Samoan tattoos are not new. They have been around for more than 2,000 years and were (and still are) influenced by the rich culture of the Samoan people living in Polynesia. Since tattooing began, the Samoan tattoos were known as Tatau. They were symbols of Samoan pride, traditions, and culture. A Samoan person who gets one of these tattoos is looked upon as having been marked with family pride. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Samoan tattoos were a trend delivered by two women from Fiji. Keep in mind that tattoos were extremely painful in those days because they took days to finish and were done with sharp pieces of bone dipped in ink. And the \u201cink\u201d was actually ashes made from candle shells. Thankfully we do not have to endure such torture to get inked today, but it just goes to show how serious the Samoan people were about their tattoos and family pride!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In the beginning, only the men of the Samoan tribes were allowed to get tattooed. According to their culture, women were banned from such displays of artwork. However, as the years went by, the ban was lifted. Samoan women can enjoy the pride of getting Samoan tattoos. But, no matter if you were a man or a woman, you had to go to your parents and the rest of your family before getting a tattoo. It is because getting one is not considered just a personal choice. It is a decision dealing with family pride, and getting permission from the family is required before a person gets a tattoo. Now that we live in a different world, this is no longer a requirement but something many Samoans do. Asking permission is a sign of respect for the family and the family name.<\/p>\n\n\n\n