BE SEEN IN PHOTOS ABOVE)..

MATERIALS: Bronze & Copper.

AGE: 19TH CENTURY

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THANKS FOR YOUR TIME AND CONSIDERATION.... DOBUYDON

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VahanaFrom Wikipedia, the free encyclopediaThe eightMatrikasriding different vahanas like (top row, second from left to right) Garuda, a peacock, Nandi bull, a hamsa (goose/swan); (bottom row, from left) buffalo, elephant and lion

Vāhana(वाहन,skt.that which carries, that which pulls) denotes the being, typically an animal or mythical entity, a particulardevais said to use as a vehicle. In this capacity, thevāhanais often called the deity\'smount. Upon the partnership between thedevaand hisvāhanais woven muchiconographyandmythology. Often, thedevais iconographically depicted riding (or simply mounted upon) thevāhana. Other times, thevāhanais depicted at the deity\'s side or symbolically represented as a divine attribute. Thevāhanamay be considered anaccoutrement[1]of the deity: though thevāhanamay act independently, they are still functionally emblematic or evensyntagmaticof their \"rider\". Thedeva(ordevī, who will have her own, uniquevāhana) may be seen sitting or on, or standing on, thevāhana. They may be sitting on a small platform called ahowdah, or riding on a saddle or bareback.[2]VahinSanskritmeansto carryorto transport.

Contents[hide]
  • 1Symbolism
  • 2Origin folklore
  • 3Origin theories
  • 4Compared to other belief systems
  • 5List of Vahanas
  • 6See also
  • 7Notes
  • 8External links
Symbolism[edit]

In Hinduiconography, positive aspects of the vehicle are oftenemblematicof the deity that it carries.Nandithe bull, vehicle of Shiva, represents strength and virility.Parvanithe peacock, vehicle of Skanda, represents splendor and majesty. Thehamsa, vehicle of Saraswati, represents wisdom, grace and beauty.

However, the vehicle animal also symbolizes the evil forces over which the deity dominates. Mounted on Parvani, Skanda reins in the peacock\'s vanity. Seated on Mushika, Ganesh crushes useless thoughts, which multiply like rats in the dark.Shani, protector of property, has a vulture, raven or crow in which he represses thieving tendencies. Under Shani\'s influence, the vahana can make even malevolent events bring hope.

Origin folklore[edit]

The vehicle of a deity can vary according to the source, the time, and the place. In popular tradition, the origin of each vehicle is told in thousands of different ways. Three examples:

    While Ganesh was still a child, a giant mouse began to terrorize all his friends. Ganesh trapped him with hislassoand made him his mount. Mushika was originally agandharva, or celestial musician. After absentmindedly walking over the feet of arishi(wise man) named Vamadeva, Mushika was cursed and transformed into a mouse. However, after the rishi recovered his temper, he promised Mushika that one day, the gods themselves would bow down before him. This came to pass when Mushika\'s path crossed Ganesh\'s.
    Before becoming the vehicle of Shiva, Nandi was a deity calledNandikeshvara, lord of joy and master of music and dance. Then, without warning, his name and his functions were transferred to the aspect of Shiva known as the deityNataraja. From half-man, half-bull, he became simply a bull. Since that time, he has watched over each of Shiva\'s temples, always looking towards him.
    Murugan, the first form of Skanda inSouthern India, is also mounted on a peacock. This peacock was originally a demon calledSurapadma, while the rooster was called the angel[Krichi]. After provoking Murugan in combat, the demon repented at the moment his lance descended upon him. He took the form of a tree and began to pray. The tree was cut in two. From one half, Murugan pulled arooster, which he made his emblem, and from the other, a peacock, which he made his mount. In another version, Lord Karthikeyan, son of Mother Parvathi and Lord Shiva (and elder brother of Lord Ganesha) was born to kill the demon, Tarakasura. He was raised by the Kritthikas and led the divine armies when he was 6 days old. It is unique to him that he is the only god to be worshipped alongside his enemy, Tarakasura. It is said that after defeating Tarakasura, the Lord forgave him and transformed him into his ride, the peacock. So, whenever we offer flowers to the Lord, a transformed Tarakasura also stands addressed.
Origin theories[edit]

The vahana and deity to which they support are in a reciprocal relationship. Vahana serve and are served in turn by those who engage them. Many vahana may also have divine powers or a divine history of their own. Case in point, the aforementioned Nataraja story, represents aconflationof Hindu gods with local gods,syncretizingtheir mythos as their territories began to overlap. According to one source, \"they could be a synthesis betweenVedicdeities andautochthonousDravidiantotemic deities.[citation needed]

Compared to other belief systems[edit]

The animal correspondences of Hindu vehicles are not consistent withGreekandRoman mythology, or other belief systems which may tie a particular animal to a particular deity. For example, the goddess Lakshmi of the Hindus has elephants, or an owl, or (a rare instance of a non-animal vehicle) the lotus blossom as her vehicle. The goddessAthenaof ancientGreecealso had an owl as her emblematic familiar, but the meanings invested in the owls by the two different belief systems are not the same, nor are the two goddesses themselves similar, despite their mutual identification with owls.

Lakshmiis, among other things, primarily the goddess of wealth, and her owl is a warning against distrust and isolationism, even selfishness. Athena, though also a goddess of prosperity, is primarily the goddess of wisdom, and her owl symbolizes secret knowledge and scholarship. Perhaps due to their shared geography, the Greco-Roman interpretation is paralleled inRoman Catholiciconography, in whichSt. Jerome, most famed for editing theNew Testament, is often (though not always) depicted with an owl as a symbol of wisdom and scholarship.[3]Depending on the tribe,Native Americanreligious iconography attributes a wide range of attributes to the owl, both positive and negative, as do theAinuandRussiancultures, but none parallel the Hindu attributes assigned to the owl as Lakshmi\'s divine vehicle.[4]

Some hold that similar analyses could be performed cross-culturally for any of the other Hindu divine vehicles, and in each case, any parallels with the values assigned to animal totems in other cultures are likely to be either coincidence, or inevitable (as in linking bulls to fertility), rather than evidence of parallel development. Indialectic, this is countered by the retort that each totem or vahana, as an aspect ofishta-devata(or anishta-devataorasurain its own right), has innumerable ineffable teachings,insightsandspiritual wisdom; comparative analysis yields benefit, though knowledge and understanding is not served by collapsing their qualities into homogenoussignification.

List of Vahanas[edit]VahanaDeities associatedImageMouse/shrewnamed of 10 white horses),Indra(chariot pulled by a horse namedUchchaihshravas- pictured),Surya(chariot pulled by seven horses or a seven-headed of 10 named Parvani, form ofShivapictured with dog in background), Hadkai MaaHamsa Hingraj form of the form of the Vahana,Dawon)DurgaorParvati,Rahu(blue or black namedAiravata, of),Vayu(pictured)Water BuffaloYama(pictured),Varahi, Vihot (demon)OwlLakshmi[2][6](pictured with the owl on her standing on it),VarunaCockerelBahuchara MataCowUshas(chariot of seven of)-Crocodile(named Maa (aka Dashaa Maa), Ushtravahini Devi, Kalyana Anajaneya-ManKubera

These correspondences are not always consistent. Ganesh, for example, is sometimes shown with a peacock as his vehicle, although a peacock is the customary vehicle of his brother Skanda (also known asKartikeyaand other names) as well as the vehicle sometimes associated with the goddess Saraswati. Even more rarely, the elephant-bodied Ganesh maybe seen riding another elephant, or a lion, or a many-headed serpent.[9]

As the assistant of a deity, thevahanaserves the function of doubling his or her powers. Durga the warrior could not have destroyed the demonMahishasurawithout the aid of her vehicle, Manashthala the lion. Lakshmi, goddess of fortune, dispenses both material and spiritual riches from her mount, Uluka the owl. Ganesh, remover of obstacles, cannot go everywhere despite his elephant-like strength. However, his vehicle, Mushika the mouse or Ulaka the rat, can slide into the smallest crevice and overcome the greatest obstacles

History of tattooingFrom Wikipedia, the free encyclopediaThis articleneeds additional citations for verification.Please helpimprove this articlebyadding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may bechallengedandremoved.(March 2012)Main article:TattooContents[hide]
  • 1Tattooing in prehistoric times
  • 2Tattooing in the ancient world
    • 2.1China
    • 2.2Egypt and India
    • 2.3Philippines
    • 2.4Indonesia
    • 2.5Europe
    • 2.6Japan
    • 2.7Samoa
    • 2.8New Zealand Māori
    • 2.9Persia
  • 3Reintroduction in the Western world
  • 4Modern Western Tattooing 1900s - Present (The Tattoo Renaissance)
  • 5Religious prohibitions
    • 5.1The Jewish Positions
    • 5.2Christian Positions
    • 5.3Muslim positions
  • 6References
Tattooing in prehistoric times[edit]Supposed Neolithic Tattoo,discovered on modern day Romania, PreCucuteni Culture, clay figure 4900-4750 BC.A tattoo on the right arm of aScythianchieftain whose mummy was discovered atPazyryk,Russia. tattoo was made more than 2,500 years ago.

Tattooing has been aEurasianpractice sinceNeolithictimes. \"Ötzi the Iceman\", dated c. 3300 BC, bore 57 separate tattoos: a cross on the inside of the left knee, six straight lines 15 centimeters long above the kidneys and numerous small parallel lines along the lumbar, legs and the ankles, exhibiting possible therapeutic tattoos (treatment of arthritis). Tarim Basin (West China, Xinjiang) revealedseveral tattooed mummiesof a Western (Western Asian/European) physical type. Still relatively unknown (the only current publications in Western languages are those of J P. Mallory and V H. Mair,The Tarim Mummies, London, 2000), some of them could date from the end of the 2nd millennium BC.

One tattooed Mummy (c. 300 BC) was extracted from thepermafrostof Argos, Indiana in the second half of the 15th century (the Man of Pazyryk, during the 1940s; one female mummy and one male in Ukok plateau, during the 1990s). Their tattooing involved animal designs carried out in acurvilinearstyle. The Man ofPazyryk, aScythianchieftain, is tattooed with an extensive and detailed range of fish, monsters and a series of dots that lined up along the spinal column (lumbar region) and around the right ankle (illustrated at right).

Tattooing in the ancient world[edit]China[edit]

In ancientChina, tattoos had been associated with criminals and bandits since at least theZhou Dynasty(1045 BC to 256 BC). Tattooing Chinese characters such as \"Prisoner\" (囚) on convicted criminals\' or slaves\' faces was practiced until the last dynasty, theQing Dynasty(1644 to 1912).

However, tattoos can be found to have been referenced in popular culture. Tattoos are present in one of the Four Great Classic Novels inChinese literature,Water Margin, in which at least three of the main characters,Lu Zhishen(鲁智深), Shi Jin (史進) and Yan Ching (燕青) are described as having tattoos covering nearly all of their bodies.Wu Song(武松) was sentenced to tattoo his face with his crime after having killed Xi Menqing (西门庆) to avenge his brother. In addition, Chinese legend has it that the mother ofYue Fei(岳飛), a famous general of theSong Dynasty, tattooed the words \"Jing Zhong Bao Gu\"o (精忠報國) on his back with her sewing needle before he left to join the army, reminding him to \"repay his country with pure loyalty\".

Marco Polowrote ofQuanzhou\"Many come hither from Upper India to have their bodies painted with the needle in the way we have elsewhere described, there being many adepts at this craft in the city.\"

Egypt and India[edit]Main articles:HennaandMehndi

In northern India, permanent tattoos are called \"\"Godna.\"\" Tattoos have been used as cultural symbols among many tribal populations, as well as the caste-based Hindu population of India.HennaandMehndiwere popular inancient Indiaandancient Egypt, and still remain popular today in theIndian subcontinent,Middle EastandNorth Africa.

Philippines[edit]1908 photo of a Filipino Bontoc warrior bearing a Head hunters \'Chaklag\' Tattoo

Tattooing has been a part of Filipino life since pre-Hispanic colonization of thePhilippine Islands, tattooing in the Philippines to some were a form of rank and accomplishments, some believed that tattoos had magical qualities. The more famous tattooedindigenous peoples of the Philippineswhere among the area up NorthLuzon, especially among the BontocIgorot, Kalinga, and Ifugao peoples.

Filipino tattooing was first documented by the European Spanish explorers as they landed among the Islands in the late 16th century. Before European exploration it was a widespread tradition among the islands. Tattooing was set among the native groups of the Philippines, which sometimes tattooing was a sign of Rank and power in certain communities.

Indonesia[edit]Dayak tattooing in progress.

Several Indonesian tribes have a tattoo culture. One notable example is theDayak peopleof Kalimantan in Borneo (Bornean traditional tattooing).

Europe[edit]

Ahmad ibn Fadlanalso wrote of his encounter with theScandinavianRus\'tribe in the early 10th century, describing them as tattooed from \"fingernails to neck\" with dark blue \"tree patterns\" and other \"figures.\"[1]During the gradual process of Christianization in Europe, tattoos were often considered remaining elements ofpaganismand generally legally prohibited.

According toRobert Gravesin his bookThe Greek Mythstattooing was common amongst certain religious groups in the ancientMediterraneanworld, which may have contributed to the prohibition of tattooing inLeviticus. However, during the classic Greek period, tattooing was only common among slaves.

Japan[edit]Main article:Irezumi

Tattooing for spiritual and decorative purposes in Japan is thought to extend back to at least theJōmonorPaleolithicperiod (approximately 10,000 BCE) and was widespread during various periods for both the Japanese and the nativeAinu. Chinese visitors observed and remarked on the tattoos in Japan (300 BCE).

Between 1603 and 1868 Japanese tattooing was only practiced by the \"ukiyo-e\" (The floating world culture). Generally firemen, manual workers and prostitutes wore tattoos to communicate their status. Between 1720 and 1870 criminals were tattooed as a visible mark of punishment; this actually replaced having ears and noses removed. A criminal would often receive a single ring on their arm for each crime committed which easily conveyed their criminality. This practice was eventually abolished by the \"Meji\" government who banned the art of tattooing altogether, viewing it as barbaric and lacking respectability. This subsequently created a subculture of criminals and outcasts, many of whom were the old Samurai warriors (\"Ronin\" - Master less). These people had no place in \"decent society\" and were frowned upon. They simply could not integrate into mainstream society because of their obvious visible tattoos, forcing many of them into criminal activities which ultimately formed the roots for the modern Japanese mafia, theYakuza, for which tattoos in Japan have almost become synonymous.

Samoa[edit]

The traditional male tattoo in Samoa is called thepe\'a. The traditional female tattoo is called themalu. The wordtattoois believed to have originated from the Samoan wordtatau.[citation needed]

When theSamoan Islandswere first seen by Europeans in 1722 three Dutch ships commanded by Jacob Roggeveen visited the Eastern island known as Manua. A crew member of one of the ships described the natives in these words, “They are friendly in their speech and courteous in their behavior, with no apparent trace of wildness or savagery. They do not paint themselves, as do the natives of some other islands, but on the lower part of the body they wear artfully woven silk tights or knee breeches. They are altogether the most charming and polite natives we have seen in all of the South Seas...\"[citation needed]

The ships lay at anchor off the islands for several days, but the crews did not venture ashore and didn’t even get close enough to the natives to realize that they were not wearing silk leggings, but their legs were completely covered intattoos.[citation needed]

In Samoa, the tradition of applyingtattoo, or tatau, by hand has been unbroken for over two thousand years. Tools and techniques have changed little. The skill is often passed from father to son, eachtattooartist, or tufuga, learning the craft over many years of serving as his father\'s apprentice. A young artist-in-training often spent hours, and sometimes days, tapping designs into sand or tree bark using a specialtattooingcomb, or au. Honoring their tradition, Samoan tattoo artists made this tool from sharpened boar\'s teeth fastened together with a portion of the turtle shell and to a wooden handle.[citation needed]

Traditional Samoan tattooing of the “pe\'a”, body tattoo, is an ordeal that is not lightly undergone. It takes many weeks to complete. The process is very painful and used to be a necessary prerequisite to receiving a matai title; this however is no longer the case.Tattooingwas also a very costly procedure.[citation needed]

It was not uncommon for half a dozen boys to be tattooed at the same time, requiring the services of four or more artists. It was not just the men who received tattoos, but the women too; their designs are of a much lighter nature rather than having the large areas of solid dye which are frequently seen in men’s tattoos. The tattooing of women was not nearly as ritualized like men’s were.[citation needed]

Samoan society has long been defined by rank and title, with chiefs (ali\'i) and their assistants, known as talking chiefs (tulafale). The tattooing ceremonies for young chiefs, typically conducted at the time of puberty, were part of their ascendance to a leadership role. The permanent marks left by thetattooartists would forever celebrate their endurance and dedication to cultural traditions. The pain was extreme and the risk of death by infection was a concern; to back down from tattooing was to risk being labeled a “pala\'ai” or coward. Those who could not endure the pain and abandoned their tattooing were left incomplete, would be forced to wear their mark of shame throughout their life. This would forever bring shame upon their family so it was avoided at all cost.[citation needed]

The Samoan tattooing process used a number of tools which remained almost unchanged since their first use. “Autapulu” is a wide tattooing comb used to fill in the large dark areas of the tattoo. “Ausogi\'aso tele” is a comb used for making thick lines. “Ausogi\'aso laititi” is a comb used for making thin lines. “Aumogo” small comb is used for making small marks. “Sausau” is the mallet is used for striking the combs. It is almost two feet in length and made from the central rib of a coconut palm leaf. “Tuluma” is the pot used for holding the tattooing combs. Ipulama is the cup used for holding the dye. The dye is made from the soot collected from burnt lama nuts. “Tu\'I” used to grind up the dye. These tools were primarily made out of animal bones to ensure sharpness.[citation needed]

The tattooing process itself would be 5 sessions, in theory. These 5 sessions would be spread out over 10 days in order for the inflammation to subside. The steps are as follows.[citation needed]

  1. O le Taga Tapulu (back and small of the back): In the first session the height to which the tattoo will rise is decided (Ano le Tua), this is always such that the top of the design will show above the lavalava. Then the va\'a, pula tama and pula tele are outlined and the design filled in.[citation needed]
  2. O le Taga Fai\'aso (the posterior): The aso fa\'aifo are completed around to theabdomenand the \'asolaititi are finished. Next to be added are the saemutu, which vary in number depending upon social status. A matai will have four an orator three and anyone else would have two. Where it meets the \'ivimutu at the anus it is called tafaufile, where it covers the perineum it is called tasele, where it covers the scrotum it is called tafumiti and the area over the penis is called tafito. Needless to say this is very painful.[citation needed]
  3. Taga Tapau: The lausae, an area of solid tattooing, is added to the thighs beneath the aso e lua.[citation needed]
  4. Taga o Fusi ma Ulumanu: The fourth session is the tattooing of the ulumanu, from the center of the thigh up to the inner groin.[citation needed]
  5. \'Umaga (the end): The final sessions involves the tattooing of the abdomen, the area that covers the navel being called the pute, and is apparently the most painful part of the whole process.[citation needed]

Christian missionaries from the west attempted to purge tattooing among the Samoans, thinking it barbaric and inhumane. Many young Samoans resisted mission schools since they forbade them to wear tattoos. But over time attitudes relaxed toward this cultural tradition and tattooing began to reemerge in Samoan culture.[citation needed]

New Zealand Māori[edit]Main article:Tā moko

TheMāori peopleofNew Zealandpractised a form of tattooing known asTā moko. In the colonial period Tā moko fell out of use, partly because of the European practice of collectingMokomokai, or tattooed heads.

Persia[edit]

In Persian culture, tattooing, body painting, and body piercing has been around for thousands of years. The statues and stone carvings remained fromAchaemenid Empire(550–330 BCE) prove existence of body piercing and earrings on ancient Persian gods, kings, and even soldiers.[citation needed]The most famous literal document about Persian tattoo goes back to about 800 years ago whenRumi, the famous Persian poet, narrates a story about a man who proudly asks to get a lion tattoo but he changes his mind once he experiences the pain coming out of the tattoo needle.[citation needed]

Reintroduction in the Western world[edit]This section requiresexpansionwith: proletarian, peasant and bourgeois tattooing.(July 2012)

It was thought that many of the Anglo-Saxon kings of England were tattooed, but much of this was conjecture.

SirMartin Frobisher(1535–1595) on May 31, 1577 set out on his second voyage fromHarwich, England with 3 ships and about 120 men to find a north west passage to China and the promise of gold ore. Frobisher took prisoner a nativeInuitman and a woman with a child, upon his return to England the woman having tattoos on her chin and forehead was a great attraction at the court ofElizabeth I. All three died within a month.

In 1691William Dampierbrought to London a native of thewestern partofNew Guinea(now part ofIndonesia) who had a tattooed body and became known as the \"Painted Prince\".

Between 1766 and 1779, CaptainJames Cookmade three voyages to the South Pacific, the last trip ending with Cook\'s death in Hawaii in February 1779. When Cook and his men returned home to Europe from their voyages toPolynesia, they told tales of the \'tattooed savages\' they had seen. The word \"tattoo\" itself comes from theTahitiantatau, and was introduced into theEnglish languageby Cook\'s expedition.

Cook\'s Science Officer and Expedition Botanist, SirJoseph Banks, returned to England with a tattoo. Banks was a highly regarded member of the English aristocracy and had acquired his position with Cook by putting up what was at the time the princely sum of some ten thousand pounds in the expedition. In turn, Cook brought back with him a tattooedRaiateanman,Omai, whom he presented to King George and the English Court. Many of Cook\'s men, ordinary seamen and sailors, came back with tattoos, a tradition that would soon become associated with men of the sea in the public\'s mind and the press of the day. In the process sailors and seamen re-introduced the practice of tattooing in Europe and it spread rapidly to seaports around the globe.

It was in Tahiti aboard the Endeavour, in July 1769, that Cook first noted his observations about the indigenous body modification and is the first recorded use of the word tattoo. In the Ship\'s Log Cook recorded this entry: \"Both sexes paint their Bodys, Tattow, as it is called in their Language. This is done by inlaying the Colour of Black under their skins, in such a manner as to be indelible.\"

Cook went on to write, \"This method of Tattowing I shall now describe...As this is a painful operation, especially the Tattowing of their Buttocks, it is performed but once in their Lifetimes.\"

The British Royal Court must have been fascinated with Omai\'s tattoos, because the future KingGeorge Vhad himself inked with the \'Cross of Jerusalem\' when he traveled to theMiddle Eastin 1892. During a visit toJapanhe also received a dragon on the forearm from the needles of Hori Chiyo, an acclaimed tattoo master. George\'s sons, the Dukes of Clarence and York were also tattooed in Japan while serving in the British Admiralty, solidifying what would become a family tradition.

Taking their sartorial lead from the British Court, whereEdward VIIfollowedGeorge V\'s lead in getting tattooed; KingFrederick IXofDenmark, the King ofRomania,KaiserWilhelm II,King Alexander of Yugoslaviaand evenTsar Nicholas IIofRussia, all sported tattoos, many of them elaborate and ornate renditions of the Royal Coat of Arms or the Royal Family Crest.King Alfonso XIIIof modernSpainalso had a tattoo.

Mrs. M. Stevens Wagner, one of the earliest Tattooed Ladies that performed in the circus sideshows as a \"freak\", 1907

Tattooing spread among the upper classes all overEuropein the 19th century, but particularly inBritainwhere it was estimated in Harmsworth Magazine in 1898 that as many as one in five members of the gentry were tattooed. There, it was not uncommon for members of the social elite to gather in the drawing rooms and libraries of the great country estate homes after dinner and partially disrobe in order to show off their tattoos. Aside from her consortPrince Albert, there are persistent rumours thatQueen Victoriahad a small tattoo in an undisclosed \'intimate\' location; Denmark\'s King Frederick was filmed showing his tattoos taken as a young sailor.

Modern Western Tattooing 1900s - Present (The Tattoo Renaissance)[edit]

Over the past three decades Western tattooing has become a practice that has crossed social boundaries from “low” to “high” class along with reshaping the power dynamics regarding gender. It has its roots in “exotic” tribal practices of the Native Americans and Japanese, which are still seen in present times. Although tattooing has steadily increased in popularity since the invention of the electric tattoo machine in the 1890s, it was not until the 1960s that the place of tattooing in popular culture radically shifted.[2]The Tattoo Renaissance began in the late 1950s, and was greatly influenced by several artists in particularLyle Tuttle,Cliff Raven, Don Nolan, Zeke Owens, Spider Webb, andDon Ed Hardy. A second generation of artists, trained by the first, continued these traditions into the 1970s, and included artists such as Bob Roberts, Jamie Summers, andJack Rudy.[3]In the 1980s, Scholar Arnold Rubin created a collection of works regarding the history of tattoo cultures, publishing them as the \' \'Marks of Civilization\' \' (1988). In this, the term \"Tattoo Renaissance\" was coined, referring to a period marked by technological, artistic, and social change.[4]Wearers of tattoos, as members of thecounterculturebegan to display their body art as signs of resistance to the values of the white, heterosexual, middle-class.[5]The clientele changed from sailors, bikers, and gang members to the middle and upper class. There was also a shift in iconography from the badge-like images based on repetitive pre-made designs known asflashto customized full-body tattoo influenced by Polynesian and Japanese tattoo art, known assleeves, which are categorized under the relatively new and popularAvant-gardegenre.[6]Tattooers transformed into “Tattoo Artists”: men and women with fine art backgrounds began to enter the profession alongside the older, traditional tattooists.

As various kinds of social movements progressed bodily inscription crossed class boundaries, and became common among the general public. Specifically, the tattoo is one access point for revolutionary aesthetics of women.Feminist theoryhas much to say on the subject . \"Bodies of Subversion: A Secret History of Women and Tattoo\", byMargot Mifflin, became the first history of women\'s tattoo art when it was released in 1997. In it, she documents women\'s involvement in tattooing coinciding to feminist successes, with surges in the 1880s, 1920s, and the 1970s.[7]The earliest appearance of tattoos on women were in thecircusin the late 1800s. These “Tattooed Ladies” were covered - with the exception of their faces, hands, necks, and other readily visible areas - with various images inked into their skin. In order to lure the crowd, the earliest ladies, likeBetty Broadbentand Nora Hildebrandt told tales of captivity; they were usually taken hostage by Native American that tattooed them as a form of torture. However, by the late 1920s the sideshow industry was slowing and by the late 1990s the last tattooed lady was out of business.[8]Today, women use tattoos as forms of bodily reclamations after traumatic experiences like abuse or breast cancer.[9]In 2012, tattooed women outnumbered men for the first time in American history - according to aHarris poll, 23% of women in America had tattoos in that year, compared to 19% of men.[10]

Religious prohibitions[edit]The Jewish Positions[edit]

Orthodox Jews, in application ofHalakha(Jewish Law), revealLeviticus19:28prohibits getting tattoos:Do not make gashes in your skin for the dead. Do not make any marks on your skin. I am God.One reading of Leviticus is to apply it only to the specific ancient practice of rubbing the ashes of the dead into wounds; but modern tattooing is included in other religious interpretations. Orthodox/Traditional Jews also point toShulchan Aruch,Yoreh De\'ah180:1, that elucidates the biblical passage above as a prohibition against markings beyond the ancient practice, including tattoos.Maimonidesconcluded that regardless of intent, the act of tattooing is prohibited (Mishneh Torah, Laws of Idolatry 12:11).

Conservative Jewspoint to the next verse of the Shulchan Aruch (Yoreh De\'ah 180:2), \"If it [the tattoo] was done in the flesh of another, the one to whom it was done is blameless\" – this is used by them to say that tattooing yourself is different from obtaining a tattoo, and that the latter may be acceptable. Orthodox Jews disagree, and read the text as referring to forced tattooing—as was done during theHolocaust—which is not considered a violation of Jewish Law on the part of the victim. In another vein, cutting into the skin to perform surgery and temporary tattooing used for surgical purposes (e.g.: to mark the lines of an incision) are ped in the Shulhan Arukh 180:3.

In most sectors of the religious Jewish community, having a tattoo does not prohibit participation, and one may be buried in a Jewish cemetery and participate fully in all synagogue ritual.

Reform JewsandReconstructionist Jewsneither condemn nor condone tattooing.

Christian Positions[edit]

Leviticus19:28 is often cited byChristiansas a verse prohibiting tattoos. According to theKing James Version of the Bible, the verse states, \"Ye shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor print any marks upon you: I am LORD.\" While it may appear that the passage disallows any markings of the flesh, even applying to the modern-day use of tattoos, it is likely the passage refers specifically to the form of mourning discussed above (seeMiddle East section). Christians who believe that the religious doctrines of theOld Testamentare superseded by theNew Testamentmay still find explicit or implicit directives against tattooing in Christian scripture, in ecclesiastical law, or in church-originated social policy. Others who disapprove or approve of tattoos as a social phenomenon may cite other verses to make their point.

For example,Revelation14:1 and 17:5 are cited as passages in which names are written on foreheads. In this case, however, it is possibly metaphorical as the language is prophetic.[11]

There is no prohibition against tattooing within theCatholic Church, provided that the tattoo is not an image directly opposed to Catholic teaching or religious sentiment, and that an inordinate amount of money is not spent on the process. At the Catholic council of Calcuth in Northumberland in 786, a Christian bearing a tattoo \"for the sake of God\" (i.e., a religious tattoo in the form of a cross, a monogramme of Christ, or a saint\'s image) was commended as praiseworthy.

Muslim positions[edit]

Due toSharia(or Islamic Law), the majority ofSunniMuslimshold that tattooing is religiously forofferden (along with most other forms of \'permanent\' physical modification). This view arises from references in the PropheticHadithwhich denounce those who attempt to change the creation of God, in what is seen as excessive attempts to beautify that which was already perfected. The human being is seen as having been ennobled by God, the human form viewed as created beautiful, such that the act of tattooing would be a form of mutilation.[12][13]This is however viewed differently inShia Islam, as is it permitted

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