Thursday 25 November 2010

Apparently World's oldest tattoo is made in Indonesia.

Who is not familiar with a tattoo or a tattoo, a tattoo body art. A variety of modern tattoo art has been conducted in various parts of the earth. But did you know that the oldest tattoo art in the world was made in Indonesia.
Check. The term "Tattoo" is taken from the word "Tatau" in Tahiti. Tattooing was first recorded by Western civilization in the expedition of James Cook in tahun1769. According to some researchers, the oldest tattoos found on Egyptian mummies from the 20th century BC.
Egyptian Tattoos, which estimated the oldest tattoos found in a 1300 BC while the Mentawai been tattooing their bodies since their arrival to the west coast of Sumatra on Metal Age, 1500 BC - 500 BC. They are the nation Proto-Malays who came from mainland Asia (Indochina).
According to the researchers "tattoo" in Indonesia, Mentawai Tattoo is the oldest in the world, known as Titi. For people who inhabit the Mentawai Mentawai Islands near Sumatra, a tattoo is a spirit of life. One of the tattoo position is to show identity and difference in social status or profession. For example, tattoos Sikerei (call for Mentawai shaman) is different from a tattoo hunter. Known by the hunter catch pictures of animals, like pigs, deer, monkeys, birds, or alligators. While Sikerei known of star tattoo "Sibalu-balu" in their bodies.
Based on the traditions of Mentawai, tattoo also has a function as a symbol of nature's balance. In the tradition of the Mentawai people, objects such as rocks, animals, and plants should be enshrined in their bodies. They consider all things have souls. Another function of the tattoo is art, Mentawai people tattooing their bodies in accordance with his creativity.
The position of the tattoo is set by the trust Mentawai tribe, called Arat Sabulungan. The term comes from the word "sa" (collection), and "bulung" (leaf). Collection of leaves arranged in a circle made of sago palm or tree tops, which are believed to have magical powers called "beggar" or "Ketse". This is used as a medium for the cult of "Tai Kabagat for whom" (Lord of the Sea), "Tai Ka-leleu" (god of forests and mountains), and "Tai Ka Manua" (God of clouds).
"Arat Sabulungan" is used in every ceremony, birth, marriage, medical treatment, moving house, and tattoos. When boys enter puberty, age 11-12 years, elders called Sikerei and Rimata (tribal leaders) will negotiate to determine the days and months of implementation of the tattooing.     

After that, the chosen "sipatiti" (tattoo artist). Sipatiti not based on the appointment of public office, such as shaman or chieftain, but professional men. Sipatiti expertise that must be paid with a pig. Before the tattoo done, set the first ceremony was led by Sikerei in Puturukat (gallery owned sipatiti).
Body of boy who would tattoo drawn with a stick. Sketches on the body and then pierced with a needle timber. Child's body slowly beaten with wooden sticks to insert dye into the skin layer. Dye used was a mixture of banana leaves and coconut shell charcoal

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