Samoan Tattoos

Samoan tattoos are more than just designs for the body art and they have been around for over 2000 years now and they are highly influenced by the rich Samoan culture. Samoan tattoos were rightfully called tataus ever since the beginning of tattooing in the world. These tattoos are symbols of respect and pride for the traditions, customs and culture of Samoan folks and the person who gets tattooed with one of these Samoan tattoos, is said to have worn a mark of pride for his family.

History of Samoan Tattoos

It is believed that the trend of tattooing in Samoa was actually introduced by two ladies from the island of Fiji. The ladies had a lot of trouble initially, while convincing anyone to give them a chance, and ultimately one of the tribal chieftains, decided to give these ladies one opportunity and he surrendered himself to the ordeal of getting a Samoan tattoo. Getting this tattoo was definitely a severe experience because traditional designs would take anywhere from weeks to months to complete! The process of getting a Samoan tattoo used to be and still is extremely painful. Traditional Samoan artwork or tataus are etched using primitive tools like bones and comb. Usually a bone or a tortoiseshell comb is immersed in ink and then it is dragged across the skin to slice it open.

The ink used in Samoan tattoos is made out of the ashes of cremated candle nut shells. This process is repeated till the tatau is complete. Sometimes, the person who is getting etched with this kind of tattoo takes longer to recover, which may delay his sessions of getting the traditional Samoan tataus. Traditional laws of Samoan culture had banned women from getting these tattoos and only men would be reserved for getting tataus. But in later years, even Samoan women began to get inked with tataus. It is said that there is nothing more disrespectful than getting a Samoan tattoo without the permission of your parents and family, because getting this inked is strictly not a personal choice, it is a matter of family pride and thus prior permission is required from the entire family for the person who is getting inked.

The traditional tatau received by the Samoan men looked like a pair of high-waist britches (breeches), that stretch right from the mid-torso down to the bottom of their knees. Every single inch of the person's skin is covered with Samoan artwork made from a series of geometric designs like lines and angles and the canvas for these tattoos included the genitals and the anal regions of a man. These tattoos were inked using the sharp combs dipped in ink.

Pe'a - The Traditional Samoan Tattoo for Men

In Samoa, it is believed that a man is ready for his first tattoo at the onset of his puberty. That is the time when skin stretches to a certain extent and the growth comes to a subsequent end. This tattooing on men, at the onset of their puberty, is more of a ritual than a process. This ritual is also accompanied by songs. The Pe'a design of the Samoan art piece is inked from the waist area to the knee line, including the man's genitals and anal areas. The designs used for men include a series of geometrical shapes, lines, and curves. Thin cross beams are inked on the back area of the male while net-like design is inked in his groin area. The leaves of pandanus trees is also one of the designs used to etch these tattoos.

The traditional Samoan tattoo artist is called The Tafuga and he takes 5 sessions with a gap of one day after each session, to finish the entire tattooing process. These 5 sessions are proceeded in step-by-step manner, that consider one session for one particular area for tattooing. In that way, the tafuga takes around 10 days to complete a man's Samoan tattoo. The recovery and healing time post getting the tattoo inked might take up to a year.

Malu - The Traditional Samoan Tattoo for Women

Samoan art pieces for females are much simpler and delicate, as compared to those of the Samoan males. These tattoos for women are not seen and carried out like a ritual as in case of men. The Malu design covers from upper thighs to the area below a woman's knee line. You can also get a tattoo of this on your arm, if you are a female. These arm tattoos from Samoa are very small designs. Samoan tattoo designs that are common in women include dots, starfish, worm-like shapes and a leg-like shape that resembles a leg of a golden plover.

These days Samoan tattoos are not seen as a part of a Samoan ritual, and these Samoan tattoo designs are gaining a wide popularity across the globe. Many new designs like waves, kawa bowl, fish and birds, shells and other symbols like the ones in tribal tattoos, are used to etch these. You can either get a Samoan tattoo from an authentic Tafuga or you can create your own Samoan design and get it inked in modern style from a certified tattoo artist. But, the real beauty and Samoan tattoo meaning, lies in getting it etched from a real Tafuga!