What defines a Hawaiian Tattoo?
Similar to any other Polynesian tattoo, Hawaiian Tattoos come in many flavors and varieties. Some of the most popular designs could be characterized as a turtle, flower, or abstract tribal design. In fact, it is widely accepted that the name “tribal” came from European explorers discovering Hawaiian and other Polynesian tattoos. The explorers didn’t know exactly what they were seeing, and they thought the different markings signified allegiance to a certain tribe. Hawaiian’s have been tattooing themselves for thousands of years, it was part of a warrior’s rite of passage to get the markings that he was a full member of the community. To not get a tattoo was to shirk society’s standards, a somewhat reversal of modern tattoo mentality.
