Tribal Tattoo

Question:
What is the origion of tribal tattoos?

Answer:
- Well, tribes from around the world... Traditional tattoos they've been doing for centuries. Often black tattoos, nonfigurative or heavily stylized representations. Of course different artists tend to "distort" those traditional designs and come up with something new and beautiful! Nowadays tribal doesn't necessarily mean "indigenous" but rather a great source of inspiration. - dont meen to but in but it migh be a good idea to say in the context of Tattoos, tribal dosen't necessarily mean..... I seem to rember a thred on this a wile ago. Some people seem to be a bit touchy about calling, what i would call the tribal tattoo style, tribal. I'v herd some people call it 'Abstract black work' or something. It has been my (limited) experance that if some one gets a tattoo in the style of a spisific, tribe/people they call it by the name of the tribe/people. If ya see wot i meen. I don't think tribal style it atchualy akin to any perticular tribe. Go figure. - I always called them "flowy designs." This is odd, now: when I was a child, I was always drawing what i called "flowy designs." I like points and barbs and flowy things. When I ventured onto the 'web for tatoo pics, I saw the "tribal" pics and said, "WHOA!" It's what I had been drawing for years, but better. Next tats planned: 1. "tribal" tree (Backpiece? I like the concept of the trunk of the tree running up my spine.) 2. Ornithologically correct scarlet tanager perched on branches, the branches winding around my upper right arm. On the back of the armband/branches will be about a 1 1/2 x 3/4" solid black rectangle (personal meaning). Can't *wait* for this one... must find drawing & cash... I may get the reactangle soon and then work around it... - The question is bit on the trivial side, but if you want to differentiate between the meanings of tribal, how about contemporary tribal and tradtional tribal, the former meaning abstract black work, whatever the point of departure is, and the latter being reserved for tattoos of clear and specific ethnic, tribal, or national origin.