环球英语 — 499：Tattoos for Religion
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Welcome to Spotlight. I'm Joshua Leo.
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And I'm Liz Waid. Spotlight uses a special English method of broadcasting. It is easier for people to understand, no matter where in the world they live.
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What do you believe? Are you Hindu? Muslim? Jewish? Christian? How do you express your beliefs? People who are part of any religious group show their beliefs in many different ways. Sometimes, people follow specific practices and traditions. For example, believers may meet together at a particular time to pray, worship and learn. Some believers do not work on particular days. Instead, they use the day to concentrate on observing religious traditions. They may use particular words, and do particular things in their own homes. But sometimes, people express their beliefs in their own, individual ways.
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Through history, people have used many methods of expressing their religion. But today, we will discuss one expression of belief that is permanent! Many people have used tattoos to share their beliefs! These permanent pieces of body art have been popular for thousands of years but for many different reasons. You may have heard a recent Spotlight program about tattoos. In that program we explored interesting facts about tattoos. On today's Spotlight we will look at how people of different beliefs have used tattoos through history.
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The art of tattooing is very old. In fact, experts say the oldest tattoo is over five thousand years old! And tattooing is still very popular even today. Tattoos can be simple or complex. They can be a beautiful decoration on the body. But for many people, tattoos are about much more than just beauty.
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Experts believe that the earliest tattoos were worn for protection. Many early cultures had totems. Totems were an object, such as an animal or a plant. The totem was a symbol of a family. A person of an ancient culture might believe that the totem watched over and protected the family against danger. One way he could always carry the totem with him was to tattoo it onto his body.
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Animal tattoos were also very popular. Many ancient cultures believed in the powers of spirits. These spirits were often represented by animals. A spirit leader of the community may have gotten animal tattoos to show his power over these animal spirits. Getting a tattoo can be very painful. So, surviving through the pain would be one way to show power.
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Other tattoos were markers having to do with death. Borneo is an island in Southeast Asia. Warriors, fierce fighters, in the Kayan tribe often got tattoos. They got tattoos on their shoulders. The Kayan warriors believed that after they died, they would need to cross a river flowing through the land of the dead - the "River of the Dead." Tattoos would let the warrior pass safely across the river. The warriors believed the tattoos would act as a guide to show the way. The more tattoos a warrior had, the better! This was only one of the beliefs about tattoos in this culture.
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Tattoos also have to do with death for warriors in some Native American cultures. The afterlife for the Sioux culture was called "Many Lodges." To get there, a warrior received tattoos at particular points during his life. If the warrior wanted to be sure he entered Many Lodges, he had to have tattoos on the top of his face, on his wrist, and on the point of his chin.
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An old Sioux legend, or story, says that spirits of the warriors on their way to Many Lodges passed an old woman. This old woman looked for tattoos on the warriors. If she did not find any tattoos, she would throw the warrior's spirit down, back to earth. Then he would be forced to walk the earth without a purpose forever.
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Later in history, tattoos took on a different meaning. Instead of protection, they were messages. The message could tell how a person wanted to be buried. The Crusades were a series of terrible wars between Christians and Muslims. Soldiers in these wars visited different lands. If they died there, they wanted to still be buried according to their traditions. So, for example, a Christian might tattoo a cross on his body. The cross is a Christian symbol. If the soldier died in battle, and someone found him, they would know he wanted to be buried using Christian traditions.
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Tattoos were also a message about what a person had done. Many people travel to holy places as part of their religious belief. A person who has travelled to one of these holy places might get a tattoo to prove he had been there. In fact, for early Coptic Christians, the tattoo was an important part of the religious practice. Only special Coptic Priests could give a person some particular tattoos. Only people who actually visited the priests and the Holy Land could get these tattoos.
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Today, many religions still use tattooing. In Buddhism there are many symbols that represent the basic ideas of that religion. Getting these symbols as a tattoo can help a person remember these ideas.
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In Hinduism, there is a long history of tattooing. Members of the most important caste, the Brahmins, get many tattoos. They may receive lines or circles on the tops or middles of their faces, or their chests. These tattoos show they serve their god. The tattoos are also a mark that shows they are part of the highest caste.
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But there are also debates about tattooing in many religions. In some religions, members debate whether or not tattoos should be permitted. Some say God does not care if people mark their bodies. Some say God wants people to keep their bodies holy - and this means that people should not change or mark their bodies. Members of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam all debate these issues.
