{"id":3584,"date":"2021-03-01T13:22:22","date_gmt":"2021-03-01T23:22:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.waikoloabeachresort.com\/?post_type=naupaka_news&p=3584"},"modified":"2021-06-10T16:09:14","modified_gmt":"2021-06-11T02:09:14","slug":"the-hawaiian-tattoo","status":"publish","type":"naupaka_news","link":"https:\/\/www.waikoloabeachresort.com\/naupaka_news\/the-hawaiian-tattoo\/","title":{"rendered":"The Hawaiian Tattoo"},"content":{"rendered":"

An Ancient Art Form with Purpose and Relevance Today<\/h3>\n

It is estimated that roughly 47 percent of Americans bear at least one tattoo somewhere on their body, ranging from small, often hidden symbolic insignias (such as butterflies and angels) to remembrances of life\u2019s milestones (such as the birth of a child or the loss of a loved one). In some religions, such as Orthodox Judaism, tattoos are expressly forbidden. In other cultures, including throughout Polynesia, they are deeply rooted, often signifying one\u2019s connection to their past and the very foundations of life.<\/p>\n

According to P.F. \u201cSki\u201d Kwiatkowski, whose book \u201cThe Hawaiian Tattoo\u201d is one of the more comprehensive works on the subject, \u201cAuthentic Hawaiian tattoos tell stories deeper than the eye can see. Decorating the body by tattooing is an ancient practice in many areas of the world. In some parts of Polynesia that art developed to its highest degree.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe very word \u2018tattoo\u2019 is of Tahitian origin \u2014 tatau \u2014 and it means to mark the skin with color,\u201d Kwiatkowski continues in the foreword to his book. The Hawaiians carried on the tradition that was brought through many migrations.<\/p>\n

Kwiatkowski goes on to describe how \u201cthe first European sailors to explore Polynesia were astounded and intrigued by the tattooed natives they encountered, and many of those sailors were themselves tattooed while in the islands. They took home the practice of tattooing and ever since, sailors have been synonymous with tattoos.\u201d<\/p>\n

In fact, much of what we know about ancient Hawaiian tattooing can be attributed to the drawings and writings of these European sailors. Specifically, the sketches done by John Webber of the Cook expedition, Louis Choris of the Kotzebue expedition, and Jacques Arago of the Freycinet expedition, detailed the body art of the islanders they encountered.<\/p>\n

DESIGN<\/h4>\n

There were many tattoo designs throughout traditional Polynesia, some of which are still used in body art today in Hawai`i. Perhaps the most common designs are geometric patterns, including triangles, repetitive straight lines, circles, and squares. A design is repeated up and down the exterior of the leg or arm, or wrap the appendage in a circle. The chest, shoulders, and neck were often tattooed, and occasionally the face.<\/p>\n