History of Tattoos - Series Part 3 of 4

It is sad to say but in various other sections of the world a good deal of the represented Polynesian tattoos have been both forgotten over time. As well as the conflict of other cultures and the lapse of rigid governmental and sacred groupings. Traditional tattooing all around the world has repeatedly been a victim to this tiresome and frightful pattern.

The first Roman emperor to profess to Christianity was Constantine 1st. Who prohibited tattooing of the face in the early forth century since it was interpreted as disrespectful of God's image. With the Assembly of Calcuth, in Northumberland banning in Europe occurred and tattooing was demoralized in numerous ways.

It was their opinion that tattoos were connected to symbolic and ritualism. Earlier Christians were in all likelihood the target. A Roman scholar named Herodian, described observations of the first century were the animal body designs of the Celts. These might have been either painting or tattoos and were intentionally left in full view by clothing.

People of northern Britain were called Picts because of their display of this type of images. Julius Caesar in 55 B.C.E., even described that The Danes, Saxons, Gauls, Teutons and The Norse all had customs of being tattooed. These tattoos focused primarily on tribal and family symbols. It was also practiced in Greece and Rome. These practices were related with barbarians and the tattoos were used to identify criminals, slaves and at times used as a form of punishment. "Stigma" was the Latin word for Tattoo.

As a spiritual endeavor tattoos were pursued in places such as: Burma, Cambodia, Japan, China, Thailand and the Philippines. Tattoos were very much bound up with religion in several parts of southeast Asia. In Thailand it is noted for the practice of Buddhist monks receiving and giving tattoos as well as also providing prayers and offerings as talismans for a good life's journey.

Tattoos also serve a similar purpose in many of these areas as that of protection to ward off bad luck. These symbols often include ancient designs drawn from numerology, calligraphy, natural animals, and also that of mythical creatures like the dragon.