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Death and the Devil in Body Art
It was a gorgeous summer day in Colorado. We were looking for something to do before Chauvinist the Younger goes off to camp, so we took the kids to The Renaissance Festival in Larkspur. This “festival” is actually a summer season theme park for people who really like to dress up in “historical” garb. I mean, really, really like dressing up. Enough to invest. Heavily.
Most of the shops (and that’s mostly what’s there besides food vendors and a few stages for the various theatrical, comedy, magic, and acrobatic acts) sell costumes, footwear, jewelry, hats, and weaponry(!) somewhat loosely related to the Renaissance (whichever one that may be — let’s just say historical accuracy isn’t the imperative). Pirates are a favorite theme, as are knights. The women select costumes ranging from witches to royal ladies. Now, of course, cross-dressing shows up as well — as if gender bending was commonly seen on the streets and celebrated in 14th century Italy. Whatever.
All the dress-up playacting seems like a terrific excuse to show-off one’s tatts, too (heh). Surprisingly, I’ve had enough exposure to the body art culture (mostly at Walmart) that I’m not even terribly disturbed by it anymore, with one exception. Why do so many tattoos portray Satan or seem to celebrate death, with skulls, for example?
It’s a sincere question. If I had more courage, I’d ask one of the wearers: “Why did you choose to permanently mark yourself (otherwise beautiful young woman) with a depiction of Satan on your arm?”
Is there a historic connection (to sailors, for instance), or is this a new development in the culture of death? Just wondering.
Published in General
I fear you already…..
Thanks for the laugh.
Don’t do it Arahant. That right there is the mark of the devil.
Yes, the baffled part I truly understand, especially given consideration to the effects of aging on the skin. However, I’m not (as) disturbed by crosses and angels and passages of Scripture I’ve seen. I mean, if you’re trying to make a statement, those are pretty good statements to make.
OTOH, not even a grimacing visage of Satan is going to make a 20-year-old, hundred pound waif look tough to me. Maybe the “poke-in-the-eye” hypothesis is correct. It’s just sad, though, that our young people are so purposeless and nihilistic. It’s not just that they’re not worried about what they’ll look like as grandparents (they’re probably not planning on having kids); they’re not worried about their eternal destination either. Sad.
Franco,
Oh, it’s not my first time. Not even my second impression, although we’ve had the kids with us every time. I don’t object to the playtrons (in fact, some good friends of the family are among them). And we’ve always been treated well although we’ve never gone in costume.
I was just observing the tattoo scene this time. There’s more and more of it, have you noticed?
We did see Rick Stratton’s show while there and we enjoyed some newcomers (to us) who do a gymnastic/acrobatic/juggling routine. It’s all in good fun. I just sometimes wonder if people know what they’re playing at when I see Satan or the Plague Doctor show up.
I think we stopped before that. They went through a couple of changes of entertainment directors, and the first change was to someone who didn’t actually like early music. The band was called Les Flutes Douces. Several of the members reformed under another name and wound up being hired back a few years later under a later entertainment director. I can’t remember the name they used, but one of them was a character named Dave Holt.
Jim Perkins used to play out there. He was on at least one of Owain’s albums on the song “We Be Soldiers Three.” I think Terry Herald may have done some work out there at one point. They are both friends.
Owain sang at my wedding. He and Paula live not too far away.
Franco, do you have a stage name at the festivals?
I just thought of another old band member who was such a serious Rennie that he changed his name to Baroque N. Renaissance.”
Simple answer: Because they look cool.
My thoughts about people who get such tattoos (and, I might add, tattoos in general) range from pity to amusement. The idea that folks think they can make themselves “badasses” by having an art-school dropout inject ink under their skin is funny to me.
Recently, I saw a guy sitting at a bar, drinking. He was costumed as a biker: Bandanna covering his bald head, leather jacket, studded belt, wallet chain, boots–the whole deal. There’s no doubt that he had some tats, as well. But he was fat and middle-aged, and when I mentally stripped his costume from his body (HEY, it’s not what you’re thinking!), he looked like an accountant. He’s certainly free to dress any way he likes, but I’m also free to LMAO, in my head, at least.
I have a cool tattoo of an entirely invisible dragon on my left arm. It’s so cool. You’ll just have to believe me.
I used to operate a retail electronics store. The following conversation actually happened in my store:
Unknown man with several military tattoos on his arms: “I’d like to see that radio.” Pointing.
Lenny, a retired Master Chief (hung out in the store a lot), “I know how many times you got drunk in the Navy.”
Military tatt guy, “I was in the Marines and I’ve been a teetotaler my whole life.” (Very insulted.)
Lenny (6′ 8″ a big man), “You mean you did that on purpose?”
Military tatt guy, “Yeah!” Looks Lenny over and turns and walks out.
Most dead things are cool, or at least get to that temperature quickly.