Hawaiian Arm Tattoos
Hawaiian arm tattoos group with other tribal tattoo designs, now commonly spread among tattooists world wide. The Hawaiians used to wear their tattoos on the upper arm as an arm band
or on the lower leg as a leg band for decoration and spiritual declarations such as prayers or threats ... In the ancient Hawaii the woman used to decorate themselves with tattoos made of black ink. The ink was produced by burning a kukui nut tree and using its soot to draw the tattoo. Later on additional pigments were added. Each tribe had a unique god just for tattoos called aumakua ; special religious ceremony was held each time a tattoo was made. Hawaiian arm tattoo was a popular decoration on the arms of local woman and men alike.
The Hawaiians kept their tattoo designs in sacred temples, kept away from the white man. Although some designs have evolved or changed by the influence of the western contact, many still maintain the original designs. The tattoos that evolved included animals, guns and weapons. The original Hawaiian tattoo designs were based on simple basic shapes such as: squares, triangles, etc.
The western world at that time was not familiar with the art of tribal tattooing.
It was captain cook who started the trade between Polynesia and Hawaii and the west, and with his ships have tattoo designs such as the Hawaiian arm band and leg band tattoos from Hawaii migrated into the west. The word tattoo itself is actually a relic of the Polynesian culture. It originated from the Tahitian word "tatau" and the word "kakau" used in Hawaii. Presently there are many Hawaiian tattoos in many variations such as the arm and leg bands and who can forget the Hawaiian hula girls tattooed on many sailors…returning from a long voyage to the exotic Polynesia…
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