I really hope the tribal tattoo kick is on the decline but I fear that I might be wrong considering the amount of tribal tattoos I continue to see. If you are Polynesian or some other generally tribalism culture, I totally understand a need for a tattoo that ties you to your heritage. The thing I can’t stand is the everyday Joe Somebody who wants a tribal tattoo because he thinks it looks cool. I am kind of a hypocrite on this issue as I myself have a tribal tattoo (although I will be covering it soon enough). Hopefully this article may sway some of you away from the dreaded tribal tattoo.
Why I Don’t Like Tribal Tattoos
Before you decide to get a tribal tattoo first think about why you are getting it. Any tattoo should have some sort of meaning to you, even if that meaning is nothing more then “this looks bad ass”. If you don’t descend from bronze age tribal nomads, why mark yourself with huge black stripes for the sake of looking cool? There are much more intricate and original designs you could work with to better express yourself.
Tribal tattoos also are generally uncomplimentary to the body as far as form is concerned. Tribal tattoos have harsh edges and very solid lines that don’t accent the body’s natural form nearly as well as other custom tattoo styles.
If you want to make a tattoo stand out, make it tribal as it will most definitely counter any natural form your body has.
My Experience With Tribal Tattoos
I have a tribal tattoo as do a few of my close friends. Even though they look cool when you get them our general consensus is that tribal tattoos clash with every other tattoo we get and many of us end up covering them after we admit our mistakes.
How many tribal paintings do you see on art gallery walls? This isn’t a new medium that is breaking ground it’s simply a lot of solid color that people think looks cool.
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Tags: Tattoo · Tattoo Styles
24 responses so far ↓
1 Bill // Oct 22, 2008 at 5:30 pm
Nice article, I agree 100%. Think I’ll do some “clicking around” and see what else you got here. ;)
2 monica // Nov 11, 2008 at 12:00 pm
I dislike tribal tattoos for the most part, but I have seen some that were amazing. It seems that at times, people have managed to make them suit the shape of their bodies, and planned a design that works well.
The only reason I would urge people not to get tribal tattoos though was mentioned near the end of your article, that they tend to clash with any future tattoo you get and are impossible to incorporate into anything else.
3 Buzz // Mar 20, 2009 at 9:30 pm
Opinions vary on this topic I suppose, but I’m gonna disagree on this. I only have one tribal piece which is a cover-up for a shitty tat I got when I was 18 outside of Philly from a wacked out speed freak from the motorcycle gang The Breed.
I personally think that if want tribal art, and you come up with right design for the part of your body you want it on, it could look tits!
Buzz
4 bobbyd // May 3, 2009 at 12:31 pm
I agree with Buzz. Well-designed, one arm, full sleeve Tribal tattoos remind me of a Trojan warrior holding a shield. You shouldn’t get any other tattoos with it. I think the best ones have some round features near the elbow and top of the shoulder to enhance the shape of the arm.
5 BULLETwithBUTTERFLYwings // Jun 4, 2009 at 6:34 pm
Being that I have 4 tribal tattoos and am soon going to get a 5th, I obviously don’t agree completely with this article… I think how a tribal looks depends entirely on who it’s on… I am very light-skinned and I like the way they look. Of course, like anything else, it’s a matter of personal opinion. I do agree with the statement that they clash with other tattoos, which is why I think, if you get a tribal, you better be willing to either commit to getting ONLY tribals for any other pieces, or get only ONE tattoo. It’s very important that tribal pieces have points and sharp edges as well as curves to look balanced, I have definitely seen some ugly ones! Then again, I have, of course, also seen some very ugly, cartoonish full-color tats as well.
6 Anon // Jun 9, 2009 at 9:03 am
Tribals are just tacky. Maybe it’s just the UK but tribals are almost a symbol of uncreative cheapness. I imagine that the second a person mentions tribal to their artist he pulls out a big tribal stamp, plods in on their lower back and says, “£60 please mate”.
They’re just unoriginal, cheap and boring.
7 BULLETwithBUTTERFLYwings // Jun 11, 2009 at 10:15 am
how can something that someone draws for their own tattoo be unoriginal?
8 BULLETwithBUTTERFLYwings // Jun 11, 2009 at 10:15 am
everyone’s entitled to their opinion, but i don’t see how a tribal drawn up by the person it’s going on could possibly be unoriginal.
9 Daniel Rainey // Aug 19, 2009 at 7:16 pm
I’ma agree with the previous poster. Tribal drawn up by the person who wants to get it is almost universally terrible…but is at least usually original.
As to the gist of the original post…there’s a time and place for everything…including blackwork. The key is that it is drawn for the client’s real body shape and not picked offa the wall.
10 Jason Lajoie // Aug 30, 2009 at 5:55 am
The most ridiculous statement of this highly opinionated diatribe against tribal tattoos has to be: “Tribal tattoos…don’t accent the body’s natural form…”. This statement is not far below a photo of one examples of tribal tattoos following the body’s natural form. One of the reasons why so many of us like tribal tattoos is because they can flow so well with the body’s natural form. They can accent the muscular cut and definition of a bicep, pectoral, or shoulder muscle for example. I can understand someone with no muscles to accent, not liking tribal tattoos. For the rest of us, we like them very much thank you.
11 Paul // Sep 14, 2009 at 10:32 pm
Hi there,
I was holidaying-in Thailand recently and was shocked at the number of individuals from western-countries sporting what is popularly called ‘tribal tattoos’ originating from the South Pacific – seemingly oblivious as to their origins.
I come from New Zealand and traditional tribal tattoos are something that an individual gets to represent their heritage.
Basically a true tribal tattoo is more than simply an aesthetically appealing geometric design it has sadly degenerated into.
Broadly speaking each part of a true tribal design represents the genealogy and tribal heritage of the individual (emphasis on the world individual)
In Phuket I approached a guy with a Maori tattoo thinking he must be a Kiwi with Maori heritage, having some myself – only to find he was from England and had never been to New Zealand!
It’s like me getting a tattoo with New Zealand SAS – when I’ve never even been in the army!
This ‘off the shelf’ tribal-tattoo business reminds me of the trend to adorn oneself with Chinese writing that occurred about a decade ago.
Getting yourself tattooed with another individuals lineage is naïve and plain daft.
That’s my penny’s worth.
Cheers.
Paul.
12 Gaz // Oct 27, 2009 at 5:49 am
Completely disagree – if a person likes that kind of tattoo and wants it WHERES THE PROBLEM?
Who does it hurt?
It has absolutely nothing to do with you whatsoever.
Also pauls about tribal tats representing heritage ONLY are ridiculous – like people should ONLY get tattoos that represent their heritage.
Does that mean all British people should get bulldog tats and nobody else can?
What about Germans, they can only have tats featuring sausages and Hitler
Does that mean the only symbols Americans can have tattooed on them is the mcdonald’s sign. (no offence usa – u make good films & megan fox is choong!)
I have Kanji & tribal – why? because I like them.
The kanji symbols mean something important to me – I’m not japanese and have the penis to prove it for those who don’t believe me.
Embracing cultural diversity is a good thing
No matter what kind of tattoo you have it’s going to be part of someone else’s heritage at some point down the line.
Stop being an over opinionated busy body.
PEACE
13 Daniel Rainey // Oct 28, 2009 at 3:21 pm
FLAME WAR!!!! Lawl.
So Gaz and Paul here represent two different opinions that spread beyond tattooing into every field of life. It’s the dilemma between Quality and Kitsch. There are people who love hanging velvet paintings of jesus on their walls. Then there are people who would rather hand and original Mark Ryden on the wall.
Which is right? Is beauty simply in the eye of the beholder?
Or bringing it back to the subject at hand…is one guy’s shitty prison scratcher tattoo (that he is so proud of and probably receives compliments on) as “good” as a piece done by Steve Moore, Aaron Cain, Paco Dietz…etc?
14 Paul // Nov 1, 2009 at 8:13 pm
Gaz, taking your argument to it’s logical conclusion if a person sees a Chinese symbol they like and gets it inked when it says “I have a small penis” in preference to say their true astrological sign in Mandarin – this is O.K by you, as it’s the design that counts over it’s meaning?
Getting something absurd indelibly placed on your body when you have no idea of its origins and meaning is daft and opens you to ridicule when someone who does understand say Mandarin, Maori or Samoan etc points-out the true meaning of your tattoo or just laughs at what it says.
Can’t you see the naivety of getting say a Maori tattoo that says “my iwi and bloodline is Ngai Tahu” when you are neither Maori nor from that tribe (iwi)?
In summary: If you are going to adopt a cultural emblem ‘outside your tribe’ then at least do your research.
It’s common-sense not snobbery or an issue of quality.
See ya.
Paul.
15 Chris // Nov 9, 2009 at 8:30 am
Paul,
I have a maori inspired half sleeve, it was a custom design done by a maori artist and done in such a way that it looks maori without actually being maori!
That way I have a one off design thats done in a style that appeals to me without it being offensive to the culture that inspired it!
16 Paul // Nov 11, 2009 at 6:59 pm
Chris, to get a real Maori tattoo (Ta Moko or Temoko) you need to go to a village elder and discuss the design, genealogy etc.
A guy in my football team took six months to design his and do the family/tribal research.
A moko is not something you get from a conventional tattooist, Maori or otherwise. By definition no non-Maori can wear a Ta Moko or traditional Maori tattoo.
Technically what you have is termed a ‘Kirituhi’. It is simply a random pattern that looks like Ta Moko avoiding any reference to Maori symbolism, tribal heritage etc.
Good on you doing your research – if only others, parlours especially, would take the time and realise the cultural significance of the work they are commissioning.
Cheers.
Paul.
17 Gaz // Nov 13, 2009 at 4:21 pm
Paul
my oh my
I’m all for common sense , so lets use some
Ok, chinese is an actual language spoken by about 2 billion people, so If i were to get “my names paul and i like molesting hamsters with my strap-on winky” tattood on me in chinese symbols, just because I liked the design, obviously it would look a tad silly.
Mainly because my names not paul
Tribal on the other hand, is not likely to say anything relating to hamsters or molestation, and infact as my tribal is a unique freehand custom design I would strongly doubt is shows allegiance to any tribe.
18 Paul // Nov 17, 2009 at 5:48 pm
Bazza,
If a person doesn’t respect the cultural significance and origins of the tribal tattoo they sport, which evidently you don’t – why the hell get one in the first place?
It’s like getting a swastika because you like the crocked-cross symbol and wondering why people look at you funny.
We’ve heard from Chris above who located a tattooist from the same ‘tribe’ and who is familiar with the tattoos roots, history etc.
He did his research.
Bump-up your credibility Baz by informing us all here, that you (or the tattooist) actually ‘know’ what the tribal tattoo design you have, freehand or not, means – its tribal true origins etc?
They all have a meaning as clear to someone from that tribe as me getting “my names Paul and I like molesting hamsters with my strap-on winky” placed in 2 inch bold letters placed on black ink on my forehead.
I await you reply with baited-breath.
Cheers.
Paul.
19 jonathan // Dec 4, 2009 at 6:59 pm
Everyone just shut up. A tribal tattoo isn’t unoriginal if you draw it out yourself, looking at someone with a tribal tattoo and thinking that they are from the tribe that the tattoo comes from is called jumping to conclusions and is a sign of being a dumbass. However, tribal tattoos don’t really go with any other tattoo and if you get one you need to be sure that its the only kind of tattoo you’ll get or the only tattoo you’ll get.
20 Jason // Dec 6, 2009 at 2:26 am
If that is the case, then why get any tattoo at all. In the end your getting a design that you like and I don’t think it matters where it comes from. Most of the designs are pure traditional tribal designs they are just designs that people make that look cool (not all but some). The people making these aren’t Polynesian either just some tattoo artist. I guess this is one of those “cool” things to say but doesn’t make much sense when you actually think about it. I also have a celtic cross on my shoulder; am I celtic? NO. But I still have it because I like it. I don’t have to get a tattoo that is directly related to me or anything. Most of mine are free hand drawn and I love them. Get a life and quit whinning, its pathetic.
21 Paul // Dec 22, 2009 at 3:42 pm
Hi there Jason,
So let’s get this right, you got a Celtic Cross tattoo and you are neither (a.) a descendant of Celts (b.) nor a follower of Jesus Christ(?).
To repeat my analogy above – that’s like getting a swastika because you liked the ‘crooked cross design’ and then claiming you are not a Nazi and not into white-power – when clearly to everyone else on this planet this IS a racist symbol of National Socialism from WW2 – in exactly the same way a Celtic Cross IS a symbol of Celt Culture and Christian heritage.
Far be it for me to point-out the Celts (who came out of Germany and France and settled first in South Eastern England – the largest discovered Celtic archeological site in The British Isles being close to Heathrow Airport rather than Ireland) were in-fact largely Polytheists and Animists rather than Christian mono-theists – but having done your research before you got the tattoo you would know this stuff, eh?
Hey Jason, get what-ever ‘spins you wheels’ mate, but don’t think you are exempt people asking (whining as you call it) “why did you get that cultural/tribal tattoo?” and expecting more that “I like it.”
At the very least I would expect someone to have a modicum of knowledge about the cultural, religious origins etc before they permanently adorned their body – which is exactly what I suggested in the first place.
All the best.
Paul.
22 Jerry // Jan 2, 2010 at 9:36 pm
If the tribal tattoo design is custom made then it’s only meaning is what the creator had in mind for it.
If I wanted to get a tattoo of a word or statement that meant a lot to me in a different language, I would ask someone who fluently speaks the language instead of googling it, Paul.
Anyone wouldn’t be so stupid as to go to some online translation site and have a computer translate it.
I love how you judge people on what they get tattoo’d to their bodies. I’m sorry but who do you think you are to question them?
Though I do completely agree that any person should research something something if it does come from a culture, I wouldn’t expect more than a “It looks cool” and I’m perfectly fine with that answer.
23 Paul // Jan 6, 2010 at 4:52 pm
Jerry, I have never argued against anyone getting a tattoo of any-kind – that’s personal choice – it’s a free world. But when you delve into the field of ‘tribal’ you are entering into a field that needs more than just a cursory “I liked the design the tattooist showed me in his brochure.” If people can’t understand the spirituality, cultural significance and reverence these tattoos hold in the culture of their origins –plus their deeper meanings – then I suggest they pick another aesthetic pattern that takes their fancy.
Further, if you don a tribal tattoo, expect to be challenged by individuals, like me, from the tribe where they came from wanting to preserve their cultural-significance and not have them cheapened by some-sort of Mc Tat.
No doubt you look at someone displaying a swastika tattoo in the same-light I look at tribal tattoos, so whilst I have no right to ‘stop’ someone I do have the right to comment and challenge their choice.
Cheers.
Paul.
24 eddie // Jan 23, 2010 at 1:17 pm
Its sort of ironic that you say that tribals don’t fit your body’s natural shape then you put that picture at the top where the tattoo fits that guys arm perfectly and is probably one of the more awesome tribal tattoos Ive ever seen. I do agree that yours and your friends tattoos do suck though. Don’t worry though I have a much larger tattoo than that, that I don’t want anymore, not a tribal though.
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