The World of Words: Vocabulary for College Success ... - eLibrary

300 Chapter 9 Word Elements: Numbers and Measuresleaders and warriors were so heavily tattooed with pictures that theynamed them the Picts, for “pictures.” The magnitude of the tattooingincreased with the importance of the person.Tattoos became popular in modern Europe when Captain JamesCook, an Englishman, explored the south Pacific Islands of Polynesia,Australia, and New Zealand in 1770. He found tribes covered with“tatataus.” This word gave “tattoo” its name in English. In New Zealand,Maori warriors etched their battle careers in tattoos. One tattoo mightshow a triumph; (8) another might give a picture of how a warrior haddisplayed magnanimity toward a conquered enemy.Tattoos soon spread around Europe, becoming popular ways forpeople to ward off the dangers of their trades. Miners often tattooed lampson their arms. Sailors etched their bodies with roosters and pigs, whichwere thought to protect against drowning. Other tattoos were individuallydesigned. Macy’s department stores carry the symbol of a red star. It istaken from a tattoo on the arm of founder Roland Macy, who started towork on a whaling ship, in 1837, at the age of fifteen. Unique tattoos servedan important function: if a sailor drowned, his body could be identifiedthrough a personal design.In today’s world, tattoos are influenced by many cultures.Bilingual parlors offer their services to a multicultural trade, withrepresentations from different languages and locations. Some tattoosdescribe one’s character. For example, many people display the JapaneseKanji that stands for integrity. The ladybug is a symbol of luck in Italyand Turkey.Scarification, which is closely related to tattooing, is a type of markingused by traditional Nigerians, as well as in other countries. (9) Small,symmetrical marks (once done with the shell of a cashew nut) may bemade in the cheeks of babies. These identify a person’s tribe and village.Austin Okocha, who now lives in Illinois, has half-inch vertical lines in hisface that mark him as a member of the Ibo tribe, from Ibusa, in the stateof Delta, Nigeria.Tattoos can also show personal achievements. Marco Parra wasproud of his organizational efforts within the Hispanic community, so hehad the Aztec calendar tattooed on his arm. Later, when he had the honorof tending the fire in a Native American sweat lodge, he added a ring ofsmoke around his first tattoo.Tattoos are also works of art. Collectors Lawrence and EvelynAronson own many historic tattoo flash, or designs, and decorated tattooingequipment. This includes objects from New Zealand andMyanmar. In the United States, many of the artists worked in circuses andcarnivals. One tattoo artist the Aronsons collect, Stoney St. Clair, sufferedfrom crippling arthritis and had to use a wheelchair from the age of four.Joining the circus as a sword swallower, he learned the art of tattooingand became world-renowned for his stunning designs.Copyright © Cengage Learning. All Right Reserved.