In psychiatry, the border between Art and Science often hides in clinical experience, which itself often reflects only a dimly grasped set of personal experiences. In this setting, any true objective data becomes a treasure.
As a resident, I learned that tattoos and sociopaths often occurred together. The more tattoos, the more likely a diagnosis of psychopathic personality became. The words love and hate, I understood, applied to the fingers, H-A-T-E on the left hand, L-O-V-E on the right, were essentially pathognomonic of sociopathy. I have believed this for more than 20 years, but after a trip to Greece began to wonder what those patients used in languages where the words did not use four letters. So I decided to write a review, and try to find out.
I was surprised to learn that there existed no literature on the subject; Medline drew a blank on the disorder cross-referenced with tattoo. Neither subject alone yielded less than a thousand references. I finally plowed through all the titles under tattoos, and found hundreds of articles on dermatology, and a few scattered words about risk taking in adolescents, but nothing else.
I spent some time sending E-mail to psychiatrists in other countries. Dr. K, in Tokyo, kindly sent me an English language book on the art of Japanese tattoos, and I began to re-learn my old errors. I have posted mail to a number of tattoo artists, and done telephone interviews with several, including Kris Sperry, M.D., the physician who serves as Medical Consultant to the Alliance of Professional Tattooists, and who helped set the standards for licensure by that organization. I even rented and watched a movie. I will summarize my experiences below:
The process of injecting colored pigments under the skin has existed for most of human history. Egyptian tombs with drawings of tattooed people and archeological statuary with clear artificial lines on the skin exist, as do long standing customs among ancient peoples, and date back at least 12,000 years before Christ. By 2,000 BC, the art had spread to China. Many of the older reasons have been lost forever. We can only assume that some of the more modern reasons indicate their previous use. Throughout most of the world, skin markings identified social class, marital availability, beauty, skill as a warrior or crafts man (or woman), or status as a slave or criminal. The Danes, Norse, and Saxons used tattoos to identify family symbols and crests. In the Far East, with Pictographic Writing, many people chose phrases of dedication to Buddha or a lover, rather than an actual drawing. All of these have varied with time and culture.
However, the Christian Bible, in Leviticus 19:28, specifically says You shall not... tattoo any marks upon you. Bowing to this, Pope Hadrian, in AD 787, banned the art. It survived in Britain until the Norman conquests in 1066. King Harold died at the hands of William, and his body was identified by the word Edith tattooed over his heart. Thus exited skin art from Western culture for many centuries, Though Marco Polo described Tattoos on some Chinese he met.
In Japan, things took a different path. Early on, forehead marks there signified criminals. Some sources say these were uniform, while others describe variations from city to city. This punishment was severe in that ostracism remains even now a more powerful punishment than in the West, due to different values on family ties. Whatever the history, in more recent times, reaction to strict sumptuary laws imposed by the harsh Tokugawa government that allowed only royalty to wear embroidered clothing caused a change. The wealthy middle classes began to wear kimonos with brocade on the inside, but the poor began to flaunt the laws and wear full tattooed body suits.
In 1691 an English explorer named Dampier brought the first tattooed South Sea Islander to London, and a city that had not seen such art forms for 600 years looked with fascination. Captain Cook brought more, and introduced the sideshow to the Royalty. Soon this expensive and painful process became a mark of wealth for the crowned heads of European society. Japanese artists cost the most, and so were most desired. Among those known to have had tattoos are King George V, Winston Churchill s mother, King Oscar of Sweden, and Grand Duke Alexis of Russia.
Technology forces change in any time, and in 1891 the first electric tattoo needle made the process much cheaper and faster. That lead to popularity among lower classes, and subsequent abandonment by the rich. The public fascination with heavily marked skin created a market for circus freaks to collect fees for displaying their works, leading to further definition of this as a pseudo-art only for freaks and sailors.
In 1955 Robert Mitchum starred in a movie named the Night of the Hunter. In this, he plays a sociopathic traveling preacher (and serial killer) who has LOVE on his left hand and HATE on his right. He even uses them in a brief sermon about the struggle between the two forces. As best I can determine, this originated with that movie, and all the copy-cats I have seen since simply mimicked his image. Sideshow Bob in the TV cartoon series The Simpsons, has only 3 fingers per hand, and has LUV and HAT tattoos (with an umlat over the 'a' as homage to Mitchum. Sailors in the days of tall ships often got tattoos on their hands that said HOLD and FAST on their fingers, either as a totem or a reminder. (I've heard rumors of college athletes with TGIF on their feet, to remind them toes go in first. )
In order to look for this stain of sociopathy, I conducted a poll of local jail staff (in a city of 100,000). I specifically asked 2 RN s, with three and six years of experience working in the jail, respectively, if they had noted the love-hate tattoos. Neither remembered seeing this at any time. Two guards with less than three years work history each had also not seen this specific tattoo. I also polled my peers at the Forensic Hospital where I work. We serve a state of 3.5 million people. Among 3 PhD Forensic psychologists, who had worked 9, 5, and two years, respectively, the specific mark had been seen, but in only a few vaguely remembered instances. Two forensic psychiatrists, including myself, with careers that spanned more than 20 years each, could only identify perhaps a dozen such patients. Obviously, then, these specific marks betray neither historic nor frequent behaviors.
By 1961, hepatitis outbreaks led New York City and the State of Massachusetts to ban this work. These regulations continue in force as well as in Indiana, Oklahoma, South Carolina, and Ocean City, MD. Ft Lauderdale and Jacksonville Beach, FL have laws requiring a physician on site when tattooing occurs. The Alliance of Professional Tattooists arose in an effort to self-regulate, and promote standards of hygiene and professionalism. As an aside, the CDC has never reported a case of AIDS related to tattoo needles, even those done in non-sterile conditions.
Also in the 1960s, the counter-culture blossomed, and products of that led such stars as Joan Baez, Janis Joplin, and Cher to have their own personal skin art. Many stars of music and screen and professional athletes today display tattoos (including Sean Connery, Melanie Griffith,Michael Jordon, and Drew Barrymore.) In Japan, however, the tattoo has remained highly stylized, with only a small number of elaborate forms existing. almost all based on a few specific legends. There, rather than to identify oneself as unique as in the West, one gets a tattoo to become a member of a select group and to conform. The Japanese Mafia also have a set of tattoos for their members.
In the West, two primary forms of tattoos exist; professional and jail-house. The latter are done crudely, often out of boredom, and also as marks to signify membership in a gang, certain crimes, etc. The New York State Police appear to have one of the most complete books of these variations, though I have not personally inspected a copy.
A quote from William De Michele, who published The Illustrated Woman in 1992, sticks with me as appropriate: Tattoos signify commitment. As permanent marks, they generally indicate some personal transition of significance. Often this relates to efforts to gain or regain control of one's life. [for example a woman who went through a divorce and wanted to make her body different from anything her husband had ever seen.] Even avid artists tend to place them in areas that can be covered or shown at will, much like a woman lawyer wearing black lace garters under her clothes in Court, something about which only she or someone she chooses to tell, knows. Tattoos on the hands or face much more frequently mean major events, such as a rejection of society totally, or membership in some tight group such as a prison or street gang.
Conclusion:
So for the psychiatrist who sees a tattoo: Note if it is amateur or professional. Ask about it. It may, like the interpretation of a dream, lead to highly symbolic information. Don t assume any particular psychopathology without more data, and remember the use of these has had many meanings to many people for thousands of years. Any particular view you hold is probably culturally bound and time-limited.
http://www.priory.com/tattoo.htm
Wednesday, May 16, 2007
Tattoo in Chinese Minorities
The Chinese Drung and Dai minorities have tattoo customs inherited from their ancestors.
Among the Drung ethnic minority, women have tattoos on their faces. In the past, girls were tattooed when they turned 12 or 13 as a symbol of maturity.
First, an old woman would dip a bamboo slip into sooty water and draw on the girl's face, then beat a thorn into the skin with a small stick in the designed area, and fill the pricked spots with soot. When scabs formed, a dark blue design was left on the face, The tattoo was drawn between the two eyebrows and around the mouth in diamond shape and on the cheek with dots, forming a flying butterfly design.
This form of tattooing is popular in the upper reaches of the Drung River. Along the lower reaches, the tattoos are simpler, with two or three lines on the lower jaw.
The Drung minority tattoo originated from the late Ming Dynasty about 350 years ago. At that time, the Drung people were usually attacked by other ethnic groups, and women were captured as slaves. To avoid being raped, the Drung women tattooed their faces to make themselves less attractive and, thus, protect themselves. It was a tragedy. Though the Drung women are not threatened by other minorities now, they retain their tattoo custom, and it has become a symbol of maturity for Drung women.
tattoo on back
tattoo on the back
a Drung woman
a Drung woman with tattoo on face
Tattooing is also an ancient custom of the Dai people, and can still be found in some remote villages in the Dai inhabited area or among some old Dai people.
Both men and women were tattooed according to the Dai custom, men on the strong muscles and women on the back of hand, arm or between the eyebrows.
In old times, the Dai Children had designs pricked into their skin when they were 5 or 6, for it was said to be the best age. Later, they were tattooed at 14 or 15 as a symbol of reaching maturity.
There are no fixed designs in Dai tattoo, most preferring tiger or dragon designs drawn in black with black plant juice.
The Dai people have a long tattoo history. In ancient times, they lived by the river and were often hit by strange monsters. Later they discovered that a black skin could keep the monster away, and they began to tattoo themselves in this way to prevent attacks.
As time went on, tattooing lost its original function and has become a symbol of the boldness and bravery of men and the beauty of women. Now, tattoos are drawn on the back of the hands in octagonal flower design, and a dot is tattooed between the eyebrows of girls, symbolizing their beauty. With these tattoos, the Dai people can easily recognize their ethnic friends even when they are not wearing their minority costums.
http://www.chinavista.com/experience/tattoo/tattoo.html
Among the Drung ethnic minority, women have tattoos on their faces. In the past, girls were tattooed when they turned 12 or 13 as a symbol of maturity.
First, an old woman would dip a bamboo slip into sooty water and draw on the girl's face, then beat a thorn into the skin with a small stick in the designed area, and fill the pricked spots with soot. When scabs formed, a dark blue design was left on the face, The tattoo was drawn between the two eyebrows and around the mouth in diamond shape and on the cheek with dots, forming a flying butterfly design.
This form of tattooing is popular in the upper reaches of the Drung River. Along the lower reaches, the tattoos are simpler, with two or three lines on the lower jaw.
The Drung minority tattoo originated from the late Ming Dynasty about 350 years ago. At that time, the Drung people were usually attacked by other ethnic groups, and women were captured as slaves. To avoid being raped, the Drung women tattooed their faces to make themselves less attractive and, thus, protect themselves. It was a tragedy. Though the Drung women are not threatened by other minorities now, they retain their tattoo custom, and it has become a symbol of maturity for Drung women.
tattoo on back
tattoo on the back
a Drung woman
a Drung woman with tattoo on face
Tattooing is also an ancient custom of the Dai people, and can still be found in some remote villages in the Dai inhabited area or among some old Dai people.
Both men and women were tattooed according to the Dai custom, men on the strong muscles and women on the back of hand, arm or between the eyebrows.
In old times, the Dai Children had designs pricked into their skin when they were 5 or 6, for it was said to be the best age. Later, they were tattooed at 14 or 15 as a symbol of reaching maturity.
There are no fixed designs in Dai tattoo, most preferring tiger or dragon designs drawn in black with black plant juice.
The Dai people have a long tattoo history. In ancient times, they lived by the river and were often hit by strange monsters. Later they discovered that a black skin could keep the monster away, and they began to tattoo themselves in this way to prevent attacks.
As time went on, tattooing lost its original function and has become a symbol of the boldness and bravery of men and the beauty of women. Now, tattoos are drawn on the back of the hands in octagonal flower design, and a dot is tattooed between the eyebrows of girls, symbolizing their beauty. With these tattoos, the Dai people can easily recognize their ethnic friends even when they are not wearing their minority costums.
http://www.chinavista.com/experience/tattoo/tattoo.html
Tattoo shop 'draws' students, grandmas
Ever since Don Ohlsen was a kid, he has been intrigued by tattoos.
"I was fascinated by it. I would see dads and grandfathers with their World War II tattoos, and I thought it was a fascinating art form," Ohlsen said.
Because of this, Ohlsen has transformed his curiosity into an occupation.
The result is Flyin' Gypsy Tattoo and Piercing Studios, located in Magnolia Place in downtown Auburn.
It opened for business in November 1995 and has two full-time tattoo artists, one part-time artist, one apprentice artist and two piercers on staff.
Originally from Connecticut, Ohlsen moved to Florida to work in a tattoo shop. When he came to visit relatives in Auburn, he thought it was "a nice, little college town," which prompted him to open a studio.
According to Ohlsen, this decision was a good one.
"The students are real hip. They gave us their approval and made us feel welcome from the start," Ohlsen said.
At first, the clients were mainly students. But now Ohlsen sees a more diverse range of people, including professionals and blue-collar workers.
ELIOTT C. McLAUGHLIN
Intrigue Editor
Even senior citizens have shown an interest.
"I recently tattooed a grandma.
She got three stars on her ankle for each of her grandchildren," Ohlsen said.
When asked about the current popularity of tattoos and piercing, Ohlsen said, "It's getting more mainstream. Everyone is getting a lot bigger and bolder. That's the thing I think people are shocked by."
For those people who doubt the safety of tattoos and piercing, the Flyin' Gypsy uses new "single-use" needles that are opened in front of the customer. All the equipment is "steam sterilized" through a process called Autoclave, the same type used in hospitals.
Ohlsen said he hopes the business will grow and include more customer input.
"I would like to see it keep expanding and have more people come in with their own customized designs," Ohlsen said.
http://www.auburn.edu/student_info/plainsman/archives/96FA/0924/intrigue.html
"I was fascinated by it. I would see dads and grandfathers with their World War II tattoos, and I thought it was a fascinating art form," Ohlsen said.
Because of this, Ohlsen has transformed his curiosity into an occupation.
The result is Flyin' Gypsy Tattoo and Piercing Studios, located in Magnolia Place in downtown Auburn.
It opened for business in November 1995 and has two full-time tattoo artists, one part-time artist, one apprentice artist and two piercers on staff.
Originally from Connecticut, Ohlsen moved to Florida to work in a tattoo shop. When he came to visit relatives in Auburn, he thought it was "a nice, little college town," which prompted him to open a studio.
According to Ohlsen, this decision was a good one.
"The students are real hip. They gave us their approval and made us feel welcome from the start," Ohlsen said.
At first, the clients were mainly students. But now Ohlsen sees a more diverse range of people, including professionals and blue-collar workers.
ELIOTT C. McLAUGHLIN
Intrigue Editor
Even senior citizens have shown an interest.
"I recently tattooed a grandma.
She got three stars on her ankle for each of her grandchildren," Ohlsen said.
When asked about the current popularity of tattoos and piercing, Ohlsen said, "It's getting more mainstream. Everyone is getting a lot bigger and bolder. That's the thing I think people are shocked by."
For those people who doubt the safety of tattoos and piercing, the Flyin' Gypsy uses new "single-use" needles that are opened in front of the customer. All the equipment is "steam sterilized" through a process called Autoclave, the same type used in hospitals.
Ohlsen said he hopes the business will grow and include more customer input.
"I would like to see it keep expanding and have more people come in with their own customized designs," Ohlsen said.
http://www.auburn.edu/student_info/plainsman/archives/96FA/0924/intrigue.html
Cool Henna Design Tattoos
One of the coolest displays and of art that I have seen was henna design. No, really. It was really cool on nature and was utilized in the form of giving a tattoo. Tattooing is simply using what nature has to offer and using his is a form of expression on the human body. In many cases the natural ingredient ink. But there is something so quaint and ethereal about henna design that I find to be simply breathtaking.
The first time I had the opportunity to see henna design in action was during my trip to Rajasthan, India. It was quite an exotic odyssey. The state is located in the desert and is known for its large community fairs. It is a central meeting point when from the neighboring villages gather to celebrate and they can last anywhere from a few days to a few weeks. The longer the duration, the bigger the fair. And the bigger the fair, the more mammoth the attendance.
I was there for the Fall fair. It was a four-day event and the energy there was absolutely astounding. The people were simple and their wants simpler. The colors and spirit found was something that never before even remotely have come close to seeing. This is where I saw my first henna design, and I must say it was quite impressive.
I happened to notice the henna design as I was walking around the fair trying to capture the color of all that I saw. I saw two women sitting on the on ground and were totally engrossed in their task. When I moved closerFree Articles, I saw that it was a henna artist and that she was applying one of the finest henna designs I have ever witnessed.
I just kind of stood there in a daze admiring her work in launching a much joy she spread by artfully sketching her henna designs on people's hands. It was a very simple operation and there were not a lot of implements require for her to create her art. Just a tube of henna and her active imagination. She had a book of designs that the customers can browse through to choose one they wanted. And she would set to work to draw the design in all its glory on their hands.
That's all that I needed to give me hooked on the art of henna designs. Now I'm actually compiling a book of henna designs. Guess who is going to be on the cover? My henna design muse of course! She is the perfect choice and I'm thrilled to include her.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Morgan Hamilton offers expert advice and great tips regarding all aspects concerning lifestyle. Get the information you are seeking now by visiting Henna Design Tattoos
The first time I had the opportunity to see henna design in action was during my trip to Rajasthan, India. It was quite an exotic odyssey. The state is located in the desert and is known for its large community fairs. It is a central meeting point when from the neighboring villages gather to celebrate and they can last anywhere from a few days to a few weeks. The longer the duration, the bigger the fair. And the bigger the fair, the more mammoth the attendance.
I was there for the Fall fair. It was a four-day event and the energy there was absolutely astounding. The people were simple and their wants simpler. The colors and spirit found was something that never before even remotely have come close to seeing. This is where I saw my first henna design, and I must say it was quite impressive.
I happened to notice the henna design as I was walking around the fair trying to capture the color of all that I saw. I saw two women sitting on the on ground and were totally engrossed in their task. When I moved closerFree Articles, I saw that it was a henna artist and that she was applying one of the finest henna designs I have ever witnessed.
I just kind of stood there in a daze admiring her work in launching a much joy she spread by artfully sketching her henna designs on people's hands. It was a very simple operation and there were not a lot of implements require for her to create her art. Just a tube of henna and her active imagination. She had a book of designs that the customers can browse through to choose one they wanted. And she would set to work to draw the design in all its glory on their hands.
That's all that I needed to give me hooked on the art of henna designs. Now I'm actually compiling a book of henna designs. Guess who is going to be on the cover? My henna design muse of course! She is the perfect choice and I'm thrilled to include her.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Morgan Hamilton offers expert advice and great tips regarding all aspects concerning lifestyle. Get the information you are seeking now by visiting Henna Design Tattoos
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