Is There Life After the End of a Long Marriage?
One man's journey to find a new life after the break-up of a marriage of more then 20 years.
Sunday, September 12, 2004
How to Get A Samoan Tattoo
Part 9
This being my first trip to Western Samoa, I took the opportunity to explore the islands as completely as I could in the few short weeks I was there. One of the aspects of life in Samoa that intrigues many foreigners, myself included, is the art of the tattoo. Known around the world, and certainly no stranger to a variety of cultures, the polynesians have embraced the practice of skin adornment for centuries. Throughout the pacific islands, tattooing, in one form or another, is widely accepted and practiced. There are some variations. The "Maori's" from New Zealand combine tattoos with a procedure called, "Scarification". This is performed by making cuts in the skin, (often the face), and rubbing hot fire ash into the cuts to cause them to welt and create a very three-dimensional scar. None of these traditional tattoos are quite like the one's your Uncle Bob came back with from his Navy or Marine Corps days.
These tattoos are not applied with the electric tattoo guns that most of us are familiar with. The principle is the same... pierce the skin with a sharp object or needle creating a piercing for the ink to flow into. Health regulations in more developed nations regulate sanitary practices in tattoo application. However, in much of the South Pacific, tattooing is done much the same way as it was before the white man arrived. The hand tattooing of the South Pacific achieves much the same effects through the use of such piercing objects as a sharks tooth and boar bristle. The inks too, are quite different from those used in modern tattoo parlors. Pacific Island tattoos are primarily monochromatic, (black ink only), however some modern inks have made their way into the art in recent years as well. By tradition, the mother collects the soot of the burning candlewax bean to make the ink for her sons and daughters tattoos.
As the picture at the bottom of this posting will attest, the complete and traditional tattoos for Samoan men starts just above the knees and rise to, or slightly above, the navel. The entire application procedure can take up to a few weeks depending upon the pain tolerance of the recipient. As they tend to fade over the years, some Samoans will have them gone over again in later life to re-fresh them. Many Samoans actually envy the higher contrast that we caucasians achieve in our tattoos because of our lighter skin.
I spent a tour of duty in the U.S. Navy, and while I came close to getting a tattoo on several occasions, (each time I was intoxicated), I never found a design or theme at that time, that I wished to have, essentially as a permanent fixture for the rest of my life.
So it came as a surprise, even to me, that I made the decision to get a traditional Samoan tattoo in broad daylight and without even the hint of the influence of alcohol!
No, I didn't opt for the "full-treatment" that is the trademark of Samoan tattoos. Mine was limited to a bicep arm band on my left arm and a wrist band on my right. The only sterilization procedure that was used was the periodic wiping off of excess ink with a rag floating in a bucket of strong bleach and water. The whole process took about an hour and a half. And as I healed well in a few weeks and didn't get an infection, I guess the bleach-water technique works well enough!
Back in the states, I get many admiring compliments and curious comments on my "skin art" and always the question; "Did it hurt"? Since I've never tried those delivered with a tattoo gun, I really have no basis for comparison. But no, I didn't think it hurt. There were some mildly uncomfortable moments, but nothing I couldn't easily tolerate. As a result, I am left with a permanent reminder of the people and the islands that became so dear to me, and from that day on a link from me to them was forged that will last all the days of my life.
Coming next post, Part 10
"That Crazy Palagi"
This being my first trip to Western Samoa, I took the opportunity to explore the islands as completely as I could in the few short weeks I was there. One of the aspects of life in Samoa that intrigues many foreigners, myself included, is the art of the tattoo. Known around the world, and certainly no stranger to a variety of cultures, the polynesians have embraced the practice of skin adornment for centuries. Throughout the pacific islands, tattooing, in one form or another, is widely accepted and practiced. There are some variations. The "Maori's" from New Zealand combine tattoos with a procedure called, "Scarification". This is performed by making cuts in the skin, (often the face), and rubbing hot fire ash into the cuts to cause them to welt and create a very three-dimensional scar. None of these traditional tattoos are quite like the one's your Uncle Bob came back with from his Navy or Marine Corps days.
These tattoos are not applied with the electric tattoo guns that most of us are familiar with. The principle is the same... pierce the skin with a sharp object or needle creating a piercing for the ink to flow into. Health regulations in more developed nations regulate sanitary practices in tattoo application. However, in much of the South Pacific, tattooing is done much the same way as it was before the white man arrived. The hand tattooing of the South Pacific achieves much the same effects through the use of such piercing objects as a sharks tooth and boar bristle. The inks too, are quite different from those used in modern tattoo parlors. Pacific Island tattoos are primarily monochromatic, (black ink only), however some modern inks have made their way into the art in recent years as well. By tradition, the mother collects the soot of the burning candlewax bean to make the ink for her sons and daughters tattoos.
As the picture at the bottom of this posting will attest, the complete and traditional tattoos for Samoan men starts just above the knees and rise to, or slightly above, the navel. The entire application procedure can take up to a few weeks depending upon the pain tolerance of the recipient. As they tend to fade over the years, some Samoans will have them gone over again in later life to re-fresh them. Many Samoans actually envy the higher contrast that we caucasians achieve in our tattoos because of our lighter skin.
I spent a tour of duty in the U.S. Navy, and while I came close to getting a tattoo on several occasions, (each time I was intoxicated), I never found a design or theme at that time, that I wished to have, essentially as a permanent fixture for the rest of my life.
So it came as a surprise, even to me, that I made the decision to get a traditional Samoan tattoo in broad daylight and without even the hint of the influence of alcohol!
No, I didn't opt for the "full-treatment" that is the trademark of Samoan tattoos. Mine was limited to a bicep arm band on my left arm and a wrist band on my right. The only sterilization procedure that was used was the periodic wiping off of excess ink with a rag floating in a bucket of strong bleach and water. The whole process took about an hour and a half. And as I healed well in a few weeks and didn't get an infection, I guess the bleach-water technique works well enough!
Back in the states, I get many admiring compliments and curious comments on my "skin art" and always the question; "Did it hurt"? Since I've never tried those delivered with a tattoo gun, I really have no basis for comparison. But no, I didn't think it hurt. There were some mildly uncomfortable moments, but nothing I couldn't easily tolerate. As a result, I am left with a permanent reminder of the people and the islands that became so dear to me, and from that day on a link from me to them was forged that will last all the days of my life.
Coming next post, Part 10
"That Crazy Palagi"
D.A. Wright, 1:17 AM
