History of Body Piercing

 History of Body Piercing 

community previously published an article on the history of body modification, researching another article ... I found the story a bit wider.

Nose

First Recordings

Nose piercing was first recorded in the Middle East approximately 4,000 years ago. It is mentioned in the Bible in Genesis 24:22. Abraham requested his oldest servant to find a wife for his son Isaac, and the servant found Rebekah. O­ne of the gifts the servant gave her was a “golden earring.”  The original Hebrew word used was shanf, which also translates as “nose-ring.”

The practice of nose piercing is still followed among the nomadic Berber and Beja tribes of Africa, and the Bedouins of the Middle East. The size of the ring denotes the wealth of the family. It is given by the husband to his wife at the marriage, and it is her security if she is divorced.

Nose piercing was brought to India in the 16th century from the Middle East by the Moghul emperors. In India, a stud (Phul) or a ring (Nath) is usually worn in the left nostril. It is sometimes joined to the ear by a chain, and in some places, both nostrils are pierced. The left side is the most commonly pierced in India because that is the spot associated in Ayuvedra (Indian medicine) with the female reproductive organs. This piercing is supposed to make childbirth easier and lessen period pain.

Western Practices

In the West, nose piercing first appeared among the hippies who traveled to India in the late 1960s. It was later adopted by the punk movement of the late 1970s as a symbol of rebellion against conservative values. The piercing of the septum is probably the second most common piercing among primitive peoples after ear piercing – it’s even more common than nostril piercing. It’s probably popular for the same reasons as nose piercing, with the added attraction that the piercing can be stretched and large pieces of jewelry can be inserted, i.e. pig tusks, bone, feathers, wood, etc.

Warrior Cultures

The septum piercing is particularly prevalent among warrior cultures. This probably has to do with the fact that large tusks through the septum give the face a fierce appearance. The use of septum tusks is very prevalent in Irian Jaya, New Guinea, and the Solomon Islands, and pig tusks are the most popular. Among the Asmat tribe of Irian Jaya, the most prestigious septum tusk is the “Otsj” – this is a large bone plug, which can be as thick as 25mm. They are usually made of the leg bones of a pig, but occasionally they are made from the Tibia bone of an enemy slain in battle.

The septum piercing was beloved by the Aztecs, the Mayans, and the Incas. They wore a variety of jewelry, but jade and gold were the most popular because of their religious associations. The modern day Cuna Indians of Panama continue this practice by wearing thick pure gold rings in their septum.

Sticks and Bones

The piercing is also popular in India, Nepal, and Tibet. A pendant “Bulak” is worn, and some examples are so large that the jewelry has to be lifted up during meals. In some places, the Bulak is particularly large and elaborate.

Septum piercing was widely practiced by many North American Indian tribes. The name of the Nez Perce, a tribe of Washington State, stems from their practice of piercing the septum. Nez Perce is French for “nose pierced,” and it was given to the tribe by the French fur traders. Australian aboriginals pierced the septum and passed a long stick or bone through the piercing to flatten the nose, as they believed a flat nose to be the most desirable.

Among the Bundi tribe of the Bismarck Ranges of Papua New Guinea, the piercing is performed using the thin end of the sweet potato plant (Ogai Iriva), usually between the ages of 18 and 22. The age at which the piercing is done varies greatly between different tribes. Some tribes perform the rite at age 9 or 10.

Lip

Origins and Significance

The piercing of the lips for the insertion of objects into them is very widely practiced throughout the world. However, o­nly two tribes pierce the lips with a ring: the Dogon tribe of Mali, and the Nuba of Ethiopia. Among the Dogon, the piercing of the lip has religious significance since they believe that the world was created by their ancestor spirit “Noomi” weaving thread through her teeth, but instead of thread, out came speech.

All the other lip piercing that is practiced in the world is done with labrets, which can either be a pin of wood, ivory, metal, or even, in o­ne case, quartz crystals. Among the tribes of Central Africa and South America, the labret piercing is stretched to extremely large proportions, and large wooden or clay plates are inserted.

Ancient Tribes

Among the ancient Aztecs and Mayans, labret piercing was reserved for male members of the higher castes. They wore beautiful labrets fashioned from pure gold in the shape of serpents, golden labrets with stones inset, and o­nes of jade or obsidian. The Native Americans of the Pacific Northwest and the Inuit peoples of northern Canada and Alaska wore labrets fashioned from walrus ivory, abalone shell, bone, obsidian, and wood.

Genitals

A Wild History

Male genital piercing has a wild and varied history, with instances showing up in numerous cultures and times.

The piercing of the glans of the penis for the insertion of jewelry is a very ancient practice. The apadravya piercing is mentioned in the Kama Sutra (700AD) and the palang piercing has been practiced in Southeast Asia for several hundred years. Several genital piercings originate in Asia—where piercing has been practiced since antiquity.

Male Power

The palang (also called ampallang) is a piercing that occurred among the Kayan, Kenyah, Kelabit, Dayak, and Iban tribes of Sarawak o­n the Island of Borneo. It involves piercing the glans of the penis horizontally and then inserting a barbell. The term “palang” translates as “crossbar” in Iban and can be related to the timber roof supports of the longhouses of the tribes of the area. It symbolizes the protective power of the male over the family.

Puberty Ritual

The word “guiche” is supposed to mean “an opening” in French. The actual translation is “window.” This piercing has been said to be a Samoan puberty ritual; however, there is little evidence for that.

The hafada piercing is a scrotum piercing o­n the side of the scrotum, where there is a crease. It is supposed to have originated in Arabia and spread through Northern Africa and the Middle East. The piercing is carried out as a puberty ritual, and it is generally done o­n the left-hand side. The piercing was supposedly bought back to Europe by French Foreign Legionaries when they were stationed in what is now Lebanon and Syria.

Athletes, Slaves, and Princes

Piercing of the foreskin for the insertion of jewelry is as old as circumcision. It goes back far beyond the earliest recorded history. During the games of ancient Greece, the athletes performed nude, and to prevent their penises moving about, they bound the foreskin with a ribbon and tied it to the base of the penis. This ribbon or leather thong was called the “Kynodesme” from the Greek “Kuon” for foreskin and “Desmos” for fastening band. This temporary practice probably led to the permanent piercing of the foreskin, either to prevent slaves and athletes from having sex or to prevent them from having erections. The Romans used a practice called infibulation. It involved two piercings going through the foreskin (or labia in women) and a lock (fibula) being placed therein.

The Prince Albert piercing is named after Prince Albert, who was the husband of Queen Victoria of England. He was reputed to have had this piercing done prior to his marriage to the queen around 1825. At that time, Beau Brummel started the craze for ultra-tight men’s trousers. Because the pants were so tight, the penis needed to be held to o­ne side or the other so as not to create an unsightly bulge. To accomplish this, some men had their penis pierced to allow it to be held by a hook o­n the inside of the trousers. This piercing was called a “dressing ring” because tailors would ask if a gentleman dressed to the left or the right and tailor the trousers accordingly.

Piercing of the male genitals is fairly old and even mentioned in the Kama Sutra. Although female genital piercings appear to be a little rarer, they have now become a popular way of enhancing sexual pleasure.

Ear

5,000 Years Ago

Since this region of the body is fairly easy to pierce and heal, it appears that the oldest (and probably first) of mankind’s piercings were done o­n the earlobes. To illustrate, a mummified body, found to be over 5,000 years old, was recently discovered frozen in an Austrian glacier. The body had pierced ears with holes that had been stretched to 7-11mm in diameter.

Good Luck Charm

Anthropologists believe that the ears were probably first pierced as a charm – to repel evil spirits and prevent bad luck. Many early tribes believed that demons could enter the body through an orifice and that piercing the ears with metals would prevent them from taking possession of a person’s spirit.

Rites of Passage

Ear piercing has also been used by many tribes as a rite of passage. In Borneo, a child’s parents each pierce an ear as a symbol of the child’s dependence o­n its life givers. Other societies have used ear piercing as a puberty rite.

Societal Status

Ear piercing has also been used to connote o­ne’s position in society. From the ancient Egyptians to Elizabethan England, both men and women adorned their ears to reflect their wealth and status.

Tongue

Tongue piercing was practiced in a ritual form by the ancient Aztecs, Mayas of Central America, and the Haida, Kwakiutul, and Tlinglit tribes of the American Northwest. The tongue was pierced to draw blood to gain the favor of the gods and to create an altered state of consciousness so that the priest or shaman could communicate with the gods. Tongue piercing is o­ne of the most popular piercings; it’s discreet, shocking, provocative, and sought out to enhance oral sex (for both sexes).

Eyebrow

Unlike nose piercing, which was first recorded in the Middle East approximately 4,000 years ago, eyebrow piercing is relatively modern. This style of piercing appears to have become popular over the last few decades, with early instances seen in the punk movement of the 1970s. A possible reason this type of piercing has not been around for a long time is that it can be very problematic and difficult to heal.

Navel

Navel piercing is a modern invention and has never been recorded in primitive cultures. However, the navel has long been recognized as an erogenous zone because of the difference between men’s and women’s stomachs. Women’s stomachs differ from men’s in that they are more rounded in the lower part, are longer than men’s, have a greater distance between the navel and genitals, and are more deeply recessed than men’s. These features are often exaggerated by artists to make women appear more feminine in paintings.

Remember : Body Modification Beautifull Art .