Ireland/ Celtic Tattoo History

The Celts transmitted their culture orally, never writing down history or facts. This accounts for the extreme lack of knowledge about them prior to their contact with the classical civilizations of Greece and Rome. They were generally well educated, particularly on topics such as religion, philosophy, geography and astronomy. The Romans often employed Celtic tutors for their sons, many of these tutors were Druid priests. Religion was a force in Celtic culture. The Druids were their priestly caste. The Celts were extremely superstitious. 

Celtic tattoos were a likely sight among Celtic warriors.

Much like the Picts, a Latin root word: Picti meaning "painted ones", who tattooed their warriors as a form of intimidation against their enemies, Celts likely adopted the same war tactic of the time.

Battle among the Celts was considered the very highest honor. The Celts engaged in battle bare-chested, or even naked - further reinforcing a stance of intimidation against their foes. Additionally, Celtic warriors would fashion their hair with bright dies from flower pastes, and typically manipulate the hair in tall spikes around the head think Celtic punk rock.

The Woad plant was used to perform the tattooing, as it is a hardy biennial plant native to northern Europe and the British Isles. Woad is the source of a blue dye chemical, indigotin, that is also produced by the much more potent indigo plant indigenous of the sub-tropics.

To perform Celtic tattoos, the leaves of the Woad plant are harvested and dried. The dried leaves are then boiled and strained, and boiled again creating a viscous end product. This Woad paste is then tapped into the skin with needle like implements - forcing the indigo stain under the skin layers, creating the indelible design. Illustrations of woad tattoos on Picts show the La Tene designs as the body modifications of choice.

Tattoos in Early England

Tattoos in Early England

During the 19th century, tattooing flourished in England like nowhere else in Europe. This was due to the tradition of tattooing in the British Navy, which began with the first voyage of Captain Cook in 1769. During the decades that followed, many British seamen returned home bearing souvenirs of their travels in the form of exotic tattoos. Sailors learned the art, and by the middle of the 18th century most British ports had at least one tattoo artist in residence.

Royal Tattoos

Tattooing gained royal sanction in 1862 when the Prince of Wales visited the Holy Land and had a Jerusalem Cross tattooed on his arm. In later life, as King Edward VII, he acquired a number of traditional tattoos. When his sons, the Duke of Clarence and the Duke of York (later King George V), visited Japan in 1882, Edward VII instructed their tutor to take them to the tattoo master Hori Chiyo, who tattooed designs on their arms. On their way home, the two Dukes visited Jerusalem and were tattooed by the same artist who had tattooed their father 20 years before.

Following the example of the Dukes, many wealthy Britons and naval officers acquired tattoos from Japanese masters. Read this article that appeared in the 1898 Harmsworth Monthly Pictorial Magazine entitled Tattooed Royalty. Queer Stories of a Queer Craze by R. J. Stephen, for more about this "fad". By 1890 the fad had spread to the US, and tattoos were seen on members of the highest social circles.

The first British professional was D.W. Purdy who established a shop in North London around 1870. In a booklet dated 1896, Purdy wrote:

"Before you commence to tattoo any individual you must be able to sketch well, as it is very difficult matter to sketch on a person's arm or on any other part of the body; you will have a good deal of rubbing out to do before you get the figure drawn correctly. Whatever part of the body you have to tattoo you must see that there are no large veins in the way, as they must be avoided… Before you commence drawing out your figure you must see that hairs are shaved off or you will have some difficulty in trying to sketch…"

The 1897 article by Gambier Bolton that appeared in The Strand magazine entitled Pictures in the Human Skin gives an overview of the tattoo scene of the late 1800's.

During the 19th century, tattooing was approved of and even encouraged in the British army. Field Marshall Earl Roberts, who himself was tattooed, directed that "every officer in the British Army should be tattooed with his regimental crest. Not only does this encourage esprit de corps but also assists in the identification of casualties.

One of the most prominent British tattoo artists of the late 19th century was Tom Riley. Riley had a natural talent for drawing that he developed into tattooing thousands of regimental crests and other military designs during the South African War and the Sudan Campaign. After leaving the army, Riley established himself as a tattoo artist in London.

His cousin, Samuel O'Reilly was a successful New York tattooist who invented and patented the first electric tattooing machine in 1890.

Riley's success was not only due to his sill but also his salesmanship. One of his original publicity stunts was the over-all tattooing of an Indian water buffalo at the Paris Hippodrome in 1904.

Riley's greatest rival was Sutherland Macdonald. Like Reilly, Macdonald learned tattooing while serving in the British army and later enjoyed the benefit of formal art school training. In 1890 he opened a London studio. He dressed formally and called himself a "tattooist" rather than a "tattooer". Macdonald enjoyed a privileged status with the Royal Navy and he advanced his career by courting journalists so that he became the subject of flattering magazines and newspaper articles. In 1897, Le Temps reported that he had elevated tattooing to an art form and in 1900 he was referred to in L'Illustration as "the Michelangelo of tattooing." MacDonald continued to tattoo until his death in 1937

George Burchett, is considered one of the greatest of the early British tattoo artists. He began his professional career in 1900, when Riley and Macdonald were at the height of their fame. As a child he was fascinated by tattoos and at age 13, he enlisted in the navy and learned the rudiments of tattoo art. After roaming the world for twelve years, he returned to England and at 28, he opened his first studio and began a career that earned him fame, a small fortune and the title, "King of Tattooists".

Burchett is the only early British tattoo artist who left a written record of his life and his work. After his death, his friend helped compile and edit his memoirs, diaries and other materials and in 1958 a book, Memoirs of a Tattooist was published.

Germany

Germany has a long history of body decoration. In 1988, a carved figure of a man was found in a cave at Hohlenstein-Stadel, in Germany, carbon dated at 32,000 years old. The body had markings with thin lines running across the upper arm. Friedrich Barbarossa ("red beard"), Roman king and emperor of Germany from 1152 to 1190, is often seen in illustrations with cross designs on the back of his hands. Kaiser Wilhelm, who was Emperor of Germany in 1908, was rumored to have an eagle tattooed on his chest. Of course the German ports on the North and Baltic Seas added the sailor heritage to German tattoo history.

Following are a few of the attractions that came from Germany or made their name there.There have been many German attractions in sideshows on both sides of the Atlantic. We should not forget that the first professional tattooist in the United States was Martin Hildebrandt, a German immigrant. Nora Hildebrandt, Martin's daughter, is credited as the first female attraction in the United States in the 1860s.

Don Manuelo, entered the sideshow world in the late 1800s with a body suit of designs that tell many stories. His back piece features a large military battle scene with an eagle and crossed flags below. On his chest he wears images of "Red Indians", sailors and women. One of Manuelo's designs was laced-up spats tattooed on his lower legs, which was a popular design with German attractions.

Annie Frank arrived on the tattoo scene in the 1920s. Her tattoos consisted of many patriotic designs like Miss Liberty, eagles, crossed flag and the required laced-up spats.

Miss Creola and Miss Alwanda , shown to the left, were one of the few double attractions in the history of the sideshow. Most of their tattoos are portraits of European kings and queens. I guess those "Red Indians" had a sense of humor. Note the spelling of America on Miss Alwanda's leg.Angelika Schwarz's history is unknown to the Archive. This stylistic poster shows her tattoos to be mainly of animals, butterflies and flowers.

La Bella Angora's poster has front and back views of her tattoos that feature a great chest eagle and multi-jeweled necklace (and the now common place 
tattooed spats).

Lyda Akado worked with the American Ringling Bros. Barnum & Bailey Circus in 1954. She is seen here in a front and back pose that was sold by Bernard Kobel (#708). This mid-way shot with Akado's non-canvas banner, shown below, is also from Kobel but is only listed in his Circusiana catalog (#244).

Nora Hildebrandt first appeared at Bunnell's Museum in New York City in 1882 with a tattoo for every day of the year. That's right! 365 tattoos done by her father Martin. Tattooed daughters and wives became a calling card for many tattooists of this era.Frank and Emma de Burgh were an American couple tattooed in the 1890s by Samual O' Reilly in New York City. The reason they are included in this review of German attractions is because most of the historical information that has survived is from their work in Germany. They are seen here in a German poster with other sideshow members.

Egyptian Tattoos

Life of Early Egyptians (2160-1994 BC) Middle Kingdom

Many traditional cultures also use tattoos on the flesh as a sort of passport to the world after death, although interestingly, with all the emphasis on the next world in ancient Egyptian culture, there is no indication that this was the case there.

Egypt is generally accepted as the cradle of tattoo art and by the Middle Kingdom tattoos seem to have been popular and culturally acceptable

2,000 BC to 3,000 BC

Several mummies have been recovered that date to as early as the XI Dynasty (2160-1994 BC) that exhibit tattoo art forms. One of the most famous of those early mummies is that of Amunet, a priestess of the goddess Hathor, who was found at Thebes. This female mummy displayed several lines and dots tattooed about her body. The tattoo patterns and markings were still clearly visible on her flesh.

Several other female mummies from this period show similar tattoos in addition to ornamental scarring (cicatrization) which is still popular today in some parts of Africa across the lower part of the abdomen. The series of dots and dashes held protective and fertility promoting significance. The lozenges are connected to the primal female power of the universe - motherhood.

The traditional reasons for tattooing include:
• to connect with the Divine.
• as a tribute or act of sacrifice to a deity.
• as a talisman, a permanent amulet that cannot be lost.
• to provide magical or medical protection.

Certainly, the connection between tattoos and the divine existed in ancient Egypt.

Beyond the geometric designs that were favoured, other designs discovered were found that were intrinsically connected to religion. Mummies dating from roughly 1300 BC are tattooed with pictographs symbolizing Neith, a prominent female deity with a militaristic bent. These are the only tattoos that at this point seem to have a link with male bearers.

The God Bes

The earliest known tattoo with a picture of something specific, rather than an abstract pattern, represents the god Bes. Bes is the lascivious god of revelry and he served as the patron god of dancing girls and musicians. Bes's image appears as a tattoo on the thighs of dancers and musicians in many Egyptian paintings, and Bes tattoos have been found on female Nubian mummies dating from about 400BC.

Africa

History of Tattoos in Africa Except for the 5000 year old man recently discovered in ice, the first evidence of tattoos leads back to the mummies in Egypt. The oldest tattoo was found on the mummy of Amunet, a priestess of the Goddess Hathor, during 2160-1994 BC. The mummy's simple tattoos were parallel lines on her arms, legs, and an elliptical pattern below her navel. Interestingly, no male mummies found in Egypt had their body adored with tattoos. Egyptologists, today, are of the opinion that these designs symbolized fertility and rejuvenation in women. However, male mummies that have been found in other parts of Africa, such as Libya, have tattoos of images relating to sun worship, on their body. In the tomb of Seti I, dating back to 1300 BC, tattoos symbolizing Neith, a Fierce Goddess, who led warriors into battle, were found on men. The first known tattoo of a person was discovered on Nubian female mummies, dating to 400 BC. The tattoo image portrayed the God of Sex and overseer of orgies, Bes. Another form of early body ornamentation was 'cicatrisation'. The word cicatrisation was derived from the French word, cicatrices, which mean 'scar'. This form of body ornamentation was common among the darker-skinned people of Africa, so that their original color of skin would not show. 

Tattooing In North Africa Even though Quran does not support the idea of engraving on the body, tattooing as an art form and cultural aspect has survived in the Islamic societies of North Africa. Strict Muslims from the society considered tattooing as unoly as it was considered to be a cause of injury to the body, making the body, a gift of the god, as imperfect in the eyes of Allah. Tattoo was also seen as an obstacle in letting the water penetrate through the skin, hamrrpering the ritual of purification in Islam. But there was a sect of Moroccan women that considered tattooing as a legitimate practice. There are also written documents from the early 20th century, stating that tattooing existed in the Arabic world at the time of Prophet Mohammed. Many traditional forms of tattooing exited in parts of North Africa like, Egypt, Libya, Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia, etc. 

Tattooing In Sub Saharan Africa When Europeans were exploring Sub Saharan Africa, they discovered that the indigenous people of this region practiced a cultural practice of scarring the skin. The Sahel is the region in Africa that stretches from the country of Senegal to the Red sea. The largest tribal group inhabiting the Sahel region is called Fulani. It is also the most heavily tattooed tribes of the region. 

Present Era While contemporary tattoos involve puncturing the skin for inserting pigment, Cicatrisation involves cutting the skin more severely to create wounds, which results in a decorative pattern of scar tissue. This popular technique for scarring involves two steps - piercing the skin and then, rubbing the wound with ash. The latter step is primarily done to inflame the skin, which later heals to form a raised scar. The wounds are perodically re-opened, and inserted with a pebble or pearl, in order to enhance the raised effect. This process used to be carried out on young boys who were about to hit puberty. It was continued until they entered the adulthood. Each tribe had its own individualistic style. Other African body altering traditions involve extreme forms of body piercing. The basic purpose of the art is to exaggerate body forms by ornamentation. Lips are pierced and objects are implanted inside, causing the lip tissue to elongate and conform to the shape of the implantd object as the flesh heals. Coming back to tattooing, African tribes are still seen with tattoos on their body. Available in numerable designs and forms, tattoos are mainly impressed to portray the symbols, which are unique to their group. This helps them to recognize people of their group and also those that belong to other groups. - See more at: http://bodyart.iloveindia.com/tattoo-history/tattooing-in-africa.html#sthash.glVZn6Lx.dpuf

Middle East

The Middle East has a rich tradition of body art, both in the form of permanent ink tattoos and the temporary Mehndi markings also seen in southern Asia, that stretches across history. A variety of methodologies to create body art in this region have seen employment from the dawn of civilization and the dynastic Egyptian period to the modern day. Tattoo traditions in particular have endured in the collective culture of tribal societies even as the spread of Islam subdued the propensity toward tattooing in mainstream Middle Eastern society. By examining the trifecta of history, methodology, and anthropology, greater insights into the fascinating and unique elements of Middle Eastern body art may be gleaned - and that is the driving purpose of this exhibit.

Bedouin: A tribal culture typically associated with Arabia and its environs, where the majority of it resides, the Bedouin have held fast to their traditions of tattooing for a multitude of generations. The word itself stems from the plural form of badaw, which means "desert dweller" in Arabic. Bedouin body art favors the application of tattoos to the face, particularly amongst women, coupled with displays of jewelry and other material items that in some sense elevate the entire body as a canvas for artistic expression.

Muslim Diaspora: With the rise of Islam, specifically the Sunni branch of Islam, the practice of tattooing lost some popularity in the Middle East due to the belief that tattoos mar the flesh and therefore mar the creation of Allah, which can be considered a grevious sin. The Shiite branch appears more relaxed on the issue, although as expected opinions do vary between individuals. Those who strictly forbid tattoos base their opinion on a hadith recorded by Bukhari - ""It was narrated that Abu Juhayfah (may Allah be pleased with him) said: “The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) cursed the one who does tattoos, and the one who has a tattoo done."