A 19th century missionary to Polynesia recorded that Pa te Pou Ariki, Chief of the Takitumu tribe in Rarotonga (one of the Cook Islands) had turtle tattoos on both knees. Warriors wore the most tattoos, viewing them as armor that would protect them in battle. In the tribal culture of Polynesia, the war god Tu was represented by the turtle. A tribal turtle tattoo might have had a more significant meaning to one tribe than another, gaining particular importance through an association to family genealogy. As a tribal culture, meanings associated with tattoos varied from tribe to tribe. Shark, lizard and turtle tattoo designs were primary symbols, used throughout Polynesian society. All of these aspects are indicated by specialized tattoos, placed on specific locations. Where a person stood in the hierarchical society of Polynesia was determined by their current role in the tribe, as well as by their genealogy and maturity. As a culture with no writing, the Polynesians not only used tattoos as talismans of protection and spirituality, but as a way to exhibit their status. The art of tattooing has been prevalent on almost every shore of the Pacific, but achieved particular significance in Polynesia, the area defined by Hawaii in the north, New Zealand to the west, and Easter Island to the east. Mohawk mythology ascribes earthquakes to the great World Turtle, stretching in reaction to bearing the weight of the world. In numerous North American creation myths, the turtle carries the world on its back.In India, the earth rests on the backs of elephants, supported by the shell of a turtle.The turtle is often associated with myths of creation, in which it is seen as a support for the world: As a golden god that appears at times of trouble to aid the Vietnamese.As a protective spirit for Japanese seafarers.As a trickster god in African folklore.The turtle has played a role in a wide variety of mythologies: Covering one third of the planet, the Pacific Ocean is the realm of the sea turtle, and upon every land mass that the turtle has visited, legends and myths have arisen about the singular creature. Turtle tattoos have most likely been around just as long.Īlthough tattoo art has been embraced by numerous cultures throughout history, nowhere has the sea turtle been associated with tattoos more than in the Pacific Islands. Protected by a hard shell, equipped to navigate both land and water, capable of crossing oceans and exceptionally long-lived, it is no wonder that the turtle has been revered for thousands of years by cultures all over the world as a symbol of strength, stability and stamina.
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