People get tattoos for many reasons. If you ask the oldest man with tattoos in recorded history, Ötzi the Iceman, why he got his tattoos, it might be for therapeutic and acupunctural reasons.
But if you ask someone on Otterbein’s campus, it’s usually related to a loved one or a type of media that’s been in their life for a long time.
“I got it because it was a symbol of being grateful for my mom,” said Syniah Littleberry, a public health and education major. Her tattoo is of a butterfly and the word “mamma” in red ink above it.
Tattoos have always been a part of the human experience, and their popularity has grown exponentially in recent years. According to the Pew Research Center, about 32% of Americans have at least one tattoo. Something else to note is that around 69% said they got a tattoo to “remember or honor someone or something.”
These statistics are relevant not only to students on Otterbein’s campus but also to faculty and staff.
Professor Yonchak in the music department has “The Hermit” from the cover of Led Zeppelin’s lV album. Led Zeppelin was an influential band in shaping Yonchak as an artist, and he wanted to commemorate this in a personal way. “One version of the story of the hermit is the reclusive scholar who was always in search of more knowledge … And I couldn’t think of a more appropriate tattoo for an academic than a guy living in a cave.”
Another person on campus decided to commemorate one of their favorite video games. Seth Roy, a math and physics major, has been playing Super Smash Bros. since he was seven. After almost 15 years of playing the game, Roy decided to get Little Mac and Jigglypuff to honor the characters he uses in the game.
No matter the reason someone gets their tattoos, it will be a piece of art that they will carry for the rest of their lives. Art in all forms is impactful to the human experience and should be looked at through the eye of the beholder.
Ötzi the Iceman lived over five thousand years ago, and his tattoos have given us a picture of the culture and life of those back then. With any luck, the artwork people decide to ink on their skin today may outlast us all.
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