Polynesian Tattoos

Polynesia is a magical place which can be viewed as the cradle of tattooing. In fact, the word tattoo derives from a Polynesian word meaning „to strike”. There in the Pacific Ocean Islands, tribal tattoos were very popular, but people did not get them for fashion purposes, rather it had strong tribal and spiritual connections.

Polynesian tattoo is a term that stands for all the styles that could be found on the islands of the Pacific Ocean, namely Polynesia. No one knows which island can the origins be traced back to, but one thing is for sure: the tattooing styles are very similar on these sibling islands. Some assume that the Marquesa islands were the first that developed the distinct style of Polynesian tattoos, and then they spread to Samoa, New Zealand, Hawaii, Easter Island, The Cook Islands, Tahiti, to name a few.

Each of these islands has a distinct style while sharing common Polynesian tattoo motifs. For example, the Hawaaiian style uses flowers, turtles and abstract tribal knots. The Easter Island designs have stylized boats, birds and geometrical patterns. Samoan tattoos are typically very large and show social status of the wearer.

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