By What do tattoos mean in Samoa?
The tattoo and designs of the Samoa islands represents community, power, status, respect, honor, and is a mark of pride that are only to be worn by Samoans. The Samoan word for tattoo came from the Polynesian language. The word tatau originates from the tapping sounds of the tool made during tattooing.
Is it disrespectful to get a Samoan tattoo?
Creating a Polynesian tattoo that tells your own story and being able to say what it represents, shows that you acknowledge and respect the importance of such tattoo and therefore it is not seen as disrespectful. It shows your appreciation and admiration for Polynesian art and culture.
What does a Malu mean in Samoa?
to be protected and sheltered
The word for a female tattoo is malu, which means to be protected and sheltered.
What is a Tualima?
noun. en joint between upper arm and forearm.
What does Afakasi mean?
One of the Samoan terms for the islands’ part-European population is ‘afakasi. This term does not necessarily have the same negative connotations as its English translation, ‘half-caste’. The 1921 Samoa Act defined people as ‘European’ or ‘Samoan’. …
How long does a Samoan tattoo take?
Traditionally, this process takes five days (although often it can take weeks) and is extraordinarily painful: rudimentary combs of different sizes, each made up of razor-sharp teeth attached to a turtle shell attached at a right angle to a stick, are repeatedly dipped into ink and tapped into the skin using a mallet.
What does malu tattoo say?
Malu Trevejo got her biggest tattoo yet in February 2018 — and of course she livestreamed the whole process. The 15-year-old social media star got seven lines of text on her upper left arm featuring a poem by Erin Van Vuren. Her tattoo says: “I will not be / another flower / picked for my / beauty and left / to die.
How much does a PE a cost?
The male tattoo, called pe’a, runs from the mid-back down past the knee. There’s a version for women called the malu, which goes from the upper thigh to below the knee. The man’s tattoo can cost up to $10,000 and takes up to 45 hours to complete. It’s a big no-no in the culture to not finish the tattoo.
What is a Sogaimiti?
There are many men with Tatau, but the title ‘Sogaimiti’ should be reserved for the real McCoy – a man who has received the malofie (ink) with the approval of his family elders and who has completed the process with a worthy partner (soa). …
What does the Rock’s tattoo symbolize?
The tattoos are beliefs of his ancestors from his father’s side and mothers sides. His black culture, his Samoan culture, all cumulates in a belief that the spirit of his ancestors is protecting his family. These tattoos represent great struggle and about overcoming them.
What do tattoos mean to the Samoan people?
Samoan tattoos – or tatau – are part of a rich historical tradition, but they have also become popular in recent years as a tattoo choice for people from different cultures all over the world. These geometric designs carry symbolic meaning for the Samoan people, and can be used to visually represent values of personal significance.
What does the Tatau stand for in Samoa?
A person whose tatau wasn’t finished will bear the mark of cowardice, pala’ai, and bring shame to himself and his family. When it comes to traditional Samoan tattoos for the males, the pe’a, the placement of the tatau will also vary the tatau. Depending on where the tattoo is placed, it will have a different name.
What does a turtle shell tattoo mean in Samoa?
Samoan Turtle Shell Tattoo The turtle shell is shown in Samoan tattoos as a symbolic image of lines and dots which signifies the meaning of the turtle shell. This turtle shell tattoo’s meaning is protection because the turtle shell is related to a shield.
Where do Samoan women get their Malu tattoos?
The malu is a simpler and delicate design then that of the pe’a. These tattoos are rarely seen because the design spans from the upper thighs to below the knees. During Samoan ceremonial dances the women would display their malu during the traditional siva dance.