Samoan Tattoos Design Ideas

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Samoan Tattoos Design Ideas tattoo of Samoa

Tattoos, or pe'a, demonstrate the strong ties many Samoans feel for their culture. Samoans have practiced the art of tattooing both men and women for over 2,000 years. To this day, a man's tattoo extensively covers from mid-back, down the sides and flanks, to the knees. A woman's tattoo is not quite as extensive or heavy. The geometric patterns are based on ancient designs, and often denote rank and status. The va'a or canoe, for example, stretches across a man's mid-back.
Samoan oral tradition generally recognizes that two Fijian women, Taema and Tilafaiga, introduced the practice of tattooing. Before the arrival of Christian missionaries, starting in 1830, all Samoan males got a traditional tattoo. Though the early missionaries did not succeed in outlawing the practice, which they considered as defacement of the human body and heathenish, they eventually succeeded in refocusing the custom on the sons of chiefs.
Samoan tattoos feature a lot of shells. These are mostly turtle shells which represent longevity, fertility, wellness and peace. At other times it shows sea shells which symbolize shields, protection and intimacy. They also use the ‘Marquesan cross’, which symbolizes the delicate balance between the different elements of nature. There are several other such typical symbols that are used by Samoan tattoos. These tattoos are generally widespread and cover large lengths of your body.