What did tattoos represent in ancient times?

Tattoos represented a punishment in ancient times.

Tattoos are actually called tattoos at the earliest, that is, tattoos on the body. In the Western Zhou Dynasty, the official term of tattoo was "ink punishment", that is, writing was tattooed on a person, and then it was smeared with ink (also with pigments of other colors) to make it a permanent mark.

It is recorded in Shangshu Law Punishment that "ink punishment belongs to thousands", and 1000 kinds of crimes are punished by ink punishment, which shows its wide application. This reflects the importance attached by society at that time to the destruction of appearance (including tattooing face, broken hair, painting body, etc.). ), officials use it to deter crime.

At the end of the Qin dynasty, the king of Jiujiang was sentenced to hang for a crime he committed when he was young, that is, tattooing and smearing ink. Therefore, people renamed Qing Bu Bu. Ying Bu said with a wry smile, "I was told my fortune, saying that I would be king if I was punished." At that time, everyone laughed at him, and the shameful title of Qing Bu accompanied Ying Bu all his life. Until Sima Qian wrote Historical Records, Ying Bu's biography was still called Biography of Qing Bu.

The development process of tattoo:

Tattoos have been recorded in China since ancient times, and tattoos have been tattooed on prisoners' faces since the pre-Qin period. In China's ancient records, there have been tattoos, sculptures, tattoos, tattoos, carvings and other words, and there are other examples that take tattoos as a warning.

Slowly, the tattoo has evolved into a personal decoration. For example, in Outlaws of the Marsh, one of the four classical novels, at least three important characters have tattoos: Shang Lu, Shijin, Kowloon and Yan Qing (Yan Qing), a prodigal son. Some punishments have a negative impression on tattoos, but in many cultures, tattoos are a symbol of social class and status.

In ancient Egypt, tattoos were used to show social status. In Victorian England, it was popular for women to tattoo red on their lips, which was similar to the modern beauty methods of permanent makeup such as lip makeup and eyebrow makeup.