hey say that “imitation is the sincerest form of flattery”. In many cases, this is true. Imitation is important in many cultures. Children learn by imitating their parents. Teens seek acceptance from their peers by imitating fashion trends, choices in music and even linguistic phrases. Even adults will often imitate their mentors to show their respect and admiration. But there are situations when imitation is actually an insult, not flattery. Ta Moko is one of those situations.

Ta Moko is the tapu (sacred) form of family and personal identification among those of Maori whakapapa (genealogy). Genealogy is so important to the Maori people that they know their family history back 2000 years. Moko is the process of carving (cutting deep grooves) and coloring a family history story-telling pattern into the skin of a Maori descendant. It is not limited to facial tattoos, as many mistakenly assume, although it certainly can include partial or full facial patterns.

It is not surprising that members of other civilizations have come to admire the beauty of Ta Moko. Some have even gone to the extent of copying tattoo patterns and language phraseology taken from the Maoritanga (Maori culture). This is a very serious mistake, and one that has members of the Maori culture very upset.

Theft of Identity
Most of us are familiar with the horrors of identity theft. Someone lifts your wallet, and the next thing you know they’re parading around with your name, your credit cards and your reputation. But maybe the thief was just imitating you because they liked you so much! Aaaahhhh……not so flattering now, is it?

Copying a Maori’s Ta Moko is nothing less than identity theft. It’s disgraceful and it’s immoral. The only difference is that the Maori really don’t have any recourse against anyone who is thoughtless enough to rape them of their individuality. Ta Moko is as unique to the wearer as your own fingerprints – how would you feel if someone stole those from you?

In the Words of a Maori
“Kat” is a Maori who shares her views on Ta Moko imitation. “Pakeha (whites) are distinctly known for not asking, [and] for assuming that how they see the world is [how] others do so also…[They] bastardize our spirituality and culture and claim it as theirs…Non-Maori wearing it as a form of body art are generally considered wannabees, fakes and frauds that show not only a disrespect for our culture, but lie about their own. (How can you respect your own family when you wear the family signature of strangers?) Even if non-Maori do it in a ‘respectful’ fashion (according to what their non-Maori values dictate is respectful), this is still rude. There is not, in other words, any sense of it being ‘okay’ for non-Maori to wear Maori Ta Moko.”

Kirituhi – A Possible Alternative
If you are dead set on getting a tattoo that is fashioned in the style of Ta Moko, consider instead kirituhi. Kirituhi is a form of pattern art that looks like Ta Moko, but deliberately does not make any reference to Maori symbolism. Kirituhi literally means “skin art” and the patterns are designed to meet the demands of non-Maori wishing to have similar tattoos.

He Taonga Whakamiharo (Treasures to be Admired)
There are many forms of splendor in the world that we admire from a distance. It is not necessary to kill an animal and display it in your home to enjoy its beauty. Flowers are best appreciated when left alone, rather than picked and allowed to wither and die in a vase. And the sanctity of Maori culture, along with their Ta Moko, is honored most when respected, not imitated.

Haere ra!

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Wow, after reading about all the losers who get stupid crap tattooed on them I really had to write in. I really shouldn’t say that, though, because I have a few tattoos on me that aren’t the most original or meaningful, but I’ve progressed.

OK- I have a total of 5 tattoos. I will recount the stories of them.

When I was younger I never, ever, thought that I would get a tattoo. I thought they were dumb, and only for people who were on a lower level than myself. Then I went to college. After attending the University of Wisconsin Madison for a semester, I wanted a tattoo. Probably to fit in, or feel different. Not really any deep spiritual meaning or needing. I thought for a few months about what I wanted, and came to a decision. I wanted a Phoenix with the word “Invictus” under it. Invictus is Latin for unconquerable. My wife, girlfriend at the time, had gone to a shop that she said was good. The Blue Lotus is very professional and hospital level clean. I went in and the artist who my wife was tattooed by wasn’t there, but I wanted this tattoo today, so I settled for one of the other artists. He told me he couldn’t do the phoenix design I had wanted the size I wanted, so I decided to just go with the lettering. The stencil went on my right shoulder and the process began. About ten minutes later it was over. I had my very first tattoo, small as it may be. I paid the man $50, and was on my merry way. I took immaculate care of it, washing and putting lotion on it.

Now, tattooing had me. I was content with what I had, but I really wanted the phoenix. So about six or seven months later I decided to go in and get it. This time bigger and on my back centered between my shoulder blades. This time I did get the artist my wife had gone to. Rich, is great. Very good attitude and very willing to work with you to get what you want. I only wanted to spend $200 so he sized it accordingly. Later I found out that he made it bigger so that it would look better on my back. This is a true mark of an artist and not a businessman. He was willing to take a hit in his pocket just to make sure that it would look better. This tattoo was considerably more painful than my last ten-minute experience. I took about 2.5 hours. The spine and either side of the spine in the soft tissue are very painful areas. We finished and it looked great. I shook Rich’s hand and knew I would be back.

My next tattoo was a tribal piece. Yes, I like almost every other tattooed human on the planet has a tribal piece. It covered my left shoulder with broad sweeping lines. It was a much more pleasant spot to be tattooed than my back. I really have no good reason for getting this tattoo other than the fact that I liked the way it looked and I wanted to get another tattoo. It cost me $150, and Rich was now my official tattoo artist.

My next tattoo was born of loss and grief. When my grandfather died, I wanted something to remember him and my grandmother who had passed a year before. I told Rich my idea, an angel with wings spread and hands out, standing on a block with my last name and the dates they died. We spent a few hours drawing it up and tweaking it to my satisfaction. It was BIG, about 13 inches tall, six inches across and it was going right below my phoenix. I wasn’t looking forward to another back tattoo, but I was determined to create a lasting memorial to my grandparents. It took about 2 hours and 15 minutes. It was very, very painful. I think your frame of mind has a great deal to do with the amount of pain you feel. I was still upset about my grandparents, and the lower back is even worse than the upper. I have the utmost respect for girls who get tattoos on their lower back. It isn’t a walk in the park. By the end I was almost in tears, but then Rich said he was done. I was g! lad, and was ecstatic when I looked in the mirror. It was amazing. Rich was very pleased with how it came out as well.

So after a rather painful experience I took a bit of a break from getting tattooed, but sooner or latter that tattoo bug bites you again. Now I was getting serious about tattooing, so I wanted a back piece. A back piece is a full back tattoo. I had an idea of what I wanted and how to incorporate the phoenix and the angel into one big piece, so I sat down with Rich. We spent a couple hours one day and the a couple the next and came up with a really cool idea. It already looked like the phoenix was rising out of the angel, so we decided to have a run down, burning city scene down by the angel, and a blast wave of light and color all around the phoenix. A banner over the top with the last two lines of the poem Invictus by William Ernest Henley would frame everything up. “I am the master of my fate, I am the captain of my soul.”

All told I think we spent a total of 25 hours on my back broken up in two or three hour sessions. As far as the pain issue goes, it increases as you go towards the center and down on the back. Also when I became engaged to my wife, half way through the back piece, we got matching tattoos. The phrase “love conquers all” in Latin was tattooed on our left arms right above the shirt line.

This brings us to my current project. I love tattoos, and I hated that no one could see mine. I had a f***ing back piece and no one in my Mechanical Engineering classes could see it. No one on the street knew how important tattooing was to me. So I mad a huge decision, I was going to get a sleeve. (A tattoo piece that covers an entire arm, cuff to shoulder.) I chose my right arm since only lonely Invictus was scrawled on the top of my shoulder. The idea for the tattoo came from the Herbert Draper painting, The Lament for Icarus. Rich made a few changes to it, and we began. The arm is so much less painful than the back. These sessions are much easier than my back piece sessions. So, I’m about 17 hours into my sleeve, and have about 13 more to go.

Here is a summary of what I have learned in my tattooing experiences:

1. Bigger is better. They are not just trying to make more money off of you. The parts of your body are bigger than you think, and putting a one inch by one inch tattoo in the middle of a sea of skin isn’t going to look as good as a nice big image that fills up the space. Also, the artist will be able to add more detail to a large tattoo.

2. It will cost you some money. I’ve spent thousands on my tattoos, but in the long run, they are cheaper than anything else you’ll buy. They last forever!

3. Odds are you’ll want to get another after you’re first. I don’t know why, but everyone I’ve ever talked to says that tattoos are addicting.

4. DON’T GET FLASH. Think of something original and your own. Have a general idea and then have your artist design something for you. They will appreciate it, and then you’ll have something no one in the world has. Make your tattoo have some sort of meaning, not just “I want that one”

5. All the other crap everyone else always says: research your artist, make sure they are sterile, blah blah, after-care, blah blah blah.

So there you have it, a tattoo addicts confession. I hope you have a good experience with tattoos, and I hope you come to love and respect them as much as I do.

-Andrew

Yo, I am a second year university student currently takin’ my B.A. in religion and theology. I am also a certified body piercer and advocate of Christian tattoos. Working in a tattoo shop I have seen first hand the impact sportin’ Christ’s truths through ink on ones body can have in the secular world of the tattoo industry. I have five tattoos myself, all meaningful to me. Each one is a reminder of where I was at spiritually at that point and where God has brought me since then. Besides the fact that I think they are pretty dang rad, they also have been a ministry tool for me. On my neck I have a two nails forming a cross and the reference Galatians 5:1 which states: It is for freedom that Christ has set us free, stand firm then and no longer be burdened by the yoke of slavery. On my ankle I have Psalm 27:1 which says: The Lord is my light and my salvation, whom shall I fear. The Lord is the stronghold of my life, of whom shall I be afraid. On my wrist it have the word “servant” in Hebrew, which is a reminder of how I desire to live my life; humbly and glorifying God.

So often the church sees ink as graffiti on the temple of God; but why not as stained glass beautifully reflecting God’s glory and truth. Some peeps view their tats as a diary of their lives, others as permanent artwork. So often the church focuses on trivial matters that aren’t essential for Christian faith and salvation. We get caught up in appearances rather than building up the body of Christ. God does not judge by external appearances Galatians 2:6. I firmly believe that God uses peeps in all life situations to minister to different types of people. There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but the same God works all of them in all men. 1 Cor 12:4-6. I have witnessed first hand how God used me to be his hands and feet in the underground urban culture. Not just in the tattoo industry but in sk8 boarding and the music scene too. I believe he has called me to be a light to the “misfits” and “freaks” of society and has placed a desire in my heart to do so. He has totally opened doors for me and has blessed me and reaffirmed my passion in this. When I enter eternity I don’t think God will care if I had tattoos in life, or if I had a lot of money or if I was popular or whatever. When I enter eternity I want God to say “well done my good and faithful servant.” Cool well i hope my insight was somewhat helpful. Peace and God bless.

your sizlak in Christ

- Chara

For many years, I’d been telling myself that on my 21st birthday, I’d do something outrageous like… get a tattoo (coming from a conservative chinese family, a tattoo is pretty much considered outrageous). Seems like I couldn’t wait until my 21st birthday and now I am a proud owner of a scorpion zodiac on my lower back at the ripe old age of 20.

On the fateful day, I went to a shop called Inkz in Singapore and met the tattoo artist, Jerry. Since it was my first time, I was quite apprehensive and kept on questioning him about the pain. He was very patient with me and told me the pain was “bearable”. He also warned me that this would not be the last tattoo i would be getting.

The thing for me is that I need a friendly tattoo artist. I’ve walked into shops where the tattoo artists are downright snobby and are pretty impatient if you ask questions (especially those pertaining to pain and price). To ready yourself for a tattoo, make sure your tattoo artist is affable and approachable and is ready to explain everything.

To answer the most widely asked question: DID YOUR TATTOO HURT? I’ve read so many testimonials saying that their outline hurt but the colouring didn’t. Strangely enough, i hardly felt a thing when Jerry outlined but when he coloured, I was wincing underneath my brave facade. The pain is likened to that of a needle being inserted lightly into your skin and dragged from side to side inside your skin. Like Jerry said, it IS bearable, but it’s not the most pleasant sensation in the world.

Warning: Tattoos really are addictive.

So much so that i’m going back for my 2nd one this weekend.

-theknees

Some experiences are good, some are terrible! Either way, if you’ve got a tattoo or piercing, you’ve got a story. Learn through others’ mistakes, and take to heart the good advice given by those that have been there.

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