How common were tattoos in ancient Europe?

[Tanc49]

So, we know prehistoric European like Otzi had tattoos. We know some other isolated examples like legionaries having tattoos on their hand as identification and we also know pilgrims to Jerusalem would get small reminder tattoos.

But how common were those? Were Roman people tattooed often? What about the auxiliaries? Celts populations of the empire?

What about afterwards, do we have evidence of peasants or nobles getting tattooed in the early middle ages?

I know it's a bit niche, but I find it quite an interesting subject

 

[Everdarklegion]

Depends on the area and culture of Europe your speaking about. In the Scottish region of Britannia, the Picts and the Celts often painted their bodies blue before battle. This scared the Romans so much, that the very word Barbarian is derived from the Celts. The Romans noticed the main linguistic sound the Celts used was "ba". So Barbarabus or Barbarian.

The Vikings used Tattoos to honor their ancestors, the gods and their history of battle. Where as the Romans largely saw tattoo's as a sign of a people that were "uncivilized."

 

[frustrated progressive]

Depends on the area and culture of Europe your speaking about. In the Scottish region of Britannia, the Picts and the Celts often painted their bodies blue before battle. This scared the Romans so much, that the very word Barbarian is derived from the Celts. The Romans noticed the main linguistic sound the Celts used was "ba". So Barbarabus or Barbarian.

The Vikings used Tattoos to honor their ancestors, the gods and their history of battle. Where as the Romans largely saw tattoo's as a sign of a people that were "uncivilized."

Wait, isn't barbarian derived from a Greek word meaning roughly "gibberish-speaker"?

 

[EnvarKadri]

Wait, isn't barbarian derived from a Greek word meaning roughly "gibberish-speaker"?

Yep, "barbar". As in mumbles.

 

[Everdarklegion]

Wait, isn't barbarian derived from a Greek word meaning roughly "gibberish-speaker"?

the
While the word Barbarian has traces to the Greek word "bar," the Romans didn't use the word to mean uncivilized outsider until after they encountered the Gauls and Celts, due to Latin having no word to describe these tribes. The Latin word Barbarabus took the Greek word Bar, (then Greek was the Mediterranean language for commerce) and added to it.

 

[Jared]

Tattoos were popular with those who were on the woad to glory.

 

[Everdarklegion]

As far as the initial question for this thread, the acceptance or rejection of cultural tattoo's in ancient Europe depended on the culture and geographic position of the people in question.

 

[Tanc49]

As far as the initial question for this thread, the acceptance or rejection of cultural tattoo's in ancient Europe depended on the culture and geographic position of the people in question.

Thanks for the info. Do we have more precise information or sources about this?
I mean, and I understand where you come from, as a statement it's applicable to any and all topics of any and all zones and time periods

Let me rephrase. You're in Rome in 200. It's a bright summer day and people wear skimpier clothes. How many tattoos are you seeing? What kind? Is it shocking or accepted?

 

[Glyndwr01]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Picts

 

[Lampiao]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Picts

This. The very word Pict shares its etymology with the word picture.

 

[Glyndwr01]

Thanks for the info. Do we have more precise information or sources about this?
I mean, and I understand where you come from, as a statement it's applicable to any and all topics of any and all zones and time periods

Let me rephrase. You're in Rome in 200. It's a bright summer day and people wear skimpier clothes. How many tattoos are you seeing? What kind? Is it shocking or accepted?

Roman tramp stamps?

 

[Tanc49]

Roman tramp stamps?

Basically yeah, that's my question. So far I've gathered that soldiers, some slaves and some cultists were tattooed, but I imagine rebellious young Scipio would do it too to piss off his Pater Familias no?

What was the equivalent of Roman punk bands?

 

[Everdarklegion]

You were more likely to see "graffiti" on the walls of Rome's buildings, often ranging from campaign slogans to insults with very sexual connotations, than to see Romans with Tattoos. When Rome began to crumble, Legions became more and more Germanic. So the possibility of seeing a Legionary with "proto-Nordic" tattoos either on their face or torso was high during the final century of the Western Roman Empire.