There were three major factors that took the practice of tribal tattooing from the realm of art and into the plane of the spiritual: Pain, Permanence and Loss of the Life Source (blood). This mystical trio elevated the tattoo from mere art and transformed it into a chance to draw people into a relationship with God, a god, magic powers, or a trance or vision state.

Because body and soul were generally thought to be identical to one another, your tattoos then existed on two planes: the physical and spiritual realms. Many of the tribes from Borneo believed that tattoos would not only be enough to get them to the proper spirit world, but that their tattoos also offered them special qualifications for advantageous occupations upon their arrival.

It has been found that most (if not all) primitive tribes used some form of body marking, be they tattoos, scarification or the use of plain, temporary body paints. This art prevailed worldwide until the arrival of civilization as we know it, when the tattoo fell into a temporary loss of popularity.

In this section we cover:
• Samoa • Philippines • Polynesia • Borneo • Easter Island
• Maori / New Zealand • Marquesas • The Marshall Islands

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