Insular Celtic tattooing : History, myth and metaphor

Abstract

Irish warriors opposed to the early saints are often wearing tattoos, described as diabolic signs by the hagiographers. Tattoo, Lat. stigma, Ir. rind, or crechad, has frequently been associated with the name of the Picts, and sometimes considered as a non Indo-European usage (Zimmer, N. Chadwick). But it must be admitted that tattooing has been widely practiced by Insular Celts. Among classical sources, Caesar only says that Bretons paint their body with woad (uitrum), but others (Herodian, Claudian, Solinus) refer precisely to tattooing by puncturing. They are all aware of the social meaning of tattoo, which they criticize as Barbarian. Isidore admits that it might be a mark of higher status. The Bible criticizes foreigners’tattoos (Leviticus) but S. Paul (Galatians, end) refers to his own stigmata as to glorious marks, comparable to the tattoos of Roman soldiers. These two contradictory views on tattoing are present in the early Irish literature : tattoo means paganism, or ruthless violence in the hagiographical literature, mais it might be considered as the distinct mark of heroes : though references to tattooing are rarely found in the early Irish sagas, this study endeavours to search for every available evidence.