Black ink Tattoo of Angel with Cross on Arms

Black ink Tattoo of Angel with Cross

Black ink Tattoo of Angel with Cross

FAMOUS TATTOO QUOTES:

"The woman must bear children and the man must be tattooed."
Polynesian Proverb


You may lose your most valuable property through misfortune in various ways. You may lose your house, your wife and other treasures. But of your moko, you cannot be deprived except by death. It will be your ornament and companion until your last day. -- Netana Whakaari of Te Waimana-Kaku, Tuhoe, 1921

A man without tattoos is invisible to the Gods.
~Iban Proverb

I want to get a tattoo of myself on my entire body, only 2" taller.
~Stephen Wright

Animated Tasmanian Devil Taz Tattoo on Arms

Animated Tasmanian Devil Taz Tattoo

Animated Tasmanian Devil Taz Tattoo on Arms

FAMOUS TATTOO QUOTES:

"An everlasting gem that you will take into your grave."
Line from a traditional Polynesian song about tattooing


Richard Leakey - A quote from "Origins Reconsidered - In Search of What Makes Us Human".
"Each society weaves its own culture, a complex fabric of many elements, each element giving special meaning to the others. It is often difficult for someone from outside a particular culture to understand the fabric as an entity. Differences in language, in values, and in mythology create barriers to understanding. Pluck a single thread from the fabric, and the foreigner is even less likely to comprehend its significance. The painted, engraved, and carved images of prehistory are threads from past cultures, and we are the foreigners trying to interpret their meaning. Perhaps more than anything else, art can be fully understood only in the context of the culture that produced it."

Black and Grey Cherub Angel Tattoo on Arms

Black and Grey Cherub Angel Tattoo on Arms

Black and Grey Cherub Angel Tattoo on Arms

FAMOUS TATTOO QUOTES:

Tattoos are like stories - they're symbolic of the important moments in your life. Sitting down, talking about where you got each tattoo and what it symbolizes, is really beautiful.
~Pamela Anderson


I think I have enough tattoos for now. If I get any others, I'll probably do my kids initials.
~Niki Taylor

The universality of tattooing is a curious subject for speculation.
~James Cook, 1779


May I be forever grateful that at times, I did not receive that which I truly deserved.

Kollywood Actor Vijay Dragon Tattoo on Arms - Tamil Movie Sura

Actor Vijay Tattoos

Vijay Tattoos - Dragon Tattoo on Arms

Kollywood Actor Vijay Dragon Tattoo on Arms - Tamil Movie Sura

RANDOM TATTOO QUOTES:

There is no perfect beauty that hath not strangeness in the proportion. ----Sir Francis Bacon - London, 1639


Tattoos aren't meant for everybody and they're too goddamn good for some people. ---Lyle Tuttle, tattoo artist, author, and lecturer.

Tattoo the pristine flesh
What is permanent anyway?
This ink only lasts 'til the grave,
Skin and ideas decompose
That which we did compose. ----Corri Alius


Your body is a temple, but how long can you live in the same house before you redecorate? -- Author Unknown

Death could come at any time, Angelina Jolie says. The tattoo is a strong reminder to live fully in the moment and never have regrets. (About her first tattoo of the Japanese Kanji for Death) I didn't get the tattoo for the dark reason everyone thinks.


The perfect tattoo... the one I believe we are all struggling toward... is the one that turned the jackass into a zebra. Cliff Raven

Interesting Tattoo Ideas:
Realistic 3D Black Widow Spider Tattoo
Dog Tattoo With Crown - Loyalty Comes Free
Carpe Diem Ambigram Tattoo Design
Biomechanical Alien Tattoo Design on Hand
Anchor Birds and Waves Tattoo Design on Sidebody
Black ink Tattoo of Angel with Cross
Animated Tasmanian Devil Taz Tattoo on Arms
Jungle Animals back Tattoo Designs
Armband tattoo of Musical Notes and Guitar
Asian Style Koi Fish Tattoo Design on back
Aztec Style Sun Symbol Tattoo Design
Barbed Wire Legband Tattoo Design
Evil Teddy Bear Tattoo
Motorcycle racing Biker Tattoo Design on back
Biomechanical Armsleeves Tattoo Design
Black and Grey Flower Tattoo Design for Girls Sidebody tattoo
Bull Rider Tattoo Design on Leg
Ladybug Flowers and Leaf Tattoo on Foot
Car Tattoo Design - Hot Wheels
Cute Black Ink Cat Tattoo
Grim Reaper Death Tattoo on Back - The weak shall inherit nothing
 Monster Demon Head Tattoo with Flames
Full Color Dragonfly and Flower Tattoo Design
Tattoo of Dagger Stabbing a Heart
Heart and Crown Tattoo Design on Wrist
Crazy Clown Tattoo Design with Money Tattoo
Chinese Character for Love - Neck Tattoo Design
Four Leaf Clover Tattoo with Celtic Design
Black and Grey Cherub Angel Tattoo on Arms
Bow and Cherry Tattoo on back of Neck
Beautiful Celtic Deer Tattoo Design

Bollywood Actress Katrina Kaif Temporary Tattoos

Bollywood Actress Katrina Kaif Temporary Tattoos

Bollywood Actress Katrina Kaif Temporary Tattoos

Bollywood Actress Katrina Kaif Temporary Tattoos on chest and Arms

 RANDOM TATTOO QUOTES:

Tattoos tell stories of crime and passion, punishment and regret. They express an outlaw, antiauthoritarian point of view and communicate a romantic solidarity among society's outcasts.
---DOUGLAS KENT HALL, Prison Tattoos


Tattoos are like stories -- they're symbolic of the important moments in your life. ----PAMELA ANDERSON

 The perfect tattoo... the one I believe we are all struggling toward... is the one that turned the jackass into a zebra. ----Raven, Cliff


My body is a journal in a way. It's like what sailors used to do, where every tattoo meant something, a specific time in your life when you make a mark on yourself, whether you do it yourself with a knife or with a professional tattoo artist. ---- Johnny Depp

 I got my first tattoo, a Playboy Bunny, because I was young, dumb and drunk...
~Anna Nicole Smith


The universality of tattooing is a curious subject for speculation.
~Captain James Cook - 1779

Cross with Feathers Arm tattoo Design

Cool Cross Tattoo Design

Cross with Feathers Arm tattoo Design

Cross with Feathers Arm tattoo Design

 RANDOM TATTOO QUOTES:

Show me a man with a tattoo and I'll show you a man with an interesting past. ~Jack London


Pain nourishes courage. You can’t be brave if you’ve only had wonderful things happen to you.

Tattoos are like stories - they're symbolic of the important moments in your life. Sitting down, talking about where you got each tattoo and what it symbolizes, is really beautiful. ----Pamela Anderson

 Usually all my tattoos came at good times. A tattoo is something permanent when you've made a self-discovery, or something you've come to a conclusion about. - Angelina Jolie – 2003


There is no better remedy for love than to love more.


Quirky is sexy, like scars or chipped teeth. I also like tattoos - they're rebellious. Jennifer Aniston

 People have asked me, what about your tattoos when you're ninety? Why would it bother me then? I would still want to get tattooed even when I'm a grandmother.
~Nicole Miller, noted fashion designer


Everybody gets the tattoo they deserve. (actor David Duchovny, who has a tattoo of a compass on his ankle, [with N, S, E, West, his daughter's name] as Fox Mulder on the X-Files, a show Thomas Lockhart worked on in the famous Tattoo episode)

Tribal Tattoos on Arms and Shoulder

Cool Tribal Tattoo Designs

Tribal Tattoos on Arms and Shoulder

Tribal Tattoos on Arms and Shoulder

 RANDOM TATTOO QUOTES:

For, you see,' said the Illustrated Man, 'These Illustrations predict the future. -----Ray Bradbury, The Illustrated Man


Beauty is skin deep. A tattoo goes all the way to the bone. -- Author Unknown

 On the chest of a barmaid in Sale - Were tattooed the prices of ale.


The world is divided into two kinds of people:  those who have tattoos, and those who are afraid of people with tattoos.  ~Author Unknown

Bejeweled Cross tattoo design

Cool Cross Tattoos

Bejeweled Cross tattoo design

Bejeweled Cross tattoo design - Religious Tatoos

 RANDOM TATTOO QUOTES:

Show me a man with a tattoo and I'll show you a man with an interesting past.  ~Jack London


Women, don't get a tattoo.  That butterfly looks great on your breast when you're twenty or thirty, but when you get to seventy, it stretches into a condor.  ~Billy Elmer

 You may lose your most valuable property through misfortune in various ways.  You may lose your house, your wife and other treasures.  But of your moko, you cannot be deprived except by death.  It will be your ornament and companion until your last day.  ~Netana Whakaari of Waimana


I always look for a woman who has a tattoo.  I see a woman with a tattoo, and I'm thinking, okay, here's a gal who's capable of making a decision she'll regret in the future.  ~Richard Jeni

Upper Arm Dragon Tattoo Design

Cool Dragon Tattoos

Upper Arm Dragon Tattoo Design

Upper Arm Dragon Tattoo Design

 FAMOUS TATTOO QUOTES:

"It's only his outside; a man can be honest in any sort of skin."
- Herman Melville -- Moby-Dick


Everybody wants to see the pictures, and yet nobody wants to see them.
Ray Bradbury -- The Illustrated Man

 "But to become a freak one needs a strong character and unusual determination."
George Burchett - Memoirs of a Tattooist, 1956


Traditionally, body art has served to attract the opposite sex, boost self-esteem, ward off or invoke spirits, indicate social position or marital status, identify with a particular age or gender group or mark a rite of passage, such as puberty or marriage. It's this sort of strictly prescribed, highly ritualistic decoration that Carol Beckwith and Angela Fisher depict in their book, African Ceremonies. "We've tried to show how body art is relevant to every stage of development, from birth to death," says Angela Fisher.

Asian Style Geisha Girl Arm Tattoo Design

Asian Geisha Girl Tattoo Picture

Cross Tattoo design with wings and heart

Cross Tattoo design with wings and heart

 RANDOM TATTOO QUOTES:

Love the life you live, don't live the life you love. -"Chicago"


The universality of tattooing is a curious subject for speculation. ~James Cook, 1779


May I be forever grateful that at times, I did not receive that which I truly deserved.

 It’s only his outside; a man can be honest in any sort of skin. ----- Herman Melville -- Moby-Dick

Tattoos can denote the transition from childhood to young adulthood. It can denote the transition to reproductive availability or the transition from adolescent to warrior. ANTHONY NAPOLEON

To many people dramatic criticism must seem like an attempt to tattoo soap bubbles.
- John Mason Brown

Beautiful Angel Tattoo Design For Arms

Angel Tatttoo on Guys Arm Picture

Beautiful Angel Tattoo Design For Arms

Beautiful Angel Tattoo Design For Arms

 RANDOM TATTOO QUOTES:

Not one great country can be named, from the polar regions in the north to New Zealand in the south, in which the aborigines do not tattoo themselves. ----– Charles Darwin, The Descent of Man, 1871


I think I have enough tattoos for now. If I get any others, I'll probably do my kids initials. ---- Niki Taylor


You think it, I ink it. ~Saying of tattooists

 Show me a man with a tattoo and I'll show you a man with an interesting past. ~Jack London


Pain nourishes courage. You can’t be brave if you’ve only had wonderful things happen to you.

Tattoos are like stories - they're symbolic of the important moments in your life. Sitting down, talking about where you got each tattoo and what it symbolizes, is really beautiful. ----Pamela Anderson

Cross Tattoo Design 1

Cross Tattoo Design

Cross Tattoo Design

Cross Tattoo Designs, Cross Tattoo Pictures, Side body Cross tattoo, Arm Cross Tattoo, Cross tattoo with Wings, Cross tattoo with Snake Design,

 RANDOM TATTOO QUOTES:

For westerners, the tattoo has always been a metaphor of difference.  ~Margo DeMello, Bodies of Inscription: A Cultural History of the Modern Tattoo Community, 2000


There is no "underground" community, no dark den of drunken sailors initiating themselves into manhood via cheap, ill-conceived exercises in bodily perforation; it's just a group of people who delight in using their bodies as billboards. ~Joanne McCubrey, "Walking Art: Tattoos," Mountain Democrat Weekend magazine, 9 February 1990

 Show me a man with a tattoo and I'll show you a man with an interesting past.  ~Jack London


Women, don't get a tattoo.  That butterfly looks great on your breast when you're twenty or thirty, but when you get to seventy, it stretches into a condor.  ~Billy Elmer

Mideon Tattoos - WWE Superstar tattoo Designs

Mideon Tattoos - WWE Superstar tattoo Designs

Mideon Tattoos - WWE Superstar tattoo Designs

Mideon Arm Sleeves Tattoo Design

Mideon Arm Sleeves Tattoo Design

Mideon Arm tattoo Design

WWE Superstar Mideon has many tattoos on his arms

Pictures of WWF wrestler Mideon's tattoos

Pictures of WWF wrestler Mideon's tattoos

Mideon Tattoos

Mideon Tattoos

WWF wrestling superstar Mideon shows some of his tattoos

WWF wrestling superstar Mideon shows some of his tattoos

Mideon Tattoo Design

Mideon discussing the meaning behind some of his tattoos. The tattoo he is pointing to is of Doc Hollyday with the quote "I'm your huckleberry"

WWE Superstar Mideon Tattoos

Mideon showing his large rebel flag "Southern Justice" tattoo on his right forearm

 RANDOM TATTOO QUOTES:

You may lose your most valuable property through misfortune in various ways.  You may lose your house, your wife and other treasures.  But of your moko, you cannot be deprived except by death.  It will be your ornament and companion until your last day.  ~Netana Whakaari of Waimana


I always look for a woman who has a tattoo.  I see a woman with a tattoo, and I'm thinking, okay, here's a gal who's capable of making a decision she'll regret in the future.  ~Richard Jeni

 For someone who likes tattoos, the most precious thing is bare skin.  ~Cher


Ink to paper is thoughtful
Ink to flesh, hard-core.
If Shakespeare were a tattooist
We'd appreciate body art more.
~Carrie Latet


A man without tattoos is invisible to the Gods.  ~Iban Proverb,

Bam Bam Bigelow Tattoos - WWE Superstars Tattoo Design

Bam Bam Bigelow Tattoos - WWE Superstars Tattoo Design

Bam Bam Bigelow Tattoos - WWE Superstars Tattoo Design

Bam Bam Bigelow, the heavyweight wrestler with the flame tattooed head, had a professional wrestling career that spanned over two decades. Bigelow gained notoriety in the ring for his strong work ethic, enormous size, and incredible agility.

Fast Facts:

1. Real Name: Scott Charles Bigelow
2. Also known as: The Beast from the East
3. Born: September 1, 1961
4. Height and Weight: 6'3" 325 lbs
5. Wrestling debut: August 23, 1985
6. Finishing move: Flying headbutt off top rope
7. Deceased: January 19, 2007
8. Cause of Death: Lethal dose of cocaine and benzodiazepine.


Wrestling Debut
After training with Larry Sharpe in the early 1980s, Bigelow made his wrestling debut in Memphis, Tennessee in 1985. Although he had a brief stint with the WWE (then known as the WWF) in 1987, he spent most of his early years in Japan, wrestling with New Japan Pro Wrestling.

WWE
When he returned to the WWE in 1992, he took Luna Vachon on as his manager (and love interest) and started feuds with Doink the Clown, Tatanka (whom he later teamed up with) and his most famous rival, NFL's Lawrence Taylor. The rivalry with Taylor culminated in a match at WrestleMania XI that remains the most talked about fight of Bigelow's career.

ECW and WCW
Bigelow left the WWE in 1995 and spent his later years performing with ECW and WCW. He formed the Triple Threat with Shane Douglas and Chris Candido, and the powerful trio won a series of victories, disbanding and reforming through the late 1990s. Bigelow also won the ECW World Heavyweight Championship and the ECW World Television Championship, and in 2003, Pro Wrestling Illustrated ranked him number 68 of the top 500 singles wrestlers.

Retirement
Bam Bam Bigelow officially retired from wrestling in 2004, although his last match wasn't until November of 2006. After retirement he suffered a series of misfortunes in his personal life including a divorce, an arrest, and a near fatal motorcycle accident, which he said left him with a new appreciation of life. He died of a drug overdose on January 19, 2007.

Bam Bam Bigelow Tattoos

Bam Bam Bigelow Tattoos

Bam Bam Bigelow Tattoos

Bam Bam Bigelow Tattoos (source)

 RANDOM TATTOO QUOTES:

Good tattoos aren't cheap and cheap tattoos aren't good.  ~Author Unknown


You think it, I ink it.  ~Saying of tattooists


Tattoo.  What a loaded word it is, rife with associations to goons, goofs, bikers, tribal warriors, carnival artists, drunken sailors and floozies. ~Jon Anderson, "Epidermal Dalis," Chicago Tribune, 6 October 1994

The Rock Tattoos, Dwayne Johnson Tattoos - WWE Superstars Tattoo Design

The Rock Tattoos, Dwayne Johnson Tattoos - WWE Superstars Tattoo Design

The Rock Tattoos

WWE Superstar The Rock Tattoos

Dwayne Johnson Tattoos

The Rock Tattoos, Dwayne Johnson Tattoos - WWE Superstars Tattoo Design

Dwayne Johnson Tattoos

Dwayne Johnson Tattoos

Dwayne Johnson's Maori style warrior tattoo

Dwayne Johnson's Maori style warrior tattoo

The Rock a.k.a. Dwayne Johnson's Maori style tattoo

The Rock a.k.a. Dwayne Johnson's Maori style tattoo

The Rock Tattoos, Dwayne Johnson Tattoos

The Rock Tattoos, Dwayne Johnson Tattoos

The Rock a.k.a. Dwayne Johnson's Maori style tattoo

WWE Superstar The Rock, The Rock Tattoos, Rock Bull Tattoo, Rock Arm Tattoo Design, WWE RAW, WWE Smackdown, The Rock a.k.a. Dwayne Johnson's Maori style tattoo,

 RANDOM TATTOO QUOTES:

Inking without a plan gives Booth freedom to explore the desires of those seated in his chair, he says, to feed off their energy, allowing his clients' demons to help guide the needle.  ~Joshua Lipton, about tattoo artist Paul Booth, "Bad Skin," Rolling Stone, 28 March 2002


Primitive tribes were certainly convinced that the spirit, having escaped from the body at death, retained a replica of its earthly tenement.  They therefore used tattoo marks as a means of identification in the next world and a passport to future happiness.  ~Ronald Scutt

 Beauty is skin deep.  A tattoo goes all the way to the bone.  ~Vince Hemingson


Tattooing is about personalizing the body, making it a true home and fit temple for the spirit that dwells inside it.... Tattooing therefore, is a way of keeping the spiritual and material needs of my body in balance.  ~Michelle Delio

Dave Batista Tattoos - WWE Superstar Tattoo Design

Dave Batista Tattoos - WWE Superstar Tattoo Design

Batista Back Tattoo Design

Picture of WWE superstar Dave Batista showing his awesome back and arm tattoos

Batista Arm Tattoo Designs

Dave Batista pictured here showing off some of his tattoos

WWE Superstar Dave Batista Tattoo Flag Tattoos

Close up of WWE wrestler Batista tattoo on his left shoulder. Batista's tattoo is of a Puerto Rican and Greek flag in honor of his heritage

WWE Batista Tribal Sun Tattoo - Belly Button Tattoo

WWE Batista Tribal Sun Tattoo - Belly Button Tattoo

WWE Wrestler Batista Showing off his Tattoos

WWE Wrestler Batista Showing off his Tattoos

Batista Left Arm Tattoo Designs

WWE Superstar Dave Batista 'The Animal'

wwe superstar dave batista tattoos

WWE Superstar Dave Batista, Batista Tattoo Pictures, Batista Back Tattoo Designs, Batista Arm tattoos, Batista Belly Button Tribal Sun Tattoo Design, WWE Raw, WWE Smackdown, Wrestler,

 FAMOUS TATTOO QUOTES:

Tattoos are like marriage:  it's a lifelong commitment, it hurts like hell, and the color fades over time.  ~The Quote Garden


We are all tattooed in our cradles with the beliefs of our tribe; the record may seem superficial, but it is indelible.  ~Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr., The Poet at the Breakfast Table, 1872

 Think before you ink!  ~Author Unknown


Your necklace may break, the fau tree may burst, but my tattooing is indestructible.  It is an everlasting gem that you will take into your grave.  ~Verse from a traditional tattoo artist's song, as quoted on pbs.org, "Skin Stories: The Art and Culture of Polynesian Tattoo," 2003

Cross Tattoo Design

Cross Tattoo Design Collection

Cross Tattoo Design

Cross Tattoo Designs picture collection

 FAMOUS TATTOO QUOTES:

The perfect tattoo... the one I believe we are all struggling toward... is the one that turned the jackass into a zebra.  ~Cliff Raven


The universality of tattooing is a curious subject for speculation.  ~James Cook, 1779

 Not one great country can be named, from the polar regions in the north to New Zealand in the south, in which the aborigines do not tattoo themselves.  ~Charles Darwin, The Descent of Man


When the designs are chosen with care, tattoos have a power and magic all their own.  They decorate the body but they also enhance the soul.  ~Michelle Delio

INTERESTING TATTOO IDEAS:
Realistic 3D Black Widow Spider Tattoo
Dog Tattoo With Crown - Loyalty Comes Free
Carpe Diem Ambigram Tattoo Design
Biomechanical Alien Tattoo Design on Hand
Anchor Birds and Waves Tattoo Design on Sidebody
Black ink Tattoo of Angel with Cross
Animated Tasmanian Devil Taz Tattoo on Arms
Jungle Animals back Tattoo Designs
Armband tattoo of Musical Notes and Guitar
Asian Style Koi Fish Tattoo Design on back
Aztec Style Sun Symbol Tattoo Design
Barbed Wire Legband Tattoo Design
Evil Teddy Bear Tattoo
Motorcycle racing Biker Tattoo Design on back
Biomechanical Armsleeves Tattoo Design
Black and Grey Flower Tattoo Design for Girls Sidebody tattoo
Bull Rider Tattoo Design on Leg
Ladybug Flowers and Leaf Tattoo on Foot
Car Tattoo Design - Hot Wheels
Cute Black Ink Cat Tattoo
Grim Reaper Death Tattoo on Back - The weak shall inherit nothing
 Monster Demon Head Tattoo with Flames
Full Color Dragonfly and Flower Tattoo Design
Tattoo of Dagger Stabbing a Heart
Heart and Crown Tattoo Design on Wrist
Crazy Clown Tattoo Design with Money Tattoo
Chinese Character for Love - Neck Tattoo Design
Four Leaf Clover Tattoo with Celtic Design
Black and Grey Cherub Angel Tattoo on Arms
Bow and Cherry Tattoo on back of Neck
Beautiful Celtic Deer Tattoo Design

Australian Bowler Mitchell Johnson Tattoos

Australian Bowler Mitchell Johnson Tattoos

Australian Cricket Player Mitchell Johnson Tattoos

mitchell johnson, andrew symonds, shane watson

Australian Cricket Player Mitchell Johnson Tattoos

Australian Cricket Player Mitchell Johnson Tattoos

Australian Cricket Player Mitchell Johnson Tattoos

Australian Cricket Player Mitchell Johnson Tattoos

Australian Cricket Player Mitchell Johnson Tattoos

Australian Cricket Player Mitchell Johnson Tattoos

Australian Cricket Player Mitchell Johnson Tattoos

 FAMOUS TATTOO QUOTES:

Quirky is sexy, like scars or chipped teeth.  I also like tattoos - they're rebellious.  ~Jennifer Aniston


A genuine tattoo.... tells a story.  I like stories and tattoos, no matter how well done, and if they don't tell a story that involves you emotionally, then they're just there for decoration, then they're not a valid tattoo.  There has to be some emotional appeal or they're not, to my way of thinking, a real tattoo.  It tells people what you are and what you believe in, so there's no mistakes.  ~Leo, tattooist, 1993, quoted in Margo DeMello, Bodies of Inscription, 2000

 Show me a man with a tattoo and I'll show you a man with an interesting past. Jack London - 1883


"As for the primitive, I hark back to it because we are still very primitive. How many thousands of years of culture, think you, have rubbed and polished at our raw edges? One probably; at the best, no more than two. And that takes us back to screaming savagery, when, gross of body and deed, we drank blood from the skulls of our enemies, and hailed as highest paradise the orgies and carnage of Valhalla." - JACK LONDON

Brock Lesnar Tattoos

Brock Lesnar Tattoos

Brock Lesnar Tattoos

Brock Lesnar Tattoos

Brock Lesnar Tattoos

Brock Lesnar Tattoos

Brock Lesnar Tattoos

Brock Lesnar Tattoos

Brock Lesnar Tattoos

Brock Lesnar Tattoos

 FAMOUS TATTOO QUOTES:

"The universality of tattooing is a curious subject for speculation"
Captain James Cook - 1779


"With the Haidas, however, every mark has its meaning ?" - James Swan, Tattoo Marks of the Haida, 1878.

 "Not one great country can be named, from the polar regions in the north to New Zealand in the south, in which the aborigines do not tattoo themselves." Charles Darwin, The Descent of Man, 1871


In Tahiti, not all Europeans responded with the enthusiasm that had been exhibited by the British Admiralty's Captain James Cook, his Science Officer and Botanist, Sir Joseph Banks - who received a traditional Polynesian tattoo - and dozens of the ordinary sailors and seamen aboard Cook's ships. Missionaries who arrived in Tahiti at the end of the 18th century, turned tattooing from a standard practice into an embarrassing and punishable act of Paganism. King Pomare II was converted to Christianity in 1812 and he immediately put force behind a severe, regulated code that had been laid out by the missionaries. The death certificate for traditional tattoos was essentially signed in 1823 with the passage in the code that stated: "No one shall be tattooed and this practice should be completely abolished. This is an old and bad habit. Men or women who get tattooed will be judged and punished... The punishment for men will be work on ten measures of road for the first tattoo and 20 measures for the second tattoo... The punishment for women will be to make two big coats; one for the king and the other for the governor."