I. Survival Purpose and Totem Worship
Tattoos have been created before human civilization emerged. In primitive times, people painted themselves into the colors and patterns of nature in order to camouflage or intimidate the beast. Because when the human body paints the pattern, it naturally emits a kind of shocking invisible energy. Adoration can be manifested when strength is manifested. According to records, the Hao tribe, south of the Yangtze River, tattooed in 842 BC, scared away piranhas with multi-colored patterns and struck their bodies.
As a punishment
After the formation of the Chinese language and the Ming Dynasty, subjective discrimination against frontier ethnic groups occurred, and they were regarded as barbarous, and because of their "tattoo breakage", they have evolved into stereotypic discrimination. This kind of discrimination developed into a kind of punishment later, "Historical Records of Wu Taibo Family" described it like this: "Taibo, Zhongyong two, but Ben Jingman, tattoos broken, showing unavailable." The initial punishment began in the Zhou Dynasty, and was called "noodles." Many well-known Liangshan heroes have been subjected to such punishment. It is said that Wu Song had just shaved his hair to cover the tattoo on his face and won the name of "walker".
Three. As an art
The transition from punishment to art may be out of a sense of rebellion. In any dynasty, people who are dissatisfied with the mainstream of society, especially those who have been tattooed, process the tattooed parts for covering up or venting. During the Tang and Song dynasties, the art of tattooing reached its peak in ancient China. In the Song dynasty, a tattoo-themed association—Jinti Club—was a place where everyone gathered to compete for the exquisite tattoo designs. Yan Qing, embroidered with embroidered flowers on the back, is rumored to be the general champion of Jinshi Club. In this period, tattoos were regarded as a heroic journey and sought after by heroes, and even rose to the spiritual level. The most classic is Yue Fei's "reporting loyalty to the country".
