Today is National Tattoo Day. 10 facts about tattoos:
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The word tattoo is a loanword from the Samoan word tatau, meaning "to strike", which in turn derives from the word for the wingbone of a flying fox, which was what was used in ancient times as a tattooing instrument.
The oldest known recipe for tattoo ink dates back to ancient Rome, and contained pine bark, tarnished brass, Vinegar, vitriol, Leek juice, and insect eggs. Urine was another common ingredient as it was thought to have antiseptic properties.
Not all tattoos are intentional. An accident where a substance like asphalt or Gunpowder gets rubbed into a wound is known as a traumatic tattoo or a carbon stain. Coal miners in olden days would often have marks on their skin resulting from coal dust getting into wounds. Even writers and artists could end up with a traumatic tattoo by accidentally stabbing themselves with a Pencil or pen.
Otzi the Iceman is one of the earliest humans known to have a tattoo. He had over 60 of them, mainly simple dot and line designs, created using carbon ink. Egyptian Mummies also had them. In more recent history, King Harold II of England had a number of tattoos. His tattoos were used to identify his body after he was killed at the Battle of Hastings. In 1862 the Prince of Wales, later King Edward VII, had a Jerusalem Cross tattooed on his arm on a visit to the Holy Land. When his sons, the Dukes of Clarence and York (later King George V) visited Japan in 1882 they both had Dragons tattooed on their arms. One historical figure who didn’t have any was the philosopher Confucius was against tattooing on the grounds that the human body is a gift.
Tattooing is an integral part of some religions while others forbid it. Which brings us to the question, does The Bible have anything to say about it? The answer is, probably not. Although in some modern translations Leviticus 19:28 reads “Do not cut your bodies for the dead or put tattoo marks on yourselves. I am the Lord,” the word tattoo wasn’t used in English until the 18th century and the verse originally said, ”And a cutting for the dead you will not make in your flesh; and writing marks you will not make on you; I am the Lord.” This is the only verse which mentions body modifications, probably in connection with pagan sacrifices rather than cosmetic alterations.
Secret messages have been smuggled across enemy lines in times of war by using tattoos. 5th century BC Greek historian Herodotus records how Histiaeus of Miletus sent such a message to his son-in-law, Aristagoras. Histiaeus was being held against his will, and to communicate this, he shaved his slave’s Hair off and tattooed the message onto his head. When the slave's hair grew back sufficiently to hide the tattoo, he was sent to Aristagoras, who shaved his head again and read the message.
Historically, tattoos have been associated with sailors. Some sources suggest that this began with Capitan James Cook and his crew who noticed the practice in Polynesia and joined in. Later, US sailors would have proof of their citizenship tattooed on themselves in order to avoid being press-ganged into the British Navy. Over time, sailors’ tattoos came to have other meanings: a Pig tattooed on one foot and a rooster on the other were said to protect a seaman from drowning as neither animal can swim. Counter-intuitive, perhaps, but the belief was that the animals would, for this reason, help the sailor get out of the water as quickly as possible. ‘Hold’ tattooed on the knuckles of one hand and ‘fast’ on the other were said to allow the bearer to grip the rigging better. Tattoos could also show the level of experience a sailor had. A full-rigged ship meant he’d sailed round Cape Horn; an anchor meant he’d sailed across the Atlantic; a shellback turtle meant he’d crossed the Equator and a dragon was a sign that he’d served in China.
Some tattooing records: the longest session lasted over 60 hours when tattoo artist Alessandro Bonacorsi tattooed a 32 year businesswoman called Serena Cavani. The whole thing was streamed live on the internet. Tommy Lee holds the record for getting tattooed at the highest altitude when he got one during a flight on his private jet at 45,000 feet. It was a peacock on his leg. Then there is Lucky Diamond Rich, the most heavily tattooed person in the world. 100% of his body is tattooed, including the inside of his mouth and his eyelids.
Americans spend around $1.65 billion on tattoos every year. American women are more likely to be inked than men, but are also more likely to have their tattoos removed later on. Talking of which, it’s easier to remove a Black tattoo than a Green or Yellow one, surprisingly. This is because black ink absorbs the greatest number of laser waves.
Skin is pierced 50 to 3000 times per minute by a tattoo machine.
Beta
(Combat Team Series #2)
Steff was abducted by an evil alien race, the Orbs, at fourteen. Used as a weapon for years, he eventually escapes, but his problems are just beginning. How does a man support himself when his only work experience is a paper round and using an Orb bio-integrated gun?
Warlord is an alien soldier who knows little but war. When the centuries-old conflict which ravaged his planet ends, he seeks out another world where his skills are still relevant. There are always wars on Earth, it seems. However, none of Earth's powerful armies want him.
Natalie has always wanted to visit England and sees a chance to do so while using her martial arts skills, but there are sacrifices she must make in order to fulfil her dream.
Maggie resorted to crime to fund her sister's medical care. She uses her genetic variant abilities to gain access to the rooms of wealthy hotel guests. The Ballards look like rich pickings, but they are not what they seem. When Maggie targets them, little does she know that she is walking into a trap.
Hotel owner Hamilton Lonsdale puts together a combat team to pit against those of other multi-millionaires. He recruits Warlord, Natalie, Maggie and Steff along with a trained gorilla, a probability-altering alien, a stockbroker whose work of art proved to be much more than he'd bargained for, a marketing officer who can create psionic forcefields, a teleporting member of the landed gentry, and a socially awkward fixer. This is Combat Team Beta.
Steff never talks about his time with the Orbs, until he finds a woman who lived through it, too. Steff believes he has finally found happiness, but it is destined to be short-lived. He is left with an unusual legacy which he and Team Beta struggle to comprehend; including why something out there seems determined to destroy it.
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