Special Report Body Art: The Art of Tattooing - Mutakela Lisimba aka Tattoo Guru.

Body Art: The Art Of Tattooing

HISTORY AND BASIC INFORMATION

Tattooing the skin is the oldest profession in the world. The Japanese, Aztecs, Mayans, Aborigines, and the Africans all had tattoos. The oldest recorded human to date is referred to as the ice man. He was found under what was left of an iceberg near the Austrian border in Italy. Carbon dating places the ice man around 5,300 years old. This was a cultural surprise because he had a few tattoos. Before his discovery, it was popular belief that the oldest culture to tattoo was Egyptians over 3,000 years ago. So the ice man out dates the Egyptians by 2,300 years The ice man had a small cross behind one knee and above his kidneys there were a few tattooed lines about 15 cm long. The first sign of tattooing in the west was from Tahiti by a man named Captain Cook in 1771. The Tahitian word for tattooing was “Tatau” which was adopted because it’s the sound of the traditional tattooing. Initially the traditional tattoos were applied by a stick with a comb like head attached to the end. They used another stick to tap the first; this achieved a stabbing motion. This ancient type of tattooing is rapidly gaining popularity once more around the world.While receiving a tattoo you would not honour your experience if you showed any sense of pain or discomfort and the practice usually was a ceremony that lasted for days often resulting in shock for the patron. The tattoo machine we all know and love today is nothing more than a modified version of the first electric engraver.

In the US, people started seeing tattoos regularly on sailors that had been to distant lands. They brought them back as permanent souvenirs. In the 1800’s and 1900’s sailors navigated there voyages by the stars and constellations. The “Nautical Star” that you see on every teenager trying to fit in with the crowd is one of the oldest tattooed symbols. It symbolizes the North Star and means that the one adorning such a tattoo is looking for their way.

Thirty years ago tattoos were just for bikers and prostitutes, at least this is the common idea. Fifteen years ago they were just for rock stars. In today’s society more people have a tattoo than not. I read a quote once from a famous musician that said “If you want to be different, then don’t get a tattoo.” I guess that was right because nowadays tattoos are common.

TATTOO MEANINGS

Over the years tattoos have become little more than decaling the human skin. Most people get a tattoo and spend their whole life never knowing the true meaning. Others are confused on the meanings of tattoos and get something that might have a completely different definition. Tattooing has been a part of every culture known to date, and each culture has its own meanings for different images. Here is a list of tattoo’s that have meanings you may be surprised of. There are so many images to choose from, I am forced to pick but a few of thousands. When you offer a tattoo to a client, or choosing one for yourself, you should always research the true meaning.

APPLE - An apple seems like a tattoo a teacher would get, but it really is a symbol recognizing the easily tempted nature of man. It is a symbol that is brought to us by the story of Adam and Eve in the Christian Bible. The story is the down fall of man and was brought on by man eating the forbidden fruit.

ARM BAND - Arm band tattoo just seem like a nice decoration for any one, but they are a symbol of slavery and imprisonment. The tribal arm bands you see today are reminiscent of the identification markings between African tribes, while barbed wire is a symbol of spending time in prison or being a slave.

BIRDS - Birds are colorful animals that fly everywhere they go, most would say they are a symbol of freedom. They are in fact a symbol sailor’s used to signify coming home due to the migratory patterns of most birds. The best depiction of this is the swallow or sparrow. Often you will see sparrow and wallows tattooed holding or with stars. This is a symbol of finding your way in the dark, since most sailors spent months at sea and the night was the most dangerous time to sail due to not being able to see any obstruction in the water.

JUWELS MAGAZINE be for a female that loves her pet, and a symbol of attention. For the

Egyptians the cat was a symbol of death. Though to be a sacred animal, the cat was believed to be able to cross from the land of the living to the land of the dead.

Many past cultures see the cat as a messenger from the dead to the living.

DAGGERS - A dagger can symbolize many things such as revenge or getting stabbed in the back, but the true meaning of a dagger is from the Japanese culture. When a Samurai warrior failed his king on a task too small to commit. Hari-Kari (honorable suicide) they would be required to remove the tip of a finger to show sympathy for the failure, thus making a dagger a sign of loyalty.

DRAGON - The American dragon is a symbol of strength, but the Japanese dragon is a symbol of wisdom and intelligence, often depicted with a tiger along side it to symbolize wisdom and beauty.

EYE - The tattooed image of an eye would seem to be a symbol of awareness, though it can be but, it was first tattooed on prisoners by other prisoners on there backs against their will. The meaning of which is to show that the tattooed prisoner was an informant and also symbolized they have been sexually assaulted by another prisoner.

FAIRY -The fairy is a mystical creature mostly used as a symbol of childhood. The oldest meaning behind a fairy tattoo is that fairies would often grant wishes to the ones that could catch them making all the captors dreams come true while causing more problems than they helped. The Irish later referred to them as leprechauns. FANS - Most think that a tattoo of an oriental fan is a sign of beauty due to the geisha that never leaves hers behind, but in fact it is a tool to ward off evil spirits.

FISH - Fish tattoos are often viewed as a sign of fertility, this is not entirely wrong. The Celtic Salmon of wisdom might say other wise though. In the Japanese culture, the Koi fish is a symbol of strength and beauty. The Koi was a plain fish till the Japanese bread them to be bright colors, and the legend of the Koi is that every Japanese dragon started as a Koi fish that had to jump over a rainbow to change into a dragon.

FLAGS - Flags today are a symbol of patriotism, getting an American flag tattoo supports your country. In the past, other cultures would get a flag tattooed of a rival country to show disrespect and that the country the flag belonged to was an enemy.

FLEUR DE LIS - The Fleur de Lis might be the same symbol we use for the boy scouts, but it really is a sign of the French Monarchy, and so represents liberty.

GANESH - Ganesh is the Hindu god that has a head of the elephant. The meaning of her as a tattoo is that of protection and righteousness.

GECKO LIZARD - The gecko lizard is a sign of regrowth and survival instinct due to its ability to loose its tail and later re-grow it in order to distract an enemy to save its own life.

GRAPES - Grapes are a symbol of the Greek goddess of wine named Dionysus. When you see someone sporting a grape vine up their leg thinking it means growth, they GRIFFIN - A griffin is a mythological animal passed on from the Middle Eastern religion called Zoroastrianism, but was later used by the Christian church as a symbol of the two sides of Christ.

THE EYE OF HORUS - Horus was an Egyptian god whose symbol is the left eye. Horus is the god of war and protection. Any one thought to have the tattoo was believed to be protected by Horus himself during combat. The Eye of Rah- Rah is the Egyptian god of the sun symbolized by the right eye or opposite the eye of Horus. The symbol of Rah means you warship life or creation of life.

KOKOPELLI - The Kokopelli is thought by most cultures to be a messenger of music due to it’s depiction of an Indian man playing a flute. What they don’t tell you is the most of the actual depictions of the Kokopelli is adorned with very large male genitailia. It’s actually an Indian sign of fertility.

LOTUS FLOWER - The lotus flower is often mistaken for a sign of beauty. The lotus flower is a very pretty flower that grows in mercky and muddy water; it is a sign of spiritual purity through advertisement.

NAUTICAL STAR - The “Nautical Star” that you see on every teenager is one of the oldest tattooed symbols. It symbolizes the North Star and means that the one adorning such a tattoo is looking for their way.

the spider web on the elbow is a symbol of taking a life. The true meaning of the spider web tattoo is more for the bikers, it’s a symbol of crashing a motor cycle in hopes that the spider webs will catch them the next time to keep the rider out of harm, figuratively that is.

COMMON TATTOO’S

ANCHOR - Safety, hope and salvation, planting ones own roots such as having a family.

ANGEL - Protection, guardians, keepers of dreams.

BAT - Longevity, happiness, mystery.

BEAR - Good nature, good luck, also ignorance.

BULL - Fertility, power and strength.

BUTTERFLY - Spiritual immortality, temporary element of life.

CENTAUR - Knowledge and nature, spirit of womanhood.

CHAIN - If broken it means freedom. If intact-slavery.

CLOWN - Laughter, tears, uncertainties.

CLOVER - Good luck or a sign of Irish nationality; Feminine power.

CROSS - Sacrifice, love and salvation, Christian Symbol for faith.

CROW - Revival, Gods messenger, Return From the dead.

DEVIL - Mischievousness, urgent desire for sex. DOVE - Universal symbol of peace.

DRAGONFLY - Affinity with the Spiritual Life. Illusion.

FEATHER - Creativity, rebirth and spiritual elevation.

FROG – Positive symbol of pregnancy, Also a symbol of change in ones own life.

HAWK - Self-discipline.

HEART - Love, provided it is neither bloody nor torn into pieces.

HORSE - Friend to man, kingship

LEAF - Joy, rebirth.

LION - Might, awareness, immortality, bravery.

MERMAID - Temptation, seduction, materialism.

MONKEY - Wisdom, knowledge, or evil powers.

MOON - Varied rhythms of life.

PHOENIX - Rebirth, Rising from ones own ashes.

REAPER - Death or one has faced death. SWORD - Represents justice, honor, energy.

TIGER - Fierceness, strength and power.

TURTLE - Fertility, long life.

UNICORN - Chastity and purity; unattainable.

WOLF - On the hunt, One’s own wild side.

YINYANG - Harmony and totality versus Evil and chaos, also is a symbol of balance.

The history of the ‘Tattoo Artist’ is another story. There are many tattoo artist’s in Zambia but only a few of them are known and respected. There is an unspoken code among tattoo artist’s. This code is based on respect, loyalty and secrecy. I caught up with one well known and respected tattoo artist in Zambia going by the name ‘Zambia’s Tattoo Guru’ who has been featured in countless Newspaper interviews, Television interviews including an interview on CNN’s Inside Africa Program.

ROSE - Fertility, pagan sign for womanhood.

SCARAB - Strength and rebirth.

SKULL - Courage, Death, Poison.

SNAKE - Temptation, Adaptive ness, knowledge, and wisdom.

SPIDER - Creativity.

Zambia’s Tattoo Guru

- Mutakela Lisimba

Mutakela Lisimba aka

Zambia’s Tattoo Guru is one of the best tattoo artist’s in Zambia. Quite recently he prefers calling himself Africa’s Tattoo Guru. This claim has caused a stir amongst other tattoo artist’s who have challenged his claim but one fact that still remains unchallenged is the fact that he is the most publicised tattoo artist in Zambia. He has been featured in our national newspapers, he has been featured on radio; he has been featured on national television and online publications as well. On the international front, he has been featured on CNN via the award winning cultural affairs program “Inside Africa” where he was interviewed by world renowned Journalist Errol Barnett.

Mutakela has studied tattooing in Mauritius and is a Certified ‘Tattooist’. He loves tattooing to the bone and anyone can see this as he has tattoos all over his body. He has self inked his body while other tattoos have been done by other tattoo artist’s within Zambia and abroad. On first sight, you can easily see him as being a Rapper as his image suggests. Guess you are correct, in that he is indeed a Rapper with a couple of songs already produced and playing on radio, while his album is still being worked on.

One other thing which also differentiates him from other Zambian tattoo artist’s/musicians is the fact that he documents all his work through Photo’s and Videos and out of this habit, he has a Rated 18 Documentary in the making produced by Juwels 360 Videography which will be available for the public to buy in early 2015.

Young, creative, ambitious and kind of on the wild side, Mutakela is indeed destined for greatness on the Zambian and literally the African and Worldwide Map as he has ventured in the delivery of a service which is fairly new in Zambia. The tattoo business has a lot of potential to become a lucrative business because a lot of people want to have tattoos. A visit at his ‘Tattoo Parlour’ is a clear sign that Zambians are now fully interested in having tattoo’s on their bodies for either pleasure; or as a fashion statement, or just to be different!!

As a back up service, he is also offering his clients who might later change their minds on having a tatttoo on them, a chance to have them removed through a painless removing technology through a state of the art laser tattoing machine.

For less permanent tattoos, Mutakela has temporary tattoos which are more less like stickers which you can stick on the body and can last for up to 3 months.