Bodily Adornments – A Description About Intimate Bodily Adornments
Body Piercing – The History Of Body Piercing
Body piercing is an age old tradition that has taken place for over thirty thousand years. People pierce various body parts for a variety of reasons including as part of cultural or religious practices. This is particularly common in certain communities on the African continent. In more recent times the most common reason for ornamenting oneself is for appearance. The most common parts to adorn with jewels are the nose, ears and belly button but it is possible to pierce almost any body part.
In some cultures all people regardless of age take part in this practice, however in the western world in current times it tends to be favored by the young. Hindus famously practice body art and there are also many cults across the world that do too. In the west today the most common reason for piercings is for fashion whereas cultures elsewhere around the world tend to do it for religious or cultural reasons.
In ancient Egyptian civilization, piercings reflected status and the love for beauty. The mummies that have been discovered with piercings in the tombs of Egypt were dated to 5000 years ago. They belonged to a supposedly rich man and were in the form of ear plugs. This is the basis for the theory that plugs were the earliest forms of bodily piercings.
In a similar way Egyptian Pharaohs had gold jewelry in their belly button piercings. This was a perk that was only enjoyed by a Pharaoh and nobody else, including the royal family and important subjects. Belly button piercings are still very popular today.
In biblical times body jewelry was again used as a status symbol. Jewelry was worn to show wealth and was often used as a form of dowry when a woman was getting married. In much the same way as today it was also worn for fashion reasons and to enhance ones beauty.
Romans were another civilization that treasured piercings and considered piercing nipples of centurions to be a sign of strength and virility. It served as a mark of honor that signified undying loyalty to the service of the Roman Empire therefore was the preserve of a few. Gladiators had their genitals pieced since they were slaves. This prevented them from engaging in intercourse without the consent of their owners.
Another popular place to wear a piercing is on the tongue. For Mayan people and some American Indian tribes this is a religious symbol. They believe that the bloodletting involved brings them closer to God and is therefore desirable spiritually.
Between the periods of popularity for this practice in Ancient times and in modern times, piercing went through a time when it was not so popular. This was largely in western countries where the church made the practice into a sin.
Body adornments began to get popular again during the Elizabethan period. It was most popular among sailors and travelers, so it was mostly men that wore piercings. Nowadays it is more common in women and the most common part to pierce is the ears.
The art has been spreading to other parts like the nose and eyelids. Rock stars and their adoring fans have been known to be the most avid piercers with some of the most outrageous piercings. Conservatives have stuck to the ear piercings and only women are allowed.
Tattoos for women have become increasingly accepted over the last score of years. More and more women are opting for elaborate body art and body piercing.