Jane Caplan’s “Introduction” to Written on the Body: The Tattoo in European and American History brings about conversation regarding the multifaceted purpose of tattooing, both in the past and the present.
Read more: Research Diary Entry #1 : Written on the Body: Intro – Chapter 4The purpose of Caplan’s introduction provides the reader with the opportunity to look into the topics of interest written in these essays, ones that explore the analyzation, interpretation, representation, and history of the tattoo in Western Culture from its initial rise as early as the 4th millennium BC to present day.
Reading the first sentence of Caplan’s “Introduction,” I was quickly drawn to the words directly below tattooing, which are scarification, cicatrization, piercing, and branding. Caplan’s choice of words when creating a direct association with tattooing was intriguing to me as she chose to concern words that only relate to the physical aspects of the artistic practice. Caplan’s introduction stresses upon the punitive practice of tattooing across various cultures, as a punishment. Although just an introduction to much more in-depth essays, Caplan’s brief yet informative historical timeline surrounding the presence, absence, or role of tattooing prompted me to think about the presence and attitude of tattooing in my youth and in the contemporary world.
The presence of tattooing can and has been virtually found anywhere in the world at some point or time. Its function, however, can vary greatly. The influence of the artistic practice was adopted all over the world, and ranged in function from religious to social to punitive to decorative. The comprehension of the tattoo in Western Culture continues to evolve as influence changes. Moreover, C.P. Jones’ essay, “Stigma and Tattoo” explores the culture of tattooing with regard to its origin. Jones questions how the Greeks, Sicilians, or Christians (for example) approached the concept as the reactions varied. Body-marking is most commonly associated with the root stig- meaning to brand or mark. This spoke to me because of the level of association with particular roots in defining a word. The direct association with punishment, at least to my understanding, with the words “mark” or “brand” having negative connotations.
Charles W. MacQuarrie’s essay on insular Celtic tattooing moves into the Celtic populations of Ireland and Great Britain. MacQuarrie reiterates Jones’ point by stating the other most common Greek and Latin words that refer to tattooing, those being cicatrice, grajein or scibere, and additionally adds two words used to refer to tattooing in medieval Irish literature: rind meaning to point or cut and crechad meaning to raid. MacQuarrie’s essay brings evidence of literature to depict the conception of and the reaction to tattooing in Celtic populations. MacQuarrie’s statement, “The use of the tattoo to show high social status is consistent with the interpretations of tattooing among various barbarian peoples found in classical accounts,” alludes to the idea that one’s level of ‘civilization’ or ‘social status’ can determine whether their tattoos will be respected or seen as ‘barbaric’ (39). Furthermore, I found MacQuarrie’s theory on interpretive dichotomies to further my understanding of the role that status and location play in the culture of tattoo.
The culture of tattoo spans across various fields as Jennipher Allen Rosecrans’ essay constructs a history and recognition of the practice of tattooing in the occult arts. Rosecrans’ essay brings medical astrologer, Simon Forman, to light. Forman believed that by marking his skin with astral characters that connected him to his horoscope, he would be able to harness the power of the universe and therefore, have the power to change his future presently or in the afterlife.