Wrestler The Rock Polynesian Tattoos Revealed at Last!

Dwayne, more popularly called “The Rock” Johnson, began his stint as a pro wrestler, after which he entered the screen as a professional actor wearing the rock Polynesian tattoo.  The Rock followed the footsteps of his ancestors as the 3rd generation in the family of professional wrestlers, and also in having tattoos.

His 1st tattoo had a bull head image etched on his right arm that signifies the Taurus zodiac sign.  This tattoo is a popular Longhorn steer with a plain outline of the bull where its eyes are colored red.  Tattooed on his shoulder and left arm are images that have a personal story.  He has a traditional Samoan large tattoo created by a Hawaiian artist.

The rock Polynesian tattoo includes traditional tribal symbols and patterns that symbolize Johnson’s history of life, his family tree and their spirit mentors.  This tattoo is an extensive one that is done in a half sleeve wrap around the upper portion of his arm, extending to the shoulder and reaching his chest.  Later, he had this tat design extended in front, incorporating a warrior image placed on his heart.

The Rock has never informed the public if his tattoo was created with the use of traditional tools, but he revealed that it took 3 sessions and 60 hours to complete his freestyle tattoo, according to his interview with Playboy magazine.  In making this tat, no skin markings or stencils were utilized prior to engraving the tat design.  This tat was fully created in a freehand style.

However, he gave some explanations in his own words about the rock Polynesian tattoo that he has on his body during an interview with him as you can read below.  Johnson said that the coconut leaves called “niu”, represent the chief warrior of Samoa.  He explained further that the sun image that he has brings good luck to the wearer.

The 3 people combined into one refer to the “isa/ga fa’atasi” portraying himself with his arms open.  According to Johnson, the tat which is extended on his chest connects to his family or “o lo’u to’a/ua” that includes his wife named Dany, and his “o lo’u afafine” or daughter named Simone Alexandra.

The design of the swirls in a descending profile that you can see in the rock Polynesian tattoo signifies the present, past and future, with the image of the future becoming enlarged.  He also possesses a tat design having 2 eyes, called “o mata e lua” representing his ancestors who are constantly watching his actions and ways.

Johnson considers this image as the “Great Eye” which is a symbol that provides its wearer to have the ability to acquire his enemy’s spirit.  The eye symbol is used to deter the enemy from winning the battle.  Other designs that Johnson has include a broken face with the teeth of shark symbolizing strength that serves as protector of his spirit, and a symbolism of all his struggles.

Another one included in the rock Polynesian tattoos is the image of a priest as his spirit guide, and a tortoise shell that protects him from evil spirits.

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Because of the violent practices of early European colonizers in New Zealand, the popularity of Maori tat designs have declined tremendously, and have almost been forgotten.  The faces of Maoris bearing intricate and beautiful tat designs prompted businessmen and collectors to collect heads of dead Maoris to serve as collector’s items.

However, a great number of Maoris were killed to get their valuable heads.  Shoulder Maori tattoo designs are now the “apple of the eyes” of many tat enthusiasts because aside from being fashionable, they have fluid patterns that are good-looking for many people.  Because of the frequent use of bold lines in black and gray colors, Maori themes can be easily distinguished from other tats.

One thing good with Maori tat on shoulder is that almost anybody can wear it regardless of age, gender or class in the society.  You don’t have to worry whether the joints of your shoulder are small or big; so long as the patterns are perfectly made, then, this tattoo can fit that area.  There’s no need to perform a grueling exercise in the gym just to trim your shoulders for the tattoo.

However, selecting great designs of Maori tattoo shoulder may not be so easy to do.  You should not decide at an instant to embed this kind of tattoo because otherwise, you may end-up having a rubbish artwork for your body.  If you want to make a perfect choice for your tat, it is advisable for you to search it on the web.

This is the best place where you can find great selections of Maori tats for you to choose from at your convenient place and time.  Browsing through the tat brochures presented to you by your favorite tat artist in a local parlor may not be a perfect thing to do apart from being uncomfortable.  Several tat artists will be gazing at you trying to sell their latest designs of Maori tats that are not authentic.

The fact is that many people across the globe are also searching the same Maori tattoo shoulder designs on the web just like what you’re doing.  So, in the long-run, the design that you have in mind which you thought will be unique will come out to be common.

The best thing for you to do is to pick some Maori tattoo shoulder designs that you want from a couple of reputable tattoo websites that have a bulletin board on users having a picture uploader feature to enable you to pick-up some valuable comments from postings of other tat enthusiasts.

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These bone fragments are then engraved on the skin of natives creating a rough appearance of the tattoos as compared to the smooth surface of finished tattoos that you can see nowadays.  The bone of the albatross was attached to a handle and pierced on the skin with the use of a mallet.

To create a darker facial color for the Maori tattoo designs, drops of “awheto” or body coloring was combined with burnt timbers called “ngarehu” by the tattoo gurus.  Before the coming of the Europeans, a lot of people with higher ranks obtained their tat designs, and whoever refused to get tattooed were looked down with bad social reputation.

The tattooing process was done with sacred rites and rituals usually during the transition from adolescence to adulthood.  Many bachelors preferred to get this kind of tattoo to be more appealing and attractive to the opposite sex.  During those times, tattoos were embedded on the upper thighs, buttocks, as well as faces of men.  In the case of women, they had their tats usually on the lips and chins.

There were also some women who embedded Maori tattoo designs on their necks and thighs, and for both genders, tats were inked on the calves and bellies.  These Maori designs that were commonly composed of spirals conveyed a kind of tribal or ancestral message to the user.

The kinds of messages that were written on their skins commonly relayed a kind of information regarding their family affiliation or the tribe where they belong, their standing in the community and their social rank or position.  Those messages were meant to portray their importance in the community and their social reputation.

A lot of Maori people were born and raised in small villages called “hapu”, and the “ta moko” Maori tattoo designs etched on their skins were something to show their level of social recognition in the tribe where they belong.  The marks of Maori tat designs also signify whether a high-ranking member of the tribe was performing his public duty by means of active involvement in the community or by “blood”.

The use of “blood” here means participation in battles, and the tat designs were also meant to associate the status of the person according to inheritance or by virtue of accreditation.  In the early 90s, a lot of people craved for Maori tattoos indicating the revival of its popularity.

One thing amazing about these people is that they preferred to perform it through the traditional way of using chisels than using the modern technique with a needle.  The latest revival of the Maori tattoo designs, and the practice of utilizing these tat designs by non-Maoris raise the question of whether these modern people were respecting the Maori culture or just exploiting their heritage.

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During the olden days, the process of tattooing in Hawaii was crude compared to the current modern standards.  Just like other cultures in ancient history, Hawaiian tats were engraved on the skin with the use of traditional tools like needles, bird’s beaks, claws and fish bones.  Based on findings, the Hawaiians seemed to have performed multiple piercing on the skins of the natives with only a single blow.

The basis for this assumption regarding the Hawaiian tattoo history is the fact that several tat piercing components in ancient history that were discovered had split tips found at the end, or possessed a number of needles grouped into only one handle.  During those times, tattooing was not restricted on who could get tats exclusively on the basis of gender, social standing, age, etc.

However, it seemed that the more a person had tats on his or her body, the more wealth is possessed by that particular individual.  This means that many tats possessed on the body depicts the kind of status that a person had in the community.  While Hawaiian tats became so popular to the natives of Hawaii, people across the globe are now trying to catch-up with the trend.

Based on Hawaiian tattoo history, the popularity of multi-colored Hawaiian tats has been known throughout ages, and they are now in great demand around the world; not only to people who possess an island heritage.  Apart from the exceptional beauty that these Hawaiian tats exude, they are also special due to several reasons.

First, they represent deep meanings for expressing one’s self.  People who are wearing Hawaiian tats are having their hopes and thoughts on the designs that are shown on their bodies, literally.  These tats are usually viewed as a form of distinguishing a social order, a rite for passage, and to celebrate something.

However, the systems utilized in creating Hawaiian tats based on Hawaiian tattoo history have already changed.  Before, the traditional tats were pierced on the skin using inks from natural extracts, and involved the use of natural tools like fish bones and bird’s beaks.

Today, Hawaiian tats may cover a bigger area of your body which was not practiced in the past.  Because of European influence in designs, what you see today with modern Hawaiian tats may be far from the original tattoos that existed about 50 years ago.  Good examples are the traditional placement areas on the bodies of women such as the lips, ears, arms, feet and hands.

But nowadays, it is very rare for you to see a lady having a kind of tat pierced on her lips.  As far as Hawaiian tattoo history is concerned, facial process of tattooing was a traditional practice in Hawaii, and it was common to see both genders tattooed all over their faces.

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For example, if you were knowledgeable in the history of Maori being an elder in the Maori circle, and somebody asked you to identify a particular tat design presented to you, then, you could easily distinguish the design, and trace the family background.  This is just like you’re using a computer to look for a particular ancestry.

However, there is a usual misunderstanding about the Maori tattoo designs and meanings.  Many people think that Maori tats were only seen on faces of the natives.  The fact is that these tats were also engraved on the bodies of people to signify their rankings in the community.

Nowadays, you can see a lot of Westerners wearing these tats as a means of promoting Maori culture.  The problem is that this is viewed as a kind of stealing the honor of the Maori culture and tradition.  In fact, a person should not attempt to mimic anything from the “Maoritanga” through having tat designs that are identified with a Maori family.

It is advisable for you to have an idea about Maori tattoo designs and meanings first before you decide to embed them on your body to avoid insulting anyone with Maori ancestry.  You will be stepping on their heads if you have the habit of going out and copying all Maori designs that you see on the streets.

If you want to know how the Maoris look at other cultures copying their original Maori designs, here is brief information about it.  When Maoris see a person mimicking their own culture without first asking their permission, they view it as something that deteriorates their culture.  They believe that modernizing their tat designs is a way of stealing their sacred heritage.

They fear that eventually, when their original body arts have been transformed into modern ones, the greatness and sacredness of Maori tattoo designs and meanings would fade away, and nothing would be left for them to treasure.  This is the reason why many contemporary tat artists and tat lovers looking for a unique tribal design usually browse them over and create their own tat designs.

In this complicated world where people tend to lose their initiative to reinvent things especially in the form of tattoos, mimicking the traditional identities of some sacred cultures should not be done especially in the case of Maori tats.  If you really like to have a Maori tat design embedded on your skin, then, you should first have a thorough knowledge of the Maori Tat Art lingo.

Remember that in your attempt to have this kind of tat on your body, you should be aware of certain unique terms and phrases in Maori tattoo designs and meanings so that you would be able to use them properly.

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Traditional Hawaiian Tattoo Designs Portraying the Beauty and Serenity of Hawaii…

Traditional Hawaiian tattoo designs are known for having images of tall palm trees, beautiful flowers, and the peaceful serenity of the ocean surrounding 7 islands of Hawaii.  In order to enjoy the beautiful scenery of this paradise permanently, many people prefer to embed the traditional Hawaiian tats for purposes of their heritage, or as a lasting memory of a perfect vacation in those islands.

Basically, Hawaiian tats portray the world-famous culture of Hawaii. Just like in other Polynesian cultures, ancient tat designs are attractive with curvilinear shapes and simple lines.  Many of them possess maps of travels engraved onto the skin commonly found on the leg to symbolize an adventurous voyage.

These traditional Hawaiian tattoo designs were also embedded on the skin to indicate the difference between the sectors of the society. The more tattoos a person had on his body, the greater was his standing in the community.  You may not be aware of this, but long ago, a King ruled Hawaii.  An honorable constituent of the Hawaiian royalty usually exhibited that pride through wearing a great number of tattoos on his body.

If you want to embed traditional Hawaiian tattoo designs on your skin permanently, make sure that you have studied it carefully before you decide to pursue with it.  When getting a tat that you want to represent any culture, you should conduct a thorough research first.  Remember that you’ll be wearing your tat for the rest of your life.

Therefore, if you don’t want to undergo an extremely painful and expensive procedure in tat removal, you should select a perfect tattoo that will meet your taste and standards.  Otherwise, you’ll have to live with it in your entire life looking at a wrong decision that you have committed in selecting your tattoo.

Traditional Hawaiian tattoo designs are those that symbolize the paradise found in the 7 islands of Hawaii.  Each island may be different with each other as far as shapes and sizes are concerned, as well as their overall attractions.  The similarity of each island lies in the beautiful scenery of the environment and the ravishing waves of the ocean ultimately crashing to the shore.

This beauty is further enhanced by the presence of tall palm trees swaying slightly with the wind, while the brilliant rays of the sun shines vividly over the water.  The tattoo design is made more attractive with the inclusion of surfers enjoying their ride on the waves, and the giving out of lei accessories for all visitors that come to the island.

Some popular Hawaiian tats that are sought-after by a lot of tat enthusiasts are those that portray plumeria, palm trees, and other exotic flowers that have their origin in the Hawaiian Islands.  These popular tats also include the sun, surf images, stars, beach scenes, and other captivating sceneries.

When you have decided to engrave Hawaiian tat designs on your skin, make sure that you have examined your choice very well.  You should understand fully well the important aspects involved in having traditional Hawaiian tattoo designs so that you won’t regret it later.

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The Value of Polynesian Tahitian Tattoos for the Tahitians…

In the ancient culture of Tahiti, women got their tats when they have already reached the stage of puberty.  A mark of tattoo is engraved on their buttocks, meaning to say that the woman is already prepared for marriage.  If a young girl has no tattoo yet on her body, it means that she is restricted from eating anywhere except in her own house.

In the case of the priests, warriors and chiefs, their bodies get tattooed with Tahitian tattoos, but their faces were left without any markings.  One exceptional aspect among the Tahitians is that both genders were treated equally, and in this case, even if you’re a woman, you could be chosen as a chief.

Just like in every culture and origin, tats signify something important. It is a way to relate ideas and at times, the spirituality of an individual was also touched.  It is one way to express yourself through body art, while for others, it was an effective means of communication without the necessity of saying anything.

Tahitian tattoos served as a language for the ancient tribes.  They indicated a significant thing about their history, the origin of their tribe, and their triumphs in the battlefront.  Even today, tattoos still serve as a communication tool, but at the same time, a fashionable ornament on the body of modern people.

These tats are divided into 2 categories; namely, the “Enata” and the “Etua”.  In the case of the Enata, these tat designs represent an individual’s origin, his work, social rank and the origin of his tribe.  If one is a farmer for example, then, his tat would portray something about his work in the field.

Then, a corresponding symbol should be incorporated in his Tahitian tattoos which would protect him from evil spirits, along with his harvests.  Referring to the Etua, usually, it involves a mysterious and magical symbolism showing a deep devotion to their gods.  This tat symbol even asks the gods to protect them from bad spirits, and make them safe at all times.

In some ways, it is a mode of worshipping or praising their gods.  In other meanings, it is a way of honoring other tribes or people.  Tahitian tattooing was preserved to-date; in fact, you can still find many people who are expert in designing traditional Tahitian tats.  They utilize a sharpened comb which was tightly tied to a small handle made of wood.

The whole procedure is performed by resting the brush over the skin and tapping it with the use of another stick in order to penetrate the skin deeply.  This is how the ink is embedded on the skin, while a “tau tau” sound is created by the tapping motion.  In this process of tattooing the Tahitian tattoos, the word “tatau” came from.

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The Rich Heritage of Traditional Maori Tattoo Designs…

You may be aware that many people make mistakes when they decide to choose the most suitable traditional Maori tattoo designs for their skins.  By reading this article, you would be able to avoid and correct these common mistakes encountered by a lot of people these days.

Since tattoos are very popular nowadays among tat enthusiasts in different cultures, these tat designs are more preferred by them to be etched on their skins.  With the continuous development and increase in multi-cultural community, these traditional tat designs are becoming the top choices of people in fashion statement.

By simply reading their traditional Maori tattoo designs, the Maoris can trace their ancestral history, and their former tribal chiefs.  They would only stare closely at the design, read it, and they could already understand it and make a story like a book.  In feeling the kind of texture and studying the tat designs the Maoris can easily trace their family trees.

It seems unbelievable, but there are existing tat designs that have been created 2000 years ago as recorded in Maori history.  The traditional types of Maori tats and their art of tattooing are very unique.  In fact, they possess their own identity along with their special meanings among other Polynesian cultures.

To give you a brief background of the amazing tribe of Maori and its traditional Maori tattoo designs, it is an ancient culture that originated in Polynesia found in New Zealand.  You can see in the dictionary that the term Maori means to be “normal”, “natural” or “ordinary”, which clearly describes the Maori tats as anything that is simple and ordinary.

These tribal people consider those that are tattooed with the traditional Maori tat designs as people who tend to insult Maori tribes or families.  By nature, Maori tats are bold, beautiful, but painful.  They consist of many designs that are embedded on the entire body of individuals.  They are made of beautiful shapes, dark and unique patterns, and meaningful symbols.

Among the most commonly seen traditional Maori tattoo designs are those that are created with gorgeous spirals.  These special designs are usually engraved on the legs, buttocks and face of the Maoris.  These attractive tats are interpreted as “Ta Moko” in the Maori language meaning to “tap or strike”.

These ancient Maori tats are engraved onto the skin using a small sharpened chisel instead of puncturing the skin with a needle which is applicable in the modern times.  The males are tattooed with these designs all over their bodies, while the females have their tats on their neck, back, chin and lips.

The process of tattooing is performed with the use of a chisel taken from an animal tusk or bone, and usually, it takes several hours up to a number of years to finish the task.  The ink used in tattooing is extracted from a caterpillar, and a natural vegetable-like substance.

For the face, the tat ink that is popularly used is taken from a burnt wood.  The art of tattooing traditional Maori tattoo designs was usually done at the start of adolescence for boys and at the stage of puberty for girls when they were already ripe for marriage.

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The Interesting History of Hawaiian Tattoos…

The well-known history of Hawaiian tattoos has its origin in Polynesian islands being famous for its exotic flowers and virgin beaches.  Aside from these natural attractions, Hawaii has a lot more to offer.  Many visitors are also interested on its significant culture that is why they want to make a visit on the island.

Another thing is that visitors from the Western culture are extremely fascinated with the Hawaiian tats that have strong appeal to a lot of tat enthusiasts and tat artists.  In recent years, Hawaiian tat designs ranging from tribal arm tattoos and leg bands to images of exotic flowers were most popular.

You’ll be pleased to know that this body art carries a long, rich history, and in fact, Polynesia and Hawaii are 2 of the most influential origins of tats universally based on the history of Hawaiian tattoos.  Just like the natives of Hawaii, Hawaiian tats have their roots from Polynesia.  For your awareness, the term “tattoo” came from the word “tatau” in Samoan, Tongan and Tahitian languages.

Upon the migration of the early Hawaiians to the beautiful place of Hawaii, they used the term “kakau” to denote body art.  The Hawaiian tattooing practice was closely associated with the ancient laws and traditions of the land.  But when the Europeans arrived in the 1800s, they had a strong influence on the land that led to the deterioration of the Hawaiian traditional values.

Because of this, the importance of tattoos has diminished as indicated in the history of Hawaiian tattoos.  Natural instruments like sharp pines taken from a big fish, tortoiseshell or carved bone, bird’s beaks and claws, as well as Hawaiian tat needles were used in the traditional tattooing process.  The tool was made by grouping some of these needles, and attached them to a handle made of wood.

Natural extracts were used as ink for the needles, then, they were placed on the skin for puncturing with the use of a mallet, having the pigment deposited below the surface.  With continuous tapping during the tattooing process, the term “tatau” was adopted from the sound coming from it.

Based on a tale from the history of Hawaiian tattoos, a common ink used in tattooing came from a mixture of ashes from burnt candlenut and juices extracted from sugar canes and coconuts.  For the ancient people of Hawaii, tats were recognized with great social and spiritual significance.

During those times, this body art was performed with sacred rituals, and only the “kahuna” or the tattooing expert, along with the spiritual elders holding great power could perform them.  Hawaiian tats were believed to possess the power to identify an individual’s rank or position in the community.

Aside from this, it was also said that these tats protected the wearer from evil forces.  In fact, some tats had powers inherent on them according to their spiritual belief.  Today, several tribal tats may have their patterns taken from the ancient Hawaiian tat designs with natural shapes such as waves, crescents, triangles and squares.

Based on history of Hawaiian tattoos, tats were not only worn by the wealthy class, but also by the slaves with full facial tats.

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Performing the traditional process of tattooing involves piercing of small cuts on the skin with the use of natural tools like bamboo, turtle shell and bird bone.  Inks extracted from natural juices for tattooing were injected into some areas of the skin.  Often, it took some time for the healing process, and this was considered as a strong courage possessed by the wearer.

Today, the common technique of doing it is by just dropping by at your favorite tat parlor, and getting your tat at a much easier and less painful way.  The meaning of Polynesian tattoos is great, and if you want to have them during those times, you should be prepared for painful sessions involving a great amount of time to complete the tattooing process of original Polynesian tats.

As compared to the modern way of tattooing, you need great endurance to have them on your skin.  These designs are still popular nowadays, and sought-after by tat lovers due to some important reasons.  Their original meanings are still much available today through the internet being considered as right for passage and sign of courage.

Aside from the particular meaning of Polynesian tattoos being viewed as a sign of protection, these tat designs were also believed to improve the attraction of the wearer.  At the same time, these tats also portrayed clearly about an individual’s rank in the society along with his duties in the community.  It was understood that if a tattoo is left unfinished, it was regarded as a shame.

As the Polynesians spread their way to the world along with their authentic tattoos, their original designs have been transformed into other tat designs which deteriorated their traditional form and meanings.  For instance, the Hawaiian tats are actually Polynesian tats that have been altered to depict the beauty of the Hawaiian Islands.

These tattoos with great meaning of Polynesian tattoos have the images of flowers.  Aside from this, you can also find particular tats specific only to the Eastern Island including Samoa and New Zealand.  As these groups of people became very close to each other, and started making their own customs and traditions, the process of tattooing has been changed.

One of the most popular Polynesian tats found in the Western part of the world is called “Tiki”, derived from the name of their famous mythical ancestor who became the first human being based on a legend.  Body art started its way from carvings and statues, and became popular as a body art later on.

If you are serious in obtaining a Polynesian tat, you should have a keen knowledge on the meaning of the tat that you have in mind.  Once you have found an attractive tat design in a brochure, make sure that you conduct a thorough research first on the precise meaning of Polynesian tattoos before you decide to embed it permanently on your skin.

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