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More than Skin Deep... Traditional Tattooing in Samoa

When you hear the word tattoo' your mind may fly to an image of a young man with pierced body parts, an angular haircut, and tight-fitting dark clothes. Or maybe your mind conjures up a burly man with a scraggly beard, bandanna adorned head, wallet on a chain, and no shirt but a leather vest. Or, if you've been around for a while. Maybe you think of young men coming ashore to spend their wages on booze and women. These are the tattooed in our American culture. They are groups on the fringe of society; their body art bonds them to one another but may barricade them from general civilization. However, societies exist, even today, where tattoos are a sign of honor. Tattoos are tradition, a sign of manhood, or womanhood. Something heroes wear.

Samoans have a very traditionally oriented culture. They have many unspoken social rules and many long-standing traditions. One tradition deals with tattooing for both men and women.

Men and Women are tattooed to show their strength and courage. Also, all matais (chiefs) in a village should have a full tattoo to show their status. Tattoos on women cover above the knees to the thighs. Tattoos on men extend from just above the knees to belly button level. They are full-body tattoos in geometric designs and usually depict a boat or war vessel.

Traditionally, the tattooing process, for a male, begins when he is a young man. His grandmother begins collecting ash for his tattoo. Kerosene lamps are a good source of high-quality black ash. When enough ash has been gathered, a tattooist is hired. The artist uses sharpened boars teeth combs, a wooden stick to knock the combs with, and all his skill to apply the tattoo freehand.

The young man lies still on his back for hours as the tattoo is applied. The tattoo artist's assistants keep the young man's skin stretched and wipe away the drops of blood and left over ink from his body. This is a social occasion. Friends and family surround him, singing to distract him, and fanning his skin to keep it cool and to keep the flies away. It depends on the young man, his stamina and tolerance for pain, but a complete tattoo may take several days of sessions or only one full day to complete. But there is a strict rule that once it is begun, it must be completed.

The next time you pass someone on the street or in the coffee shop, and catch a glimpse of that dark ink on skin, think to the traditions of Samoa. Maybe you'll see something deeper than skin.

Learn more about this author, Gretchen Gingerich.
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