Rediscovering Tribal Tattoos

Man by nature, is extremely creative. It is probably his instinct to modify, accentuate and to make something artistic from a rather plain and bare skin. I guess, that provides an explanation. But we're not done yet.

The beginnings of humanity marked his earliest conquest to capture art into more tangible form. Like the Creator who Himself is creative beyond words, man seem to have caught grains of artistic expression that motivated him to make masterpieces from time to time.

While we have different perspectives as to what is art and not, no one can still formally contend that tattoo is not. After all, it is an art form that man have been used to since he first discovered that a wound, when tainted with pigments will remain colored until the part of the skin is removed. And that, my friend, is the primitive principle of tattooing.

Each tribe, at any given point in history, has a special feature to protect. And one of the more common forms manifest through tattooing.

No area of the world has developed tattooing more maturely than the region of the Polynesia. And from this part of the world, the practice was handed down to neighboring areas that later transferred the practice to the borders of the west.

The method that Polynesians used were primitive and so are the designs. Yet, whichever way one looks it at, the primitive designs seem to have conquered time. Until these days, this very era we still love to inscribe tribal designs into our precious skin. And that is one testimony that tribal designs are eternal.

Tribal tattoos appeal simply, both to our psyche and emotions. They seem to convey specific emotions that communicate us to something beyond our comprehension. To something incoherent and coherent at the same time. To some elements more powerful than us and to ourselves, our deeply buried selves. They seem to allow connection towards ancient beliefs that hold truths and to things of mysteries and wonder.

What did tribal groups possessed for them to create manifestations of intense meanings into their tattoo arts? Probably, it is their instinct that modern human comprehension would not grab.

Tribal tattoos, though largely inexplicable in nature, maybe addressed with these words- simple, powerful and moving. These reasons may be enough to correlate the contemporary acceptance of some things that were developed centuries ago and by individuals who knew no art but the art they instinctually practiced.

They immortalized tribal art in cave paintings, in literature (and with the exception of those that were consumed by the earth and fire), in their mummified bodies.

It is startling to note that the mummified primitive man recently found have a body covered with tribal tattoos that depicted mythical characters and ancient practices and designs typical with this art form.

And while for a century or two, tattoos were banned from the western world, we are now witnessing the rediscovery of the art. Not only do criminals, prisoners and other negative figures welcome this form of artistic expression. The 'commoners' are also so into the trend that many find themselves faced with the tattooing machine, ready to take flight with a new body ornamentation.

With this widespread regain of tattoo acceptance, tribal tattoos seem to have conquered the topmost priority in choosing the design. It is after all eternal and versatile that artists, customers and designers themselves can put their own art into primitive outlines to create new designs appropriate with conventional tattoo concepts (but never loosing the essence of their ancient origins).