Samoa history
The legacy of Polynesian tattoo began over 2000 years ago and is as diverse as the people who wear them. Once widespread in Polynesian societies across the Pacific Ocean, the arrival of western missionaries in the 19th century forced this unique art form into decline. Despite the encroachment of Christian religious beliefs that vilified tattooing as unholy, many Polynesian tattoo artists maintained their vital link to their culture's history by preserving their unique craft for generations.
In Samoa, the tradition of applying tattoo, 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, each tattoo artist, 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 barkcloth using a special tattooing comb, 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.
Samoan society has long been defined by rank and title, with chiefs (ali'i) and their assistants, known as talking chiefs (tulafale), descending from notable families in the proper birth order. The tattooing ceremonies for young chiefs, typically conducted at the onset of puberty, were elaborate affairs and were a key part of their ascendance to a leadership role. The permanent marks left by the tattoo artists would forever celebrate their endurance and dedication to cultural traditions. The pain was extreme and the risk of death by infection was a great concern. But to shy away from tattooing was to risk being labeled a pala'ai or coward and reviled by the clan. Those who could not endure the pain and abandoned their tattooing were left incomplete, wearing their mark of shame throughout their life.
There were few Samoan men who refused the traditional pe'a, an intricate tattoo that covered their body from mid-torso to the knees. The artist would use a mallet to tap the teeth of the ink-laden comb into the men's flesh, following only simple guide marks.
A tattooing session typically lasted until dusk or until the men could not longer stand the pain and would resume the following day, unless the inflamed skin needed a few days to heal. The entire process would often last almost three months. Afterwards, the men's family helped him celebrate, despite his pain, by throwing a party, and the tufuga smashed a water vessel at his feet, marking the end of the ordeal.
The healing process would take months. The tattooed skin would have to be washed in salt water and massaged to work out the impurities. Friends and family would assist the men, since even simple tasks like walking or sitting would irritate their inflamed skin and cause great pain. Within six months, the distinctive designs would begin to appear on their skin but it would take almost a year to completely heal.
Women too endured tattooing, but their patterns were typically smaller, most often on the thighs, legs or on their hands. Tattoos on the hands, called lima, were required to be able to serve kava, a narcotic drink made from the root of the kava shrub, during ceremonial occasions. Doing so was one of the greatest honors in Samoan culture.
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.
In many traditional pe'a, a boat sits atop the overall design. It symbolizes the ocean voyage that brought the original people to Samoa and carried their ancestors to lands beyond the horizon. As they sailed away from Samoa to distant shores, they took with them their long heritage of tattoo artistry.
Tattooing Technique
Autapulu. This is a wide tattooing comb used to fill in the large dark areas of the tattoo.
Ausogi'aso tele. This is a comb used for making thick lines.
Ausogi'aso laititi. This is a comb used for making thin lines.
Aumogo. This small comb is used for making small marks.
Sausau. The mallett 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. The pot used for holding the tattooing combs.
Ipulama. The cup used for holding the dye. The dye is made from the soot collected from burnt lama nuts.
Tu'i. The pestle used to grind up the dye.
Stages Of Tattooing
In theory it should be possible to complete a pe'a in 10 days; 5 sessions with a day in between each to let the inflamation subside, and on the tenth day, the removal of the taboo which has been placed on the person being tattooed. However this is never the case because the pain and the damage to the skin is too great. The five stages are well defined and outlined below.
I. 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.
The aso fa'aifo run all the way round from the back to the groin and the ivitu runs down between the buttocks to the anus.
II. O le Taga Fai'aso (the posterior)
The aso fa'aifo are completed around to the abdomen and 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. It appears that this distinction is not strictly adhered to today. Below the saemutu it is possible to find a wide range of devices, although traditionally there were meant to be two thin lines 'aso e lua. Beneath these another band the 'aso taliitu is added, which goes all around the top of the thigh. 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.
III. Taga Tapau
The lausae, an area of solid tattooing, is added to the thighs beneath the aso e lua.
IV. Taga o Fusi ma Ulumanu
The fourth session is the tatooing of the ulumanu, from the center of the thigh up to the inner groin. In addition the fusi is added, this being a ribbon extending from the perineum and widening to the width of a hand behind the knees.
V. 'Umaga (the end)
The final sessions invloves the tatooing of the abdomen and the navel, the area that covers the navel being called the pute, and is apparently the most painful part of the whole process.
During the who of the process the tattooer, tufuga is assisted by upto six helpers all of whom wish to become masters themselves. One will be responsible for the mixing of the dyes, another is responsible for wiping away the blood, another for dipping the instruments into the dye and receiving instruments that have been used, another cleans and sharpens the teeth of the combs and another will hold the skin tight.
Young women would sit around the person being tattoo, holding them down to stop them moving to much and thus damaging the tattoo, and massaging the head. In addition they will sing a song to try and keep him occupied and keep his mind from the pain in case he starts to complain or cry, which was considered disgraceful behaviour and unfitting for a man.
Samoan motifs
I. Togitogi (dots) These are normally found in the tattoos on womens hands.
II. Aso (thin cross beam) This is normally used when tattooing a man's back.
III. Fa'avaetuli (like the leg of a golden plover) These are normally used in womens tattoos.
IV. Fa'aanufe (worm-like) Generally used in womens tattoos
V. Fa'alaupaoga (like the leaves of a Pandanus tree)
VI., VII. Aso Fa'avaetuli (like the leg of a golden plover)
VIII., IX. Atualoa Used when tattooing the front of mens legs.
X. Fa'amuli'ali'ao
XI. Fa'a'upega (net-like) Used in men around the groin.
XII. Aso Fa'avaetuli (like the leg of a golden plover)
XIII. Aveau (starfish) Used when tattooing women.
Links
http://www.geocities.com/TheTropics/Shores/7277/wilson_pea.html
http://www.samoa.co.uk/tattoos.html
http://tattoos.com/jane/steve/samoa.htm
http://www.pbs.org/skinstories/history
http://www.vanishingtattoo.com/polynesia.htm
http://www.merriewood.com/pacific/wsamoa4.html
http://www.abc.net.au/arts/artok/bodyart/default.htm
http://www.pulenuu.ws/Samoa Orientation.htm
http://choohoo.com/tattoos.htm
http://www.mala.bc.ca/~soules/media112/zine99/tasha/samoan.htm
http://www.janeresture.com/samoa_women/
http://tattootraditions.alohaworld.com/tattootraditions/flash.htm (tip!)
http://www.nmm.ac.uk/site/request/setTemplate:singlecontent/contentTypeA
http://samoantattoo.tattooing-piercings.com/about.html (midi warning)
http://www.tattoo.dk/danske/tatohistorie/polynesien/dk-samoa.htm
http://www.abc.net.au/arts/artok/bodyart/s258279.htm
Tahiti history
As the practice of tattooing has existed in the Polynesian triangle for hundreds of years, it was probably known by the first migrants before they settled in the islands of French Polynesian islands. The words "tattoo", "tatoo" and "tattow" come from the Tahitian word "tatau" (that can be translated by "hitting repeatedly") that was used to describe the practice of writing indelible marks on human skin. This practice had been ignored by Europeans until Cook discovered it during his trip to the Marquesas islands. He wrote in his diary "they print signs on people's body and call this tattow" (Voyages of Captain Cook by Banks). Omain, the first Tahitian to embark to Europe, became rapidly famous partly because of his tattoos.
Later, many navigators stopping by the Polynesian islands got tattooed, thus strengthening the tradition of tattooing among sailors. Moreover, some shipwrecked men returned from the South Pacific with their bodies covered by tattoos : they received the nickname of "beachcombers".
The tattoo, always alive in the history of humanity, reached a particularly developed status in Polynesia. Due to its geographical isolation and its resistance to the occidental culture, tattoos from the Marquesas islands constitute the most accomplished style in the Polynesian triangle.
According to the mythology, the 2 sons of the God Ta'aroa, Mata Arhu and Tu Ra'i po', found this art decorative and decided to teach it to humans. As there is no writing in the Polynesian culture, the Polynesians used this art full of distinctive signs to express their identity and personality. Tattooing was used to identify your status in a hierarchy society : sex, social status and rank as well as family clans differentiation.
Originally, the signs were made using a sharp burin and the indelible ink was made out of wood ashes obtained from burned coconut almonds mixed with coconut oil or warm water.
The tools were made out of bones or animal teeth (sometimes shark teeth), seashells or turtle shells. They were used with a small mallet to apply little hits on the skin. Dr. ROLLIN described the art of tattooing the following way : "the patient was immobilized most frequently in a sort of vise composed of two trunks of banana trees between which he was attached and held tight. The tattooer, accompanied by his assistants, sang a sort of chant of the occasion syncopated to the rhythm of the tapping of his little mallet. Each drop of blood was rapidly wiped up with a scrap of tapa, so that none be allowed to fall to the ground"
This art (signs & techniques used) was ruled by strict laws and it reached the entire Polynesian society over the 5 archipelagoes. It could only be practiced by tattoo masters, a highly respected profession that required a long period of learning and training.
Tattoo was not only used for social purposes but it was also considered as a good protection against evil spirits. It was also used in rites of passage to the adult life for teenagers (around 12 years). During this feast, the young men would show their tattoos as a proof of the accomplishment of their learning, prior to be fully admitted in the adults clan and recognized by the community. This step was compulsory to enter the world of men.
After it was forbidden by missioners, the art of tattooing also called the "language of the Ancients" by Tapu BONNET the oldest tattoo master of the region completely disappeared and it only came back in the 80's thanks to the notes and sketches of over 400 drawings made by missionary Karl Von Steinen. Indeed, it had been totally forgotten !
Today, you will find many places to get tattooed in French Polynesia. The most popular and appreciated signs are the tiki, the turtle, the lizard (jeko), the ray as well as a lot of specific Marquesas designs. The first international festival of tattooing was organized in April 2000 on the "sacred island" of Raiatea. It gathered 50 tattoo masters from all over the world and encountered a big success.
Links
http://www.airtahitimagazine.com/us_version/mag_24/tatouage.htm
http://www.thetahititraveler.com/general/arttattoo.asp
http://tattoos.com/tahiti/
http://www.pilot.co.uk/destinations/sites/tahiti_bounty.html
http://www.tattoos.com/allen/TATAU.htm
http://www.tahiti1.com/en/indentity/tattoo.htm