Buzz
What drives individuals to get tattoos?
Is it tied to traditions or significant cultural milestones? Is it about personal fulfillment and crafting an identity? What is it that makes tattoos so alluring? Could it be the tools used to create these designs or the narratives hidden beneath the ink?
This compilation brings together a variety of tattoo designs, cultural customs, and intriguing stories that not only captivate but also help answer some of these questions.
10. Olive Oatman and the Mojave Tribe
Native Americans possess rich cultural traditions that include tattooing, but each tribe has its own unique practices. Historically, factors like the tribe's location, access to natural resources, and their religious beliefs and creation myths influenced their tattooing customs.
A notable example is the Mojave tribe, recognized by the Spanish as early as the 16th century. Primarily found in California and Arizona near the Colorado River, the tribe used ink derived from the blue cactus plant to mark adolescents during their coming-of-age ceremonies. Tattoos were also used for luck, protection in battle, and during spiritual rituals.
Sadly, there are few remaining images of the Mojave people. However, a famous set of photographs of Olive Oatman showcases her Mojave chin tattoos. Her story is unique because Oatman was not of Mojave descent; she was white.
As a child, Olive's family was killed by a group of Native Americans believed to be the Tolkepayas/Western Yavapai. Olive and her sister Mary Ann were taken captive as slaves. Only their brother Lorenzo survived the massacre, though he was severely injured.
The girls were often mistreated by their captors until, a year later, they were traded to a Mojave group in California. Tribal leader Espianola and his family welcomed the girls into their community. Espianola’s wife, Aespaneo, and daughter Topeka offered the Oatman girls land to cultivate.
The Mojave tribe marked both girls with blue cactus tattoos on their chins, a significant tradition for ensuring a favorable afterlife. They remained with the tribe for several years, but tragically, Mary Ann succumbed to starvation during a drought that claimed the lives of several other Mojave members.
Olive eventually left after the US Army bribed and threatened the Mojave people. After reuniting with Lorenzo, Olive frequently spoke of her time with the Mojave. Although initially positive, her feelings about the tribe seemed to grow increasingly negative. The true nature of her emotions regarding her time with the Mojave remains a mystery.
9. Dulong Tattoos
The Dulong people, a minority in China, lived in a remote area in Yunnan Province until a highway was built in late 1999. It was customary for girls to receive a face tattoo when they reached puberty, a practice known as 'Hua Lian' ('painting the face') or 'Wen Mian' ('tattooing the face').
Initially, the tattoos were drawn with soot and water by an elder, then etched into the skin with a needle or sharpened stick. Once the design was completed, soot or grass juice was applied to the wounds to transform the scars into a blue color.
In the upper and middle reaches of the Dulong River, the tattoos featured intricate patterns of connected diamonds running down the nose and across the cheeks and mouth. In the lower reaches, the designs were simpler. All tattoos were butterfly-shaped, as they believed the dead turned into butterflies after passing.
There are varying reasons for these tattoos, with several sources suggesting that they were intended to make Dulong women less appealing to Lisu and Tibetan slavers. Tibetan landlords demanded that the Dulong women be taken as slaves if their families could not pay taxes.
In a subtle form of defiance, Dulong women would carve and dye their faces with soot, turning them black and blue. The girls ensured that their markings could not be washed away, hoping to make themselves less attractive, even intimidating, to outsiders.
This practice became a cultural tradition until the establishment of the People’s Republic of China in 1949. Today, fewer than 30 women with the traditional Dulong tattoos are still alive.
8. R.H. Macy
At 15 years old, Rowland Hussey Macy became a sailor aboard the Emily Morgan, a whaling ship, in the early 19th century. During his four-year stint as a whaler, Macy had a red star tattooed on his forearm. This symbolized the stars that guided him through the cold nights at sea.
Upon returning home, Macy opened a series of unsuccessful stores before working in his brother-in-law’s shop in Boston. Later, he briefly ventured to the California Gold Rush of 1849 in search of fortune.
Once more, Macy faced bitter failure. However, he never fully abandoned his dream of running a successful shop. So, he and his brother opened a dry goods store in Haverhill, which marked the beginning of some success in the business.
This success inspired Macy to move to New York in 1858 and establish R.H. Macy & Co. On its opening day, the store brought in a modest $11.06. By the end of the year, it had earned $85,000. R.H. Macy & Co. expanded into 11 buildings and evolved into a department store. Its logo became the red star tattoo of R.H. Macy.
7. William Lithgow
William Lithgow was a Scottish traveler who documented his adventures in various literary works during the 17th century. While in Jerusalem, he and his companions received pilgrimage tattoos. Lithgow’s tattoo bore a quote expressing his pride and loyalty to the monarchy of his homeland. He wrote about the tattoo:
On the final night of my stay in Jerusalem, at the holy grave, I recalled my sacred duty and deep affection towards my native Prince; whom I, with all humility (second only to Christ Jesus), acknowledge as the supreme leader and Governor of the true Christian and Catholic Church. In memory of this duty, I instructed Elias Bethleete, a Christian from Bethlehem, to carve on the flesh of my right arm the never-conquered Crown of Scotland and the now unconquerable Crown of England, with the inscription, painstakingly etched within the circle of the Crown, 'Vivat Jacobus Rex.'
At the time, most pilgrimage tattoos solely featured Christian symbols and quotes. Lithgow had other pilgrimage tattoos, but these were only briefly mentioned in annotations.
In his biographies, Lithgow is often referred to as a spy. During one of his travels in Spain in 1620, he was captured and tortured for providing crucial information to an English ship. In an attempt to force a confession from him, Spanish inquisitors cut his tattoo along with a large portion of flesh from his arm.
His account of the incident went as follows: 'The Corrigidor... ordered to tear asunder the name and crown (as he said) of that heretical king and arch-enemy to the Holy Catholic Church... cutting the crown, nerves, and flesh down to the bare bones.'
Lithgow never fully recovered and narrowly escaped being burned at the stake. Eventually, he returned to Britain.
6. Otzi The Iceman
Otzi is a naturally preserved mummy found in the Otztal Alps, dating back over 5,000 years. Discovered by two German tourists in 1991, Otzi’s remarkable preservation allows anthropologists to observe his tattoos, with 61 of them being identified.
Scientists have speculated on various aspects of Otzi’s life, including the cause of his death, his health, his modern descendants, and his diet. They have also formed theories about his tattoos. For instance, it is believed that his tattoos were likely created by first pricking the skin with a needle or stick, then rubbing soot over the pattern.
Due to the dark nature of Otzi’s skin, some of his tattoos are not easily visible to the naked eye. Many were uncovered using a noninvasive multispectral imaging technique that separated the different color wavelengths on Otzi’s skin.
Anthropologists have suggested that many of Otzi’s tattoos may have served as an early form of acupuncture, possibly applied for therapeutic purposes. Several tattoos were found at locations corresponding to areas of physical injury, such as his Achilles tendon, lower back, wrists, and ankles.
If this theory holds true, it would imply that acupuncture was practiced nearly 2,000 years earlier than previously assumed. However, researchers caution that:
We can’t be entirely certain why these tattoos were positioned in these specific areas. It’s possible that Otzi’s people believed these body parts had spiritual significance. Nonetheless, it is also plausible that these were early attempts at acupuncture.
For instance, the tattoos on Otzi’s chest do not correspond to any obvious ailments or injuries. The true purpose of his tattoos remains unknown. Yet, whether they were decorative or medical, they provide us with valuable insight into Otzi’s culture and heritage that we otherwise might never have understood.
5. Mai
Mai was born on the island of Raiatea in French Polynesia. He escaped to Tahiti after Borbora warriors invaded Raiatea in the 1700s. The first Europeans to arrive in Tahiti were Captain Wallis and his crew aboard the HMS Dolphin around 1767. They attempted to claim the island for Britain and suppress the native resistance to the invasion.
As more European ships began arriving, the islanders faced food shortages and ongoing conflicts with the colonizers. Some islanders were taken to England as “specimens” but tragically died during the journey.
In 1773, when Captain Cook returned, Mai (who was mistakenly called Omai by the British) requested to accompany the Europeans back to Europe to obtain weapons and guns that would help him fight against the Borbora men and reclaim Raiatea.
Mai was paraded through England by Sir Joseph Banks, meeting various prominent figures, including King George III. Before his return to Tahiti with Captain Cook in 1776, Mai had his portrait painted by the renowned artist Sir Joshua Reynolds.
Portrait of Omai features a shoeless Mai dressed in white robes, with his tattooed hands extended outward to capture the attention of the viewer. His tattoos were a series of dots that adorned the back of his hands and circled his wrists.
Mai’s tattoos symbolized his foreignness to the European public. During that period, he epitomized the European concept of the “noble savage,” a figure that was often viewed as less than human.
4. People Of The Arctic And The Inuit
It is believed that the people of the Arctic were part of a widespread tattoo tradition, especially after an ivory mask, which could date back over 3,500 years, was found on Devon Island. The mask featured tattoos that consisted of parallel lines running from the forehead to the lips and chin. Similar patterns have been discovered in various northern communities around the world.
In 1576, Sir Martin Frobisher made the first recorded reference to Inuit tattooing traditions, writing:
The women are marked on the face with blue streaks down the cheeks and around the eyes. [ . . . ] Also, some of their women race [scratch or pierce] their faces, such as the chin, cheeks, forehead, and wrists, upon which they apply a color that remains dark azure.
Regrettably, for many years, the Inuit people were shamed for their facial tattoos after their communities were Christianized by missionaries. As shamans converted to Christianity, their traditional cultural and religious practices were gradually erased. Some tattoos were believed to serve as a form of pain relief (similar to acupuncture), but European medical techniques rendered these ancient practices obsolete.
Fortunately, in recent years, cultural tattoos in Arctic Inuit communities are slowly being reclaimed, thanks in part to the efforts of individuals like Holly Mititquq Nordlum and Maya Sialuk Jacobsen. These two artists and tattooists are gradually reintroducing traditional tattooing methods such as skin stitching and hand poking through their apprenticeship programs in the community.
3. Tattooed Ladies And Circus Freaks
For centuries, the public has been captivated by the strange and unusual, and it was only a matter of time before someone turned that fascination into a spectacle. Freak shows reached their peak in the late 1800s and early 1900s.
These shows often showcased people with rare physical or mental conditions, such as Schlitzie (“The Last of the Aztecs”), Frank Lentini (“The Three-Legged Man”), and Joseph Merrick (“The Elephant Man”). However, not all of these individuals were born with their peculiarities. Tattooed performers, especially women, mesmerized crowds with incredible and sometimes fabricated stories about how they acquired their tattoos.
One notable figure, George Contentenus (“The Tattooed Man”), sported over 300 tattoos and claimed to be a prince who had been raised in a Turkish harem. He recounted that his tattoos were the result of a threat from “savage natives” in Burma, who had demanded he cover his body in their markings or face being torn to pieces.
At first, he was so adamant about the authenticity of this story that he even wrote and published a book about it. Later, however, he admitted that it had all been a fabricated tale created to secure wealth and fame.
Many tattooed women spun elaborate tales about receiving their tattoos from Native Americans. However, their fame didn’t solely rest on these stories.
Artoria Gibbons was the highest-paid tattooed woman of her era, with all of her tattoos done by her partner, “Red” Gibbons. Artoria enjoyed a devoted following, mostly male admirers, and continued performing as a tattooed lady well into her eighties.
Although freak shows are a thing of the past, the public’s fascination with tattoos has remained strong. The showcasing of tattoos in these shows played a significant role in elevating and mainstreaming tattooing within Western culture.
2. Irezumi
Irezumi (“inserting ink”) is the Japanese term for tattooing, which traces its origins to the Jomon period. Clay figurines found in tombs depict facial tattoos that were linked to social status or used to ward off evil spirits. Full-body tattoos (horimono) became a stunning and intricate form of art that symbolized wealth, particularly when tattoos were still illegal in Japan.
In Japan, tattoos became controversial mainly due to their association with criminal activity, particularly with the feared Yakuza crime syndicate. The Yakuza consider tattoos a mark of bravery, enduring the pain required to complete them.
This negative perception of tattoos may have also stemmed from the increased Chinese influence on Japan during the 17th century. In China, criminals who committed severe offenses were permanently branded with facial tattoos. Following the branding, they could be exiled.
The Japanese adopted this practice, with each region having its own tattoo design to identify the specific crime committed. Although tattoos have been legal in Japan for many years, their association with criminality still persists in certain areas.
1. Bert Grimm And The US Criminal Underworld
Bert Grimm, a tattoo artist from the US, began his journey in the world of ink after running away from home at the age of 15 to join a sideshow. During his travels, he encountered fellow tattooists like Shorty Schultz, Percy Waters, and Long Andy Libarry, whose influence helped him refine his craft. Over time, Grimm ran tattoo shops in Chicago, Las Vegas, Long Beach, and St. Louis.
Grimm was also known for his storytelling, often taking the time during a tattoo session to promote his brand and share anecdotes about his adventures. His reputation grew due to the intriguing personalities of his most notable customers. One of the legends surrounding him was that he had inked the notorious crime duo, Bonnie and Clyde, though the specifics of their tattoos remain unknown.
It’s said that Grimm also inked Charles Arthur Floyd, better known as the US bank robber “Pretty Boy”. Floyd had a tattoo of the “Rose of No Man’s Land” (a song created to honor World War I Red Cross nurses).
Floyd’s tattoo was noted in the scars and marks section of one of his wanted posters. Grimm claimed to have tattooed Floyd at his St. Louis shop, although the exact timing of the tattooing remains unclear.
It seems that Grimm was unaware of the situation until a US marshal visited his shop. The marshal inquired about Floyd's tattoo, explaining that he was interested in getting one himself. After meeting Grimm, the marshal walked away with the same tattoo.
Grimm’s talent for storytelling played a major role in cementing his reputation as “the greatest tattoo artist in the world.” His career spanned around 70 years before he passed away in 1985.
