Decorative and spiritual uses
Tattoos have served as rites of passage, marks of status and rank, symbols of religious and spiritual devotion, decorations for bravery, sexual lures and marks of fertility, pledges of love, punishment, amulets
and talismans, protection, and as the marks of outcasts, slaves and
convicts. The symbolism and impact of tattoos varies in different
places and cultures. Tattoos may show how a person feels about a
relative (commonly mother/father or daughter/son) or about an unrelated
person.
A memorial tattoo of a deceased loved one's initials
Today, people choose to be tattooed for cosmetic, sentimental/memorial, religious, and magical reasons, and to symbolize their belonging to or identification with particular groups, including criminal gangs (see criminal tattoos) but also a particular ethnic group or law-abiding subculture. Some Māori still choose to wear intricate moko on their faces. In Laos, Cambodia, and Thailand, the yantra tattoo is used for protection against evil and to increase luck. In the Philippines
certain tribal groups believe that tattoos have magical qualities, and
help to protect their bearers. Most traditional tattooing in the
Philippines is related to the bearer's accomplishments in life or rank
in the tribe. Identification
People have also been forcibly tattooed for various reasons. A well known example is the identification system for inmates in Nazi concentration camps during the Holocaust.
However, tattoos can be linked with identification in more positive
ways. For example, in the period of early contact between the Māori and
Europeans, Māori chiefs sometimes drew their moko (facial tattoo) on
documents in place of a signature. Tattoos are sometimes used by forensic pathologists
to help them identify burned, putrefied, or mutilated bodies. Tattoo
pigment is buried deep enough in the skin that even severe burns will
often not destroy a tattoo. For many centuries seafarers have undergone
tattooing for the purpose of enabling identification after drowning. In
this way recovered bodies of such drowned persons could be connected
with their family members or friends before burial. Therefore
tattooists often worked in ports where potential customers were
numerous. The traditional custom continues today in the Royal Navy
(Great Britain) and in many others.[citation needed]
Tattoos are also placed on animals, though very rarely for decorative reasons. Pets, show animals, thoroughbred horses
and livestock are sometimes tattooed with identification and other
marks. Pet dogs and cats are often tattooed with a serial number
(usually in the ear, or on the inner thigh) via which their owners can
be identified. Also, animals are occasionally tattooed to prevent
sunburn (on the nose, for example). Such tattoos are often performed by
a veterinarian and in most cases the animals are anesthetized during
the process. Branding
is used for similar reasons and is often performed without anesthesia,
but is different from tattooing as no ink or dye is inserted during the
process.
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