Tribal Tattoos

Tribal

Tribal is a word the refers to things to do with tribes. Most people who have tribal tattoos thought do not belong to a tribe, therefore when talking about the word tribal in relation to tattoos it means the style of tattoo. These tattoos have thick lines and geometric patterns.

History of Tribal Tattoos

During the ancient times, tribal tattoos were used as a symbol that someone belonged to a certain tribe, to indicate religious belief, as camouflage so they could hide in the woods and for medical purposes.

Polynesian Tatau

Tattoos were very common among Polynesians. They thought of tattoos as a form of language. The images were generally inspired by animals e.g shark teeth represent protection and shells wealth.

Maori Moko

The Maori tribe, in New Zealand, had facial tattoos called moko which I have briefly talked about in a previos blog post. Moko is a typed of tattoo done on the face. Men usually had full face tattoos whereas women only had moko around their mouth. Moko represented inner strength.

Haida Tattoos

Haida was a Native American tribe. They are known for their tattoos of animals. They belived you took on some of the strength of the animal you had tattooed on your body.

Borneo Tattoos

The traditional tattoos of this island were sybols of protection and proof of achievement. They often used flowers in their tattoos.

Tribal Tattoos Today

Today tribal tattoos have a modern twist on them and people don't get them to show of social status or achievement, they get them to show off their artistic expression. When it comes to tribal tattoos you can be as creatuve asyou want and have anything depicted in them. They contain strong thick lines and are generally black.