The Vanishing Tattoo

The 101 Hottest Women With Tattoos Interviews

2007-06-13T10:08:00.001-07:00

http://tattoos.lovetoknow.com/Interview_with_Vince_Hemingson_-_VanishingTattoo

I got an e-mail a few weeks ago asking how we came up with our list of the 101 Hottest Celebrity Women with Tattoos, and this is the result...

With a web site that gets a million visitors per month on average, I have a fairly regular stream of requests for quotes, notes and sound bites about tattoos, tattooing and the ongoing question, "Why is everyone getting a tattoo?".

Because so much of our time is spent in reciprocal requests from experts in our research on tattooing and body, I feel like it is only interview kharma that I respond in most cases in kind. Want a tattoo interview, give a tattoo interview.

Thomas had someone come into his shop yesterday from the Northwest Territories of Canada, an Inuit whose Grandmother was heavily tattooed. Tom mentioned that he photographed what is reputed to be a traditional Inuit tattoo so I am excited to see it.

More Finger and Knuckle Tattoos

2007-06-11T09:21:00.000-07:00

The following - truely amazing - site was just sent to me. You simply have to check it out.

http://www.knuckletattoos.com/category/knuckles/

The poetry and pain and beauty and angst that can be contained in a mere eight letters of the alphabet is nothing short of inspiring.

In eight letters you can express the human condition better than many novels and most Hollywood movies...

And Nathan at www.knuckletattoos.com - we salute you!

And speaking of alphabetically...

ACES and FULL
ACES and HIGH
AMOR and ODIO - Spanish for Love and Hate
ANEW and HOPE
BABY and LOVE
BONE and YARD
BORN and LOSR
CULT and LIFE
DAMN and FOOL
DEAD and LOVE
DEAD and SEXY
DEAR and JOHN
DUMB and LUCK
DUMB and LOVE
EASY and LIFE
FAUX and PAUX - Take off on the French "Faux pas", or social blunder
FIST and FUCK
FREE and BIRD
FUCK and EDUP
FUCK and LOVE
FUCK and OFF!
FUCK and THIS
FUCK and YOU!
GAME and OVER
GEEK and LIFE
GIVE and TAKE
GOOD and GIRL
GOOD and LUCK
GRRL and POWR
HALF and DONE
HALF and FULL
HALF and MAST
HARD and CORE
HARD and LUCK
HARD and TIME
HELL and BENT
HOME and WARD - probably has its roots in the nautical "Homeward Bound" tattoos tradition
HOPE and LESS
HURT and HEAL
JUST and DRAW
KNOW and LIFE
KNOW and LOVE
KNOW and PAIN
LADY and LOVE
LAST and CALL
LIVE and FAST
LIVE and LIFE
LONE and STAR
LONG and ROAD
LONG and SHOT
LOST and SOUL
LOVE and COCK
LOVE and HATE
LOVE and PAIN
LUVS and UCKS
LTFC and ESUK - LETS and FUCK on intertwined fingers
MANS and RUIN
MID- and WEST
NULL and VOID
ODDS and ENDS
PAID and DUES
READ and JUST
READ and MORE
RIFF and RAFF
ROCK and ROLL
SHOW and GIRL
SHOW and TELL
SHOW and TIME
SICK and CHIC
SIDE and SHOW
SINK and SWIM
SOME and JOKE
SOUP and TIME
STAY and AWAY
STAY and DOWN
STAY and GOLD - from the book and film, The Outsiders - "Stay gold, Ponyboy!" by author S.E Hinton
THUG and LIFE
THUG and WIFE - a "feminine" take or variation on THUG and LIFE
TIME and WALK
TRUE and LOVE
TWAS and LOVE
VITA and MORS - Vita (life) Mors (death) in Latin.
WALK and TALL

Top Ten Most Popular Tattooed Body Part Searches

2007-06-07T09:57:00.000-07:00

In the endless deluge of searches on our web site for tattoos, tattoo ideas, tattoo designs and tattoo symbols - we are talking about millions of searches, folks! - we get more than a fair smattering of people looking for tattoos for specific body parts. And the searches lead us to believe that there are probably more women than men searching online for tattoo ideas - as you will soon see.

I must confess at this point that when I initially started seeing people looking for tattoo designs and symbols for specific body parts I was puzzled. It somehow seemed backwards to me. My own prejudice was that an individual should choose a tattoo that was important to them first, and then in consultation with a tattoo artist, then decide the best place for the tattoo to be inked. I have since changed my mind. Each of us has to follow our own journey in life and that certainly includes the tattoo and body art path.

Always bear one thing in mind when it comes to tattooing - not all body parts are created equal. The first consideration is that not all the skin on your body is the same, nor will it take tattoo pigment the same way. Some of your skin is designed to form calluses for protection, other skin is designed to crease along joints. Tattoos on elbows, knuckles, knees, and feet are infamous for fading out. Tattoos that cross areas of the body were your skin is designed to crease may result in lines spreading out, a term tattoo artists refer to as "blow-out". A good tattoo artist is not going to want to tattoo any design on you that doesn't reflect well on them as an artist.

Despite the incredible growing popularity and acceptance of tattooing in most places, some tattoos still have an element of stigma attached to them. The first of course is subject matter. Racially or sexually offensive tattoos are always going to be seen in a negative light. But tattooing certain body parts may still offend potential employers - and that includes the military services - and other members of the community, and those body parts are the ones that we can't "cover-up" if we might have to, namely, faces, necks, and hands - and in some instances, feet. Listen closely to your tattoo artists. And take the time to choose your tattoo artists wisely. So here they are in apparent order of preference:

1. Lower Back Tattoos - This is probably the first choice as a location for a woman getting her first tattoo. Sexy, sensual, exposed at the beach but covered up at the office. May be shared with a lover but hidden from the rest of the world - especially parents and Grandma. Celebs like Angelina Jolie her her lower back tiger tattoo and Jessica Alba's bow are two examples of lower back tattoos.

2. Wrist Tattoos - popular with starlets. And can be hidden under a watch or bracelet if need be. Winston Churchill's mother had a snake encircling her wrist. Examples would be Lindsay Lohan for her wrist tattoo "breathe" and Eminem for wrist tattoos.

3. Foot Tattoos - A famous holiday vacation splurge. The problem is that tattoos on feet tend to need a lot of touching up because of their propensity to fade quickly. Carrie Otis and Charlize Theron are known for their foot tattoos.

4. Ankle Tattoos - Popularized by super models Christy Turlington and Stephanie Seymour. Can be very delicate or a bold tribal design.

5. Armband Tattoos (true, not a specific body part) - Was once the staple in tattoo parlors around the world. Seemed like other guy in the frat house had one. Pamela Anderson triggered a wave of barbwire. The tribal armband has bought a lot of tattoo artists a new Harley.

6. Back Tattoos (also, back-piece tattoos) - The largest blank canvas on the human body. Most tattoo artists will advise you to go as large as you can comfortably mange, and then go larger. Tattoos can be an alluring enthusiasm. You may think you just want one - and which tattoo artist hasn't heard that a thousand times or more - but keep in mind when choosing your tattoo design and placement how you might incorporate it into an even larger and more elaborate piece. Check out Lena Headey, 50 Cent & LeBron James for back tattoos.

7. Arm Tattoos (which often specifies, upper arm, lower arm, forearm, shoulder and even sleeves) - see Back Tattoos. A single Koi, can in time, become an entire Japanese inspired sleeve. See Amy Winehouse, David Beckham and Anouk for examples of arm tattoos.

8. Chest Tattoos - Pectorals are a favorite spot to make a man's chest look larger. And before you ladies protest, please see number nine. Examples of chest tattoos are Lenny Kravitz and Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson.

9. Breast Tattoos (we're standing firm on the differences between chests and breasts) - Requests for information about breast tattoos has been so popular over the years that I wrote an article entirely on that premise, called "Gilding the Lily: Why We Tattoo Breasts" Examples are Teri Polo, Christina Ricci's Blue-bird and rapper Eve.

10. Neck Tattoos - Once a taboo area for most tattoo artists and tattoo enthusiasts, the explosion in tattooing in recent years has pushed back the boundaries of what meets the community standards of acceptable body art and tattoos. Where once men and women would have full tattoo body suits, necks hands and feet were left untouched so that an individual could "cover-up" their tattoos with a suit or long dress and pass incognito in a crowd or at certain conservative social functions. Musicians and tattoo artists, individuals whose independent sources of income and public reputation as "outlaws, rogues and scoundrels", has allowed them in recent years to get tattoos that were once entirely associated with gang members or individuals who had spent time in prison. But if you want to get a job in a bank when your garage band folds, you might want to think twice. See Allen Iverson for neck tattoos. Robbie Williams has a neck tattoo as well.

Just out of the Top Ten Tattoo Body Parts were full body-suits, and the traditional Japanese kimono comes immediately to mind, belly tattoos, which is an area of the body made famous by Tommy Lee's "Mayhem" across his abdomen, and legendary rapper and actor Tupac Shakur's "Thug Life" in a similar position. Travis Barker of Blink 182 started out with a Boom Box on his belly before becoming fully tattooed.

Hand tattoos also popped up, as people have long been fascinated by the images and phrases that can be spelled across the four fingers on each hand. This has been a theme picked up in many Hollywood movies, perhaps most famously in Cape Fear - think LOVE and HATE, or LOVE and PAIN. Bold statements to be sure. For examples of hand tattoos, who better than Carey Hart or Jesse James.

And last but definitely not least, we get large numbers of searches for tattoos on what can only be euphemistically called the naughty bits, ie, all the tattoos below the belt or the bikini line. Tattoos below the belly-button - another popular search by the way - and above the pubic hair are quite common requests. However, our suspicions arose, so to speak, when the aforementioned searches were often accompanied by frequent requests for pics and photos. Sounds like some folks were just window shopping! For examples of below the belly button tattoos see Alyssa Milano and Drew Barrymore.

Top Ten Hand Tattoos, Or Finger Painting With Ink

2007-06-06T12:13:00.000-07:00

Top Ten Hand Tattoos, Or Finger-Painting with Ink

For the better part of the last century, hand tattoos were perhaps the defining demarcation line between the tattoo enthusiasts and aficionados and the truly hard-core tattoo crowd. And to be hard-core meant not giving a damn about whether or not the world knew you were tattooed and to caring even less about what said world thought about said tattoos.

These are the Top Ten ways we've found at The Vanishing Tattoo for individuals to express themselves in eight letters, on eight fingers, over two sets of hands.

1. HOLD and FAST - first done by sailors. A reminder and a superstition, a tattoo that was inked as a talisman to keep from falling out of the rigging of a sailing ship. Such a fall might well have been crippling or meant death.

2. LOVE and HATE. Made famous in the film noir classic, The Night of the Hunter, and worn on the hands of preacher Robert Mitchum. The film was re-made with Robert De Niro and Martin Scorcese as Cape Fear. Scary shit.

3. HARD and LUCK. A tattoo that was often see in prison. A variation is Carey Hart's - HART and LUCK - a great play on his last name. Tough to sympathize with a man who is a millionaire and is married to fabulously gorgeous and talented singer song-writer Pink. But Hart has struggled to overcome some tough obstacles in life to achieve his considerable success, not the least of which was addiction. Best part, his wife Pink is just as much an ink enthusiast as Hart.

4. HARD and TIME. Another prison tattoo. A variation is HARD and LIFE.

5. LOVE and PAIN. Awwwwhh, for all the romantics out there who are realists.

6. ROCK and ROLL. If you're gonna be a rock star, it pays to brand yourself I guess.

7. BORN and LOSR. This kind of typographical error normally drives me crazy, but we have to acknowledge the limitations of eight fingers. Reminds one of some of the bizarre things you see on Vanity Licence Plates.

Occasionally you will see the words, BORN TO LOSE or BORN LOSER, tattooed on the bodies of those doing prison time. Sometimes across the forehead!

8. FUCK and YOU! A tattoo from the punk movement, and it goes to show you just how important punctuation and the exclamation mark really are, although their use in this instance might be a slight case of overstatement. And just who is you? Mom and Dad? All of the rest of us? Or just the guys in the rest of the band who didn't like your lyrics or your chord changes?

9. FUCK and OFF!. Another tattoo from the punk movement that captures its air of anarchy with beauty and grace.

10. Number ten is a toss-up - you decide. TRUE and LOVE or LTFC and ESUK. What's that you say? Some men have actually had LTFC and ESUK tattooed on their fingers. Take a pen and spell out the letters on each hand. Now intertwine your fingers. 'LETS FUCK'

Like I said, welcome to the world of the hard-core.

Honourable Mention: Motorcycle Mechanic and Guru, Jesse James - on the palm of his hand had legendary tattoo artist Jack Rudy ink Pay Up Sucker, surrounding a dollar sign.

Other Celebrities with Finger Tattoos - Colin Farrell, Pamela Anderson, Carmen Electra, Portia de Rossi, Tommy Lee.

And Celebrities you wouldn't think of with hand tattoos, Helen Mirren and Jessica Lange!

Now the best part of Blogging is that you can post your comments and add to the list.

New Tattoos, Or Tattoo This!

2007-06-06T11:39:00.001-07:00

I haven't posted on The Vanishing Tattoo Blog in years - since 2005! - my theory being that anything I had to say worthwhile about tattooing was going to end up as content on www.vanishingtattoo.com Good call, Vince Hemingson! What a putz!

Boy, was I wrong about the future of Blogging!

And I, nor we, haven't exactly been lazy, because Doug Cook and I have continued to make The Vanishing Tattoo one of the largest and most popular tattoo web sites on the Internet. In the past thirty days we have had almost a million visitors and nearly eight million page views. Our content and feature articles have been picked up by media outlets all over the world.

For instance, just try Googling The Hottest 101 Tattooed Women in the World !

And as for Blogging - well, I am fast approaching five hundred posts on my Blog about attempting to qualify (and yes I did, and yes I ran it twice) for the Boston Marathon.

So here is some new tattoo news and tid-bits for all you tattoo and body art enthusiasts who just can't seem to get enough ink about ink.

What is a Tribal Tattoo?

2005-02-02T09:15:00.000-08:00

So just what is a "tribal" tattoo? This Blog is part of an ongoing dialogue between Vince Hemingson and tattoo artist Pym Mohn (she was looking after Thomas' shop while he was off doing the location scouting and initial filming of Vanishing Tattoo). Pym (from Ireland) and owner-operator of River City Tattoo in Sacramento , California has traveled the world extensively in her own search for tribal tattooing and it's mysterious roots. This discussion started in direct response to Vince's dispatches from the field to the Trip Updates section of the site. Lars Krutak our technical advisor also comments.

As I've traveled through Japan and Borneo, I've been struck by what North America and the West have exported to these cultures over the years. Rampant industrialization, traffic congestion, heart disease, and pollution, all of which I'm sure they would have invented sooner or later on their own, but also those pinnacles of western civilization, McDonald's and KFC, and Coca-Cola and the worst movies you've never seen.

But in talking with all these wonderful old Iban men I realize, and it strikes me like a thunder-clap, that we've exported something far worse into these unique cultures and richly diverse societies. Like generations of well-meaning but bigoted and narrow-minded missionaries before us, we've exported shame.
Walt Disney said it best in Bambi, "Man has entered the forest." It still sends shivers down my spine. And once man has entered the forest, nothing will ever be the same again.

The Vanishing Tattoo is about an art form that has enriched the lives and fabric of diverse cultures all over the world and yet is in imminent danger of disappearing forever. Why? Because when we introduced ourselves into this diversity of cultures and into the incredible variety of tribal tattooing that takes place around the world, we also introduced shame.

We made aboriginal peoples ashamed of who they were, we made them ashamed of their tattoos. We made them feel ashamed for being different from us, for looking differently than us.By the time the missionaries and we are finished, and if we're not careful it will be sooner rather than later, the entire world will look exactly the same. And that will be the greatest shame of all.

It's time for people all over the world to stop having to hide or cover up their tattoos. The old Iban men, and the young Iban men should go forth proudly, tattoos displayed to the world, proclaiming to all who would see, "I am Iban."
And the same thing should happen in Tahiti, should happen in Samoa and among the Maori in New Zealand. They should go forth, unashamed, their tattoos bared for the world to see, for their tattoos represent who they are.
When you shame someone into covering their tattoos, or shame them from getting tattoos that are the marks that identify them in their society, then you are slowly condemning their culture to death, just as surely as if you destroyed the individual.

I hope The Vanishing Tattoo will be able to document that people are not ashamed of who they are, are not ashamed of their indigenous culture and most importantly are not ashamed of that most visible of markers that identify who they are, I hope we document that they are not ashamed of their tattoos.

Vince Hemingson in Borneo

One of things we discussed at length during our research trips, and at times the conversation grew passionate, is what constitutes a "tribal tattoo"? What exactly "is" a tribal tattoo? Is it the design? The implements used, the native pigments, the rituals involved in its creation? Is it the tattoo artist? Can a German tattoo artist using a stenciled design and an electric machine in a shop in Berlin truly be said to be producing a tribal tattoo? And if the answer is no, is not imitation the sincerest form of flattery?

This is a conversation worth having in the tattoo world. In our brief journey so far, Thomas and I have crossed the paths of other tattoo artists who were also in search of adventure in Borneo. And since Thomas's first trip in 1996 there have been an even greater number of tattooists in the area.

And like a younger Thomas, these artists, whose love of tattooing is unquestioned and whose intentions are no doubt well meant, have been distributing more electric machines. The result has been to wreak havoc with the way traditional tattooing is being carried out.

In their desire to encourage the aboriginal peoples to tattoo, these artists have literally showered them with new tattooing technology. On the surface this seems like a good idea, but the consequences of these actions are far reaching, and often times devastating.

When a new electric machine enters a tribal tattooing community the first casualty is usually the traditional implements. They tend to be abandoned. And then the question of who actually "owns" the new machine arises. The old implements, while much simpler, by the very nature of their simplicity were widely available.

And despite all the advertisements in the tattoo magazines offering their $295 "Tattoo Starter Kits", that promise that you too can become a professional tattoo artist in no time flat with their easy-to-use "Instructional Manual", using an electric machine is not that easy for a neophyte.

An electric machine is easy to use, but much more difficult to master. To become a master tattoo artist with an electric machine takes many years of dedicated practice and commitment. And because of the electric machines relative rarity and expense in a tribal community questions of ownership take on much greater import.

Instead of everyone tattooing in the community or a group of people tattooing, with the introduction of a single machine you effectively get "one" tattoo artist. Among the Iban, all the men traditional tattooed each other.

And another issue soon gets raised. When everyone is tattooing everyone else, very little, if any money changes hands. Certain individuals, as in any field of endeavor, acquire a reputation as being a "good tattooist" within an Iban Longhouse. But that doesn't discourage others from carrying out the practice.A western electric machine is expensive. It needs to be fixed and repaired. In other words, its use requires money. And if one individual is seen as the tattooist, that individual tends to become compensated for their work as a tattoo artist with money.

So the practice of many individuals tribal tattooing within the longhouse as a communal bonding and socializing practice gradually gives way to fewer and fewer men tattooing and it begins to take on the air of an act of commerce. The tattooist and the individual getting the tattoo, even if the design is traditional, are distanced from each other.

But all too often, the designs aren't traditional. An electric machine, with its ability to do ten or twenty times the work of traditional tattooing implements and methods leads to all kinds of tattooing. And with an electric machine, the "new" tattooist feels he has to offer his "new clients" something more than just a traditional tattoo for their money. You can see some pretty interesting interpretations of "western" tattoos out there in the jungle.

Thomas now wishes he could take back every electric tattoo machine he's ever given away, with few exceptions.

Vince,

A tattooist friend once said on the subject of 'tribal' tattoos that as we are a modern 'tribe', all tattoos are tribal... the fact that the original black graphic styles were pilfered from real tribes has unfortunately led to the pasting of yet another modern 'label' which shouldn't really apply.

I personally think that once you take away the 'tribal' element in the shape of ritual and symbolism, it stops being 'tribal' and "imitation " cannot be the "sincerest from of flattery" if there is no respect or mostly even recognition ,for an image's origin. I have discussed this with Native American people who cannot understand why non-Natives would tattoo themselves with Native imagery which may be harmful to their souls even if they themselves are ignorant of the symbology!

Medicine men would paint themselves but not tattoo themselves because they were working with symbols which changed for every ritual depending on the circumstance... to have a permanent 'spirit' mark could endanger him if he was not working with that particular spirit and would be disrespectful to the other spirits... (all very convoluted, but there is your non-tattooed shaman...)

Modern 'tribal' is far from any 'tribal' origin except perhaps where it fulfills the need to be part of something larger, to be cool. I know a few 'tribal' specialists who couldn't tell you anything about the tribes, their imagery and symbolism... to me they are specialising in a black graphic style, nothing more!! Where is the flattery? Tom was not wrong when he said you know more about tattooing and it's roots than the majority of tattooists out there... how do you feel about that as a statement of affairs?

I wanted to make some comments on the nature of tattooing by hand, but I gotta run. Take care!

Pym

Hi Pym,

I agree with you to an extent, Pym. But I believe, as do many of the Iban, that the commercialization of the tattoo, ie having to pay for it, due in large part to the increased domination of the electric machine over traditional implements is what's really altered the social interplay of traditional tattooing.

The result could be seen to be a weakening of the social fabric by a weakening of the powerful bonding ritual that takes place when you are continuously tattooed by many different members of your social peers. In addition, tattooing has gone from being a group practised activity to one performed by a specialist.

I think a good analogy might be a monkey troop that grooms to strengthen social bonds. Monkeys, baboons, apes and other primates all groom far beyond what is really needed to remove ticks, other insects and dead skin. They groom in order to strengthen the social fabric of their community. Because we are hairless apes, but apes nonetheless, perhaps at some primitive level, tattooing serves a similar function.

I don't think Westerners are immune to that need. In fact we may even crave it to a greater extent. If you look at recent history, most of Northern Europeans tattooed until the advent of the spread of Christianity which often times expressly forbid it. Picts, Celts, Vikings... you name them, there is clear historical evidence that they tattooed. And they must have tattooed in ways that were similar to the Iban in their longhouses. The tattoos must have made the initiates feel closer to their larger community.

Fast forward a few centuries and look at how quickly Captain Cook's sailors embraced the tattooing they found in Tahiti, Fiji and Samoa. Those "western" sailors went "native" so quickly went it came to getting what could only be called a tribal tattoo it makes the head spin to think about it.

And the officers were not immune to the lure of getting tattooed themselves. And officers in the British Admiralty could only be described as charter members of the social, political and economic elite in Great Britain. And Great Britain was the social, political and economic super-power of the world at that time. They were the elite of the world. At least in terms of the power they wielded in real terms.

In fact, for nearly a century afterwards you have that social elite, the British Admiralty, actively sanctioning and promoting the acquiring of tattoos among the ranks of its members because they see how significant a role it play in "building esprit de corps". Is this not exactly what goes on in the Iban longhouse, the building of "esprite de corps"?

Another angle that I believe it is very important for us to look at in this discussion is how the advent of industrialization fragmented the traditional farming communities in the West. In small villages all over Europe, most of them dedicated to farming and agriculture or fishing and food gathering along the coasts, people grew up in communities were they would know most of the people they would meet on a daily basis. Strangers meant change, and change is always frightening because it is potentially dangerous.

Most of the West in the pre-industrial age had many ceremonies and rituals that would have played a similar role as tattooing does in the Iban culture. All of them strengthening the group bond and the individuals ties to the larger community group. With the industrial ages need for the concentration of labour, that lifestyle became doomed.

As a species used to hundreds of thousands of years of evolution in small groups where we know everyone, to suddenly be thrust into large urban centers filled with strangers must have been and still to this day is very unsettling to the human spirit. Maybe tattooing, which is so widespread, fulfills a deep human need and desire to identify ourselves with a community of people we can recognize. Maybe we need and want, even in the West with our industrialized tattooing, to feel that we belong to a "Tattoo Tribe".

More Musings from Vince

Hi Vince,

Did you ever see Greg Iron's illustration of the "Rime of the Ancient Mariner"? Right up there with Virgil Finlay, Bernie Wrightson as one of the best ink illustrators I have ever seen, so you see, art definitely leaves a mark whether you met the guy or not and whether it was permanent or not. For many artists, the passion is in the creation, the getting there, and I think that's what happens to people who truly become fascinated by the tattoo; they devote life times to it... to me it's a search for perfection that can never exist, there are too many variables!

Greg's work would have lent itself perfectly to tattooing by hand (western style!) with the prolific use of dots for shading. I really haven't done much hand tattooing, mostly due to lack of time and the commercial non-viability of it in a business situation, but it fascinates me because you really can take every dot into consideration. (I should add that it's not 'tribal' styles that I use as images when I work this way..) The aggression of the machine is gone, all there is is needle and skin...

The bond can be made between 'artist' as giver and 'client' as receiver (inter-family tattooing of the Iban would add strength to this bonding), and the scene is set for incense and ritual ceremony. I sound like a tree-hugger at this point(!) and it's not easy to explain with the confines of word precision (you're the expert on this one), but suffice to say that the process becomes much more personal and much more defined...those involved can really contemplate their experience and the reason behind it.

Hence, ceremony and permanent markings to establish transition, be it in maturity, warrior status, tribal position.... a tribal involvement because each member of the tribe was important to the whole for it's continuation.

The West has only ever known transience, how can we understand the importance of tribal togetherness when we don't ever totally trust our closest friends and family, let alone ourselves?Maybe you should try tattooing yourself by hand some day out of the jungle, away from the critters, so you can get a feel for it yourself!!!!

Sorry I'm not going to be about when you guys get back, would love to really chat about all this stuff o.k. Seinfeld's on gotta go, nuff for now.take carePym
Vince,Just wanted to say that your writings are excellent and very expressive considering your sleep deprivation factor etc...

Knowing something off tribal cultures in the forests of Mexico, I think that 'shame' is a Western concept and possibly something that even has no word for it in Iban... seems to me it's a missionary imposed disease and I wonder if that is what affects the older tribal peoples so much as the disease of pollution of younger peoples minds by Americana and satellite tv... just a thought and you can completely discard it with a big fuckoff if you wish!!! Your answer to your shamanic question will probably be in the tome 'Shamanism' by Mircea Eliade who wrote extensively on tribal shamanic culture worldwide.......

Must run, take care and try to enjoy!! Pym

Hi Pym,

I both agree and disagree about your comments on "shame being a Western construct imposed on native peoples..."

I believe that the West, or to be both more fair and more accurate, certain representative groups from the West, mainly primarily religious in nature, and by the West I believe we are all speaking of those European powers engaged in the age of imperial colonization, made native and aboriginal peoples feel "shame" for things and behaviors that the indigenous peoples had never considered shameful before. An example being public nudity or the practice of polygamy or the worship of any God other than the Judeo-Christian model.

However, I would argue that every culture experiences "shame". And by shame I mean a feeling of conscience that certain acts are prohibited and/or frowned upon by the community at large because of their potential destructiveness to the community as a whole. These would be things like unwarranted violence, incest, theft from ones own community group or behaviors that were accepted by the larger community as being detrimental to its well-being. If you violated the social-contract within your community you would be expected to feel shame.

Shame then, in my interpretation, is an effective deterrent against potentially harmful behaviors by individuals in a community. And if shame wasn't a sufficient enough deterrent for the misbehavior of certain individuals, then nearly every culture on the planet has harsher social sanctions to punish those individuals who break the social contract. They can be fines, public condemnation (which it would seem to me to be a way to try to reinforce a sense of shame in the perpetrator) physical punishment and in certain cases banishment from the community. In the old days, to be driven from your community might very well have been a death sentence because the individuals in the community were so interdependent on each other for survival. In the most extreme cases of course, certain behaviors might result in an individual being put to death.

So.... in my usual long-winded way, that's my take on shame. What do you think? Are there any societies or cultures where anything goes? It's interesting that the dominant political philosophies of the past several hundred years have all centered on the arguments that attempt to strike a balance between the rights of the individual versus the rights of the larger community.
To me, this poses a larger, more interesting question. Is the rise in the popularity of tattooing today in the West an indication that individuals want to be part of a larger community or is it an attempt for a member of the larger community to become more of an individual?

I'd love to hear what you think...

Best as always, Vince

Vince!

O.k. here's more...."coz" words" is really still on the 'shame' issue and I've had another whole day to think about this even though today is your yesterday... whatever!

I agree that 'commercialization of the tattoo' has had a profound effect on traditional tattooing, the same is, I feel, true even in the West. The "old school" of tattooing (by which I mean, tattooers who completely know and understand their trade and it's history and protect it's secrets) has been swept aside by a wave of youthful arrogance with no respect for tradition....this is of course, a generalization, but I feel it's effects on the tattoo trade in general have been pretty far reaching over the last 10 years.

We now have perhaps a higher standard of artwork, but we also have pop star style super-egos to contend with. So traditions are forced into change, and every human being now has the freedom to explore his/her own set of values... with the diversity that brings, I find that the question of why people get tattooed today is almost impossible to answer, and I'm not sure that there is a common (even subconscious) goal of any sort.

Outside influences like industrialization, commercialization, foreign religions, satellite t.v. are bound to fragment the compactness of tribes which is only truly strong when the only reality the tribal community knows is the tribal community. Western society is completely fragmented because we are always questioning and changing things in search of answers.

For many, the search for self-identity and the desire to be different is all there is, the struggle not to conform, not to be another number, to break away from the community. Media begins bombarding people from the moment they are capable of understanding, enforcing the mode society has set for us to live by... are women supposed to obsess over their clothing size all their lives? how macho does a guy have to be to really be a man?

But it's easier to learn than it is to unlearn and it's easier to rebel than to accept..."maybe tattooing... fulfills a deep human need and desire to identify ourselves" period.I realize this subject is so open to generalization it's untrue; we are talking aspects of psychology, sociology, anthropology, theosophy and a whole bunch of -isms... Here's my idea of an example of this... An Iban tribesman tattoos his neck to make a statement to observers, and so does the street punk... but one is very secure in who he is and why he is tattooed, the other is not... would you agree?

If we need to "feel that we belong to a tattoo tribe" why would you say that there are elements that just want to go further, be more tattooed, more way out?? Where do implants and brandings and self-mutilation come in...(all 'tribal' origin hence "modern primitives")? If it's about bonding, how come we still feel the need to outdo each other? Could it be that there is such an inherent difference in the ways of thinking of tribal and (so-called) civilized societies, that there is no way we can or should attempt to draw parallels even in something so 'basic' as tattooing?

And a nice quote to finish this particular ramble..."to the Native, power is energy, to the White man, power is control"

I think we could be discussing this for a while there, Vince, gimme feedback when you have time and sleep-smoothed presence of mind!!!

Pym

Hi Vince and Pym,

Here is the Iban word for "Shame." It can be used in many ways, for differing offenses... let's go there now!

1) malu : shame, ashamed; hurt someone's feelings: ia malu ka pengawa' diri' ke salah = he is ashamed of his bad conduct; malu hati aku mai' nuan makai laban nadai utai dempa' = I'm ashamed to have asked you to (this) meal because there's nothing much to eat; sida' meri' malu ka aku or sida' ngasoh aku malu = they made me feel ashamed; ia nge-malu-ka aku lalu mayar utang aku = he was ashamed for me and paid my debt; anang nge-malu-ka = don't embarrass people; ia selalu be-malu aku = he always makes me feel awkward; pe-malu = shame, diffidence, offence of giving shame; tunggu pe-malu = 'fine' for that offence. Insult, slander, or malicious gossip easily gives rise to a claim for a pe-malu which, if not dealt with promptly by the Tuai Rumah (recognized representative of longhouse for attending to outsiders, dealing with officials, visitor litigants), can destroy the community.

2)Tunggu: Customary law fine agreed by the parties, payable to injured party (individual or group) = pe-tunggu. Tunggu are not penal in intent but compensatory in the sense that they neutralize the ill effect of the offence and restore the state of harmony (celap) in the community and between it and the deities. This state has been secured by the tuah rumah through omens and rites and keeping of amulets (penselap) for the purpose, so he is entitled to hear cases and assess tunggu.

Signing off...

Lars

Hi Vince and Lars,

(BY the way it's Friday 24 November, 9.30) I'm really appreciating this information exchange very much, it's a great way to learn new things about old things and how often does a person get to discuss such things with very well educated anthropologists and men in the field (although I have to confess to feeling a little out of my league so please bear with me guys!)

I'll start by quoting the original thing that kicked me into questioning mode, which to me is pretty much intrinsic to our discussion of the concept of shame among tribal peoples, I needed to recheck this as I was getting a little confused by the intensity of the information coming in. Vince in his update Saturday Nov 18 "Why on earth am I doing this....?" said; "We made aboriginal peoples ashamed of who they were, we made them ashamed of their tattoos." and later went on to say that he hopes you guys can "document that they are not ashamed of their tattoos."

I wondered if there was a word for shame in Iban, and now, thanks to Lars, we know that there are, in fact, several. I was interested in the comments of the professor he communicates with that "the issue of 'shame' is rather complex" in these languages and would love to have access to the writings he quotes. Clearly, however, the Iban feel no shame for the fact that their world is aworld of spirits, where everything has a soul and everything has it'splace. That is simply the way it is. They co-exist with the earth and their environment and honor it, and their passage through this particular life with their tattooing practises. If they feel no shame for their spiritual knowledge and acceptance, how would they feel shame in permanently marking their transitions on their bodies?

To refer to Lars '"A Spiritual Artform" section, does their tattooing not somehow offer a visual testimony to the refusal of (tribal) individuals to accept western societies belief in man's ability to control the world around him?
I'd be very interested to know what you guys think on that one!!!

Wishing everybody a happy weekend!

Pym

Hi Pym,

My comments about "a sense of shame among the Iban over their tattoos" came about because they very explicitly stated that when they went "to town", they made a conscious decision to cover up most of their tattoos. Part of getting ready to go "to town" was covering up their tattoos. For women, the concession for going to town was that they wore a top to cover their breasts, because up until ten years ago we were told, most of the women, of all ages, went about the long houses topless. We saw, out of perhaps a hundred mature women, about two dozen who were topless and they were all over the age of 45.

And several Iban told Thomas, Edward and I that the throat tattoo, which traditionally is the first tattoo an Iban man will get, has fallen out of favour specifically because it is so difficult to cover up. And the throat tattoo was symbolically very important to Iban men because the throat tattoo was supposed to work as a powerful charm to keep YOUR own head from being taken.

And Pym, you should have seen the transformation among the Iban we met when Thomas and I asked to see their tattoos and then WE took off our shirts to show OUR tattoos. When the Iban didn't see our tattoos, they were reluctant to show them to us. And remember, we were traveling with an Iban family who were asking them in their own language.

When we showed them our tattoos the Iban's attitude changed dramatically. They smiled and became much more animated and friendly. They were so friendly in fact that they did not hesitate to enter our personal space. They were not at all reluctant to touch our skin, and poke and prod our tattoos. And they encouraged us to touch theirs.

Thomas and I took to traveling up the Skrang River with at least our arm tattoos showing because it had such a positive impact on the Iban we met.
In the long houses, Edward David and his father David Kalum Lupie told me that Thomas and I were treated completely differently than the "typical" white person. Firstly, because we were traveling with an Iban family, we were considered to BE family. And so we were to be treated, fed and housed as Iban.
And secondly, because we were tattooed, and especially because Thomas was so heavily tattooed, we were seen as "tattooed men". And the older generations of Iban don't consider an Iban man to be a man unless he is tattooed. Edward said he couldn't remember or imagine any other "whites" getting the enthusiastic reception we did.

At each long house we were asked to eat with the head man. And when we were asked to eat lunch with the Headman for the entire Skrang River, in his house, that was considered a GREAT honour.

And every time we left a long house we were invited back, something Edward and David said was not a simple courtesy. And Aki Basai even talked about adopting Thomas and I into the family, which is the highest compliment that the Iban can pay a person.

It was these observations, that led me to make the statements that I did.
I look forward, as always to everybody's comments.

Cheers all, Vince

Hi Vince,

Thanks for the clarification of your statement. The actual being there is a very important part of your work, because things are constantly changing on a social level, and books are so often obsolete by the time they're published...

Would I be right in thinking that the Iban are not ashamed of their tribal tattoos and appearance in any other situation than when they are in the presence of "The White Man" ? Was tattooing banned at any time by the Borneo government? Seems from here that this is somehow a 'missionary imposed disease' and that you and Thomas are accepted because you are tattooed and therefore not included in the Iban's picture of "The White Man"....you're the good guys!!!!!

I think it's a pretty sad state of affairs that Westerners think it's cool to have 'tribal' tattoos, and this same culture has caused the tribes that these images come from to consciously cover up their tattoos in public I'm beginning to formulate a theory that if you take away ceremony, ritual and the world of the spirits, a tattoo in the black graphic style becomes just exactly that... haven't we taken enough from these tribes already without denigrating a style of body decoration which is exclusively theirs?

Did you find any traditional tribal tattooers who would tattoo you in Borneo? What's your considered opinion on my theory from what you've experienced so far?

Hope you enjoy Samoa... don't they have dancing girls there or some such!!??

Pym

Yes, Pym,

I think you are right. And I think you are right because this happens to be what I think I observed.

Thomas and I were granted a rare opportunity to observe and interact with the Iban because we were considered to be members of the David family and because we too were "tattooed men". Therefore any stigma that they might have felt in displaying their tattoos in front of us were stripped away.

The remarkable aspect of the experience for me was how clearly the Iban enjoyed displaying their tattoos to what they must have perceived as an appreciative audience.

At each long house, the Iban would encourage each other to show off their tattoos and they would go off in search of an Iban whose tattoos we had to see.

Cheers all, Vince