Tattoos: A New or Renewed Trend?
What do you think of Tattoos?
I personally have two(at the moment), both of great significance to me. The only way I will get a tattoo is if it actually means something to me or else it's not worth it.
With the amount of people getting tattoos now one would think it is a newer trend. However people throughout time have been getting tattoos.
Tattoos started appearing well over 5,000 years ago in many different cultures. In Ancient Greece and Rome tattoos were originally used by the barbarians. Then the Greeks learned the practice from the Persians in a way of identifying slaves and criminals. The Romans then adopted the practice from the Greeks.
Later when the Roman army consisted largely of
mercenaries; they too were tattooed so that deserters could be identified.
In the 19th Century the art of the Tattoo became a widespread trend in England. Many men of the Navy came back from their Expeditions with tattoos. Soon after the trend grew more the future King George V had himself tattooed with the 'Cross of Jerusalem' when he traveled to the Middle East in 1892. During a visit to Japan he 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 also became tattooed in
Japan while serving in the British Admiralty, solidifying what would
become a family tradition.
After seeing the finely done tattoos of King George V many other Nobles and Monarchs throughout Europe also received tattoos, mostly of their respective family crests.
Soon it was not uncommon for many of the Elite social class to gather together in drawing rooms to show off their different tattoos. It is even said that Queen Victoria herself had a small tattoo in a very intimate location.
Winston Churchill's mother, Lady Randolph Churchill,
had a tattoo of a snake around her wrist, which she covered when the
need arose with a specially made diamond bracelet. Carrying on the
family tradition, Winston Churchill had an anchor tattooed on his forearm.
During the 19th Century in America tattoos were more commonly known to be seen on people in the circus. Though many people went to the circus and started to accept the idea of tattoos more it was still widely associated with criminality and savagery.
During the 1940's the idea of tattoos became more widely accepted due to the fact that many of the soldiers of WWII came home with tattoos.
Now when you see a person with a tattoo it is more common that you see them with either something written in Japanese, a Tribal design, and Animal, or a Flower.
Many people have also taken up the idea of getting words tattooed either on their Wrists or on their Fingers.
With all of this being said I think it can easily be stated the the Tattoo is a Renewed Trend. One that I hope will never go away.
EDPV
