Tahiti History and Culture of Tattoo Temple Body Art

Tahiti is a beautiful island in French Polynesia, located in the southern Pacific Ocean. With a year-round population of 180,000, Tahiti is one of the world's top vacation destinations. Most residents live along the coastline; the interior of the island is almost completely uninhabited, with many areas accessible only by boat or on foot. The larger, northwestern portion of the island is encircled by a main road that climbs past panoramic views of volcanic mountains, sparkling blue waters, and beautiful sandy beaches. The island's interior is known for lush rainforests and many streams.

It is believed that Tahiti was settled about 1500 years ago by Polynesians. The mummies of early rulers were laid to rest on Raiatea Mountain, one of two large volcanoes composing the island of Tahiti. As a result, the mountain is considered holy by native Tahitians. The island of Tahiti is dotted with marae, stone structures once used for prayer or sacrifice. Tahiti is home to the fully restored Arahurahu Marae temple, today a popular tourist destination.

The first European contact with the islanders on Tahiti was in 1767. The most famous visitors from these early years include Captain James Cook in 1769, and the crew of HMS Bounty, who mutinied following their departure from Tahiti in 1789. In 1835, Charles Darwin visited Tahiti on an expedition aboard the HMS Beagle. These early visitors immediately noted the relaxed pace of life on Tahiti, a way of life which continues to the present day.

Like many Polynesian islands, contact with Europeans soon brought diseases, missionaries, and cultural change. Introduced diseases killed a major part of the Tahitian population, leaving a population of just 16,000 by 1797. In 1843, France's Admiral Dupetit Thouars, acting on his own initiative, annexed the island. War between the French and the Tahitians continued until 1847, and resulted in the island remaining under French control for many years. Today, French Polynesia, a group of islands that includes Tahiti, is officially known as a semi-autonomous 'French overseas community.' Tahitians are full French citizens, and France is the official language, although the Tahitian language is also in use.

During World War I, the island was attacked by two German warships, and a French gunboat and German freighter were sunk in the harbor. Between 1966 and 1996, France conducted nearly 200 nuclear bomb tests on and near the island.

Today, native Tahitian culture is very much alive. Tahiti is famous for its traditional dance, the otea. Often confused with the hula of Hawaii because of the grass skirts and hip shaking, it is a slower paced, graceful dance focusing on storytelling with the hands. The dance is built around a theme, and tells stories of daily life or legends of the past.

Tattoos are another significant aspect of Tahitian culture. Men and women young and old have symbolic tattoos over large parts of their body. In Tahiti, tattoos symbolize social status, bravery, community, and beauty.

As in many Polynesian islands, native Tahitians are known for wood carvings, especially tikis. Those wishing to explore tiki culture on Hawaii should visit Moorea's Tiki Village, where native Polynesians live in thatched huts and preserve traditional tiki art forms.

Exotic French Polynesia of Tattoo Temple Body Art

French Polynesian culture has been around since 2000 BC; it is one of the oldest surviving cultures in the world today. French Polynesia is made up of 130 islands, although more than half the population lives on Tahiti. The largest city is Papeete, which is also the capital city. The official language of the territory is French, it is the language used in all schools and is spoken widely on Tahiti. Ironically, however, Tahitian, is an official regional language of the Society Islands and is the language that most people speak when at home, although not on Tahiti. English is not a common language, although it is understood in tourist areas.

When the missionaries arrived in Polynesia in the late 18th century, they did all they could to eradicate all the traditional Polynesian culture by destroying temples and carvings, and banning tattoos as well as their heady erotic dancing. As a result Tahitians no longer worship their old gods. But as some of their traditional ways managed to survive, these still have an influence on their lives.

Recently there has been an increased interest in the old ways and there is a strong movement towards rediscovering traditional arts. Traditional musical instruments are coming back, such as the pahu and toere drums, as well as the nose flute called the vivo. With the influx of foreigners into Polynesia came guitars and ukuleles, which were incorporated into the Polynesian sound to form a distinctive South Pacific island groove. Customary dancing (tamure) is also making its way back into French Polynesian life.

Tahitian families have traditionally been large, with extended families sharing a home. These days some couples may still live with either spouse's parents after marriage, but only for a while, until they find their feet. The trend towards nuclear families is increasing as their contact with western culture increases. Family ties remain very strong, however, and children are highly valued. Grandparents play a pivotal role in the rearing of their grandchildren, as do sets of adoptive parents, known as faamu.

As with most older cultures, marriage partners were chosen by the family and not by the prospective couple. Today, however, young people have more freedom to choose whom they want to marry. Marriages are still celebrated with great feasts and festivities.

French Polynesia has a very laid back and casual approach to life, and this is most easily observed in their manner of dress. Dress standards are relaxed in classy restaurants and if you decide on beach wear; you need only bother with the waist down. Church is another matter and should be attended in your very best clothes, no beach wear (even with the tops) allowed.

The islands have a unique culinary style that combines old South Pacific cooking methods with French gastronomy with Italian and Chinese influences. The old traditional pit ovens, called ahimaa, are still used to cook food all around the Pacific. This involves a hole in the ground, stones placed in it and a fire lit to heat the stones. The food wrapped in banana leaves is placed on top and the hole is filled in with earth. It is baked for several hours.

A favourite dessert is baked banana or papaya puree, covered with sugar and coconut milk and served hot. Coconut milk is versatile and can be used in savoury dishes as well, like chicken casseroles. Fish is a popular dish and is often marinated before being grilled or baked. It is considered impolite for a guest to refuse an offer of food, it is best to leave some food on your plate if you have had enough as this reassures the host that you have been well fed and ensures that no further helpings are served.

Tattooing has been a part of French Polynesian culture from the very start and has great aesthetic appeal. Both men and women are decorated by elaborate designs although it is considered socially more important that men be tattooed than women. Tattoo artists held high rank in Polynesian society. Their instruments were combs with sharp teeth made of bone or tortoiseshell that were attached to a handle. The comb was placed on the skin and forced in with a little mallet. The ink or dye was made from an oily fruit, which were placed on skewers and then burnt soot. The soot was then diluted with water and was ready for colouring purposes.

Facial designs were restricted to large areas of pigmentation, while on the rest of the body designs were grouped according to motifs. Human shapes were the most common motifs, especially eyes, arms and legs. According to some discoveries made in the Tuamotus, only a few atolls had men that were completely tattooed. Women were typically tattooed with simple lines on their arms and legs only. Each island had its own distinguishing patterns that determined kinship.

The desire for cultural identity has risen among the Polynesian youth of today and more and more are having themselves tattooed in the traditional manner. The art has been revived and practiced for several years, and is especially popular during July festivities.

Symbols of Darkness of Tattoo Temple Body Art

There is a tendency, in the Church today, toward adopting the manner and dress of the world. For instance, it is not uncommon to see tattooed and pierced persons in the pew on Sunday. Often these are not new Christians recently saved from the kingdom of darkness, but second and third generation Church goers, young (and no so young), people raised in Christian homes.

One way that the Church has chosen to deal with this growing phenomena is to down-play the significance of these demonic symbols. That isn't because the older generation actually approves of tattoos and facial piercing; it is because the older generation doesn't really have a well thought out objection to the practices.

For the most part those Christians who oppose "body art" do so simply because it is not "Christian." They're right, but when a young decorated Church goer asks why it isn't Christian, the undecorated can only say that it is worldly and un-Christlike. At which point the hipster will ask what it is about body art that is worldly and un-Christlike. Typically this leaves the artless one speechless. To the conservative Bible believing Christian, tattoos and piercings1 are plainly contrary to Christ's example and one's identity as the temple of the Holy Spirit. Yet he finds that he cannot really articulate a convincing argument as to why. The reason Joe conservative Christian cannot articulate his belief is because in "modern rationalistic Western society, men do not understand the power of non-verbal symbols and of dress."2 In other words, because your average Christian does not understand the significance and prevalence of symbolism he cannot formulate an argument against the misuse of symbols.

James Jordan has written that:

Symbolism, then, is not some secondary concern, some mere curiosity. In a very real sense, symbolism is more important that anything else for the life of man.3

Jordan's thesis is that all of creation is designed by God to tell us about Him and to teach us about reality, by means of symbols. In other words, the world does not exist for its own sake nor ultimately for the sake of man; but it was brought into being in order to disclose God in the symbols of creation.

For instance, God is a shepherd (Ps. 23:1), a fire (Heb. 12:29), like a lion and like a flock of birds (Is. 31:4-5). He is an eagle (Deut. 32:11), a lamb (Is. 53:7, Rev. 5:6), a hen (Matt. 23:37), the morning star (Rev. 22:16), food, drink and bread (Is. 55:1, John 6:35), a rock (Deut 32:4), and a tower (Prov. 18:10). Thus the Christian view of the universe must be fundamentally symbolic.4 We look at a flower, a rock or an eagle in flight and say, "here is wisdom, here is God on display." These things are expressions or symbols that help us to discover God and to learn to see through God's eyes, so to speak. Or to put it another way, the stuff of creation allows us to peer into the (ultimately incomprehensible), character of the Creator and teaches us to think in terms of symbols.

This is how Jesus thought. Take the time to reread the Gospels and you will be reminded that Jesus constantly used symbolic language and stories (parables), to convey truth. If symbols are not important, than nothing Jesus said is important. It seems that everything he taught was explained with symbols. Hence, the kingdom of God is like a mustard seed, a dragnet and a pearl of great price. His followers must take up the cross, take on His yoke and let go of their lives.

Since mankind is the special image bearer of God (a special symbol of God), he is likewise a symbol maker. Thus when we invest something with symbolic significance we are supposed to follow God's lead (Eph. 5:1). For instance, God uses dragons to symbolize evil. In like fashion, our use of dragons (in literature, art and so on), should correspond to God's symbolic use of dragons. This isn't to say that a Christians may never utilize dragon imagery in a positive fashion. God Himself speaks of the fire breathing Leviathan in positive terms (Job 41). Indeed, the Tannin, the great monsters of the deep - including Leviathan - were God's own special "pets." Moreover, God endows some symbols with multiple meanings. For instance, there is both the lion of Judah and Satan prowling like a lion (Rev. 5:5, 1 Peter 5:8); the righteous are as bold as a lion and the ungodly ravage like a lion (Prv. 28:1, 15); a lion is the servant of God bringing judgement and it is a wicked people in rebellion against Him (Jer. 4:7, 12:8). Nevertheless, until we better understand God's fluid use of symbols we should remain within the obvious guidelines provided by Scripture.

Symbols are powerful; they are more than the expression of ideas they actually give direction to life: "for God, symbols create reality, for man, symbols structure reality."5 To suggest that we can arbitrarily redefine the meaning of symbols is foolish. For instance, if I were to conduct next Sunday's services while wearing a tie embossed with a swastika, I have little doubt that on Monday I would no longer be employed by the Idaho State Veterans Home in Lewiston or be the pastor of Cottonwood Community Church. Why? Because the Nazi swastika is universally understood as a satanic symbol of evil and death. But what if I protested and claimed that I was rehabilitating the symbol for Christian use? What if I said that I viewed the swastika as a symbol of giving one's all for the sake of Christ and His kingdom? It wouldn't matter. Symbols are too powerful to be toyed with. Even though the swastika has ancient origins that have nothing to do with Naziism I have no doubt that it will forever be associated with the horrors of unbridled power, brutality and death. Truly, the swastika structures reality. It defined a worldview and served as a spur to action drawing out the grisly barbarism of a pagan Germanic people. The same is true for many of the symbols utilized in the sub culture of body art. Skulls, bones, bats, and so on all remain symbols of bad luck, death, magic and evil 6