Cultural peculiarities
Though the tattoo was a phenomenon common for every nation and culture it has certain peculiarities, depending on the culture it was adopted by. Say, there were nations that recognised tattoo as a sign of person's belonging to higher class of society. And according to beliefs of another culture a tattoo was a sign that a person belongs to the lower class of society. Maybe such difference in recognising of tattoo was resulted with the appearance of tattoo in one or another culture. One way or another it is interesting to find out more about the peculiarities of tattoo culture.
The ancient Slavs recognised a tattoo as strictly woman sign. A tattoo was a rare picture of men's body though it was common for every woman. It was so as tattoo was considered to be an amulet against evil spirits and troubles that want to hurt woman, and a woman was a keeper of hearth and home and so a woman was of great importance.
The culture of geishas recognised a tattoo as of five proves of her love towards her man. To prove that she is in love with her man and greatly respects him geisha had to have a tattoo, to cut her hair, nails, cut of her little finger and write a declaration of love.
The sailors of British navy used a tattoo as protection against opportunity to be sentenced to physical punishment that was a common punishment of the British Navy. That tattoo was a huge cross patterned the back long. That is how a tattoo in British culture became a feature typical for working class. Though, there are cases known when the members of royal family decorated their bodies with tattoos.
There were times when tattoo was recognised as way of punishment in Japanese culture. It was a tattoo patterned on the forehead of a criminal. The tattoo was patterned step by step, or it is better to say line by line. If it was a fist crime of a person one line was patterned on his forehead. The second line was patterned for the second crime and the third line for the third crime. As the third line was patterned it was a hieroglyph that is translated as "dog".
The culture of Christianity forbids any kinds of pictures on the body of a person as according to Holly Bible the God said there should be no artificial marks on the body of a person. Though, the Catholic Church used a tattoo of cross on the forehead to mark those who accepted Christianity as their religion in order they won't manage to change their religion.
According to Islam there are no restrictions about tattoos or other decoration of a body. Moreover, the culture of tattoo is greatly developed at countries of Islam. The most common tattoo for these who profess Islam is text tattoos that are the words of Koran. Though, a tattoo allowed for man only and women are not allowed to mark their bodies with some pictures or words.