| Tattoo Preservation |
Question:
I am thinking about my feelings on tattoo preservation. In my
experience, as well as in the opinion of the majority of the people whom
I've spoken with regarding tattooing, tattoos are often and outward
expression of ones inward self.
With that said, I just started wondering what the significance would
then be of having said tattoos removed from your body after death. On
one hand, one could say that it is a way of having ones legacy living
on. As I I see it right now, I think that taking my tats out of context
strips them somewhat of their meaning. Therefore, as they are a part of
me, I would want them to remain a part of me, and would not have them
removed when I die.
Does anybody else have any opinions on this? I'd be curious to hear
from someone who may be in this type of business, the more I think about
it, the more in intrigues me.
Answer:
- There's a Japanese folk tale that relates the story of an artist who created a
painting of a dragon on a kimono that was so beautiful and realistic that once
the eyes were painted, it came to life and flew from the kimono.
I've never heard the part about not tattooing the eyes until dead, but I know
of many artists who tattoo the dragon's eyes last in homage to the same story.
Tattooing the dead... at least there wouldn't be any complaints about pain, no
squirming or pulling away - interesting.
- Just a little trivia, that I personaly find rather neat. There is superstition
with dragon tattoos that you do not have eyes colored while you are alive since
this will allow the dragon to come to life. This idea is culminated in having
the eyes inked post mortem so as to allow the dragon escape and freedon.
Not entirely sure where I heard this first but it as come up several times some
one must have followed this practice at some point.
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