Hawaiian band tattoos

Hawaiian tattoos came into existence thousands of years ago but it came out with renewed popularity in the 1990s, showing that there is more to Hawaii than its popular flowers and leis. Hawaiian band tattoos are not new to Hawaii because the island is part of the Polynesian islands, home to tribal communities whose history boasts of a rich tradition in tattoos.

Nowadays, it is very common to see people sporting Hawaiian band tattoos on the arm and the legs. The style and appearance may have been undergone changes to make it more modern yet most of it retains the traditional Hawaiian tattoo style.

The Hawaiian band tattoo originated in the 1970s when a tattoo artist created it using designs based on the traditional Hawaiian tattoo motifs. The armband was not traditional but it became a hit especially among the younger generation. The youth who wanted to have a tattoo which expresses their heritage.

In Polynesia, tattooing the bodies of people is an integral part of the culture and as Hawaii is one of the islands of Polynesia, it is not surprising if they hug this tradition in their daily life. The method of tattooing in the old days is not like the way it is being done today. Before, it involved a very elaborate ritual and everybody shows a degree of reverence for the whole ritual.

Hawaiian band tattoos were done in the olden times using claws, fish bones, beaks of birds and other sharp natural objects, a far cry indeed from the latest technological instruments being used by tattoo artists today. The tool they choose was slit and the tattoo needle was dipped in dye, which is also a far cry from the colorful paints tattoo artists use nowadays.

If you can feel pain when having your Hawaiian band tattoos done nowadays with the modern equipment and facilities, just try to imagine the pain the Hawaiians felt, not to mention the risk they face of contracting infection. However, as it was a part of their lifestyle, it doesn’t concern them that much. If an individual does not want to have tattoos done on their bodies, it was considered as challenging the society.  

Hawaiian band tattoos as well as other designs designate the importance of a person in society. In fact, the symbolism was a trademark of privilege and the more intricate and high quality the design in, it means the higher his status in the society is. There has been quite a change in the attitudes of the Hawaiians towards the tattoo. Before, they are perceived as symbols of reverence but now they are considered more as alternative lifestyle, signs of achievement and status.  

Highly skilled artists do the detailed tattoos for the chiefs and their families but the rest of the population will be tattooed by the apprentices. Hawaiian band tattoos are usually found in the male population but women were getting more aggressive nowadays. They want to cross the gender line and if they want Hawaiian band tattoos, they can have it done anytime.