Samoan tattoo is characteristic for its drawings and more or less thick lines and with black backgrounds. Its shapes are geometric lines and are famous for coming from the Samoa region, as their life and culture made their composition so unique and unique.
The technique they use in these countries is elaborated in a complex way and by hand, nothing to see their difficulty and pain than those performed within our Western culture, with the modern needle method. You may have noticed that there are numerous Samoan tattoos that are now performed, covering backs, whole arms and half legs.
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Origin of the Samoan Tattoo
Its name derives from the name of the Samoa region, a group of islands in the eastern Polynesia archipelago, the first Maori homeland. Handmade tattoos began to be implanted in this place where very sharp bones were used to implant ink under the skin.
These bones tied by a stick are beaten by another stick in order to impregnate under the skin the ink that is smeared on them.This technique is laborious and painful, an icon of courage and courage. It takes months to heal and each session gives that gesture of courage.
The tattoo master called “tafuga” dips these sharp bones in a black ink made of soot from the burned coconut shells . Then with a kind of hammer or wood it is pounding and piercing the skin to penetrate this ink.
Samoans start tattooing from adolescence and take weeks to months to formalize a large tattoo. This is because its technique is slow and the incision of the ink into the skin through the bone is much more painful than the traditional needle shape we know. After one session the skin had to be allowed to rest so that it recovered from wounds therefore its carrying out is late.
Its meaning
Samoa’s design goes far beyond being a simple engraving on the skin. Their tattoo represents the community to which they belong, their respect for their culture and the honor towards it. It is a pride for them to have this creation embodied in their bodies.
Each island has its characteristic design that symbolizes its own village, hence you could make its distinction between them. Although they proudly show their embodiments, because of the cultural background that is taking place in this type of tattoo in other cultures, Samoans are losing the participation of Samoans to depict their drawings. This is due to the cultural background that is being given to these types of tattoos in other cultures and that for them is a symbol of contempt.
His drawings and forms in their culture
Samoan tattoo is characterized by a design of lines and geometric shapes. Most of these lines are thinner or thicker size with a black and marked color.
Men wear the traditional Samoan tattoo called Pe’a that cover much of the body and is tattooed from the navel to their knees. His drawings are the shapes we have reviewed before, with geometric lines that represent his life, culture and Samoan traditions.
Thewomen wear the traditional Samoan tattoo called Malú with much simpler lines and shapes. It does not have those black shapes so marked but simply small marks that symbolize stars or depictions of sea animals, his drawings are tattooed on the thighs.
Samoan tattoo in the West
This type of tattoo in the West shows another type of representation as it is simply looking for the aesthetic way to wear it as an ornament. There is no fixed security that defines us a sure interpretation of what they can mean, but most of them are randomly made.
The most common and used symbols range from Koru drawing, which has a spiral shape and symbolizes growth and inner harmony. The Hei matau drawing in the shape of a hook, orthe Manaia representing a spiritual guardian, with the head of a bird, the body of man and the fish tail.
Sun shaped tattoo symbolizes light, courage and strength. Those who have a flower shape are usually drawn on the hips and shoulder blades, they represent beauty and eternal life.
Tribal forms are the most characteristic of our culture and the most significant. Lovers of this type of tattoo bet on placing them from the shoulders forming a great drawing until they complete the part of the arms. Highlights are the Maui design, the Marquise Cross representing a cross symbolizing peace and balance. And the Maori turtle, an animal both soil and water that indicates the way to eternal descent by the time he died.
