Religious tattoos are not at all a new phenomenon. They represent man’s rapport with the higher being or beings that they happen to worship. The practice has been in existence since historical times. In ancient Egypt women sported tattoos of the Egyptian goddess of fertility so that they were blessed with many children. A lot of mummies entombed in the pyramids wore tattoos around their midriffs. In the Roman Empire tattoos were considered taboo. To the Romans they were symbols of shame and disgrace and as such worn only on the person of prisoners and criminals to denote their deplorable status. In other historic epochs where beliefs in spirits prevailed, tattoos were worn to protect people from the evil influences that those spirits wielded. Various animals also were subject for tattoos in those times, representing religious beliefs in existence at a given period.
The early followers of Christianity wore tattoos under their arms because the Roman authorities had banned the new religion. Such tattoos were also secret identity symbols for Christians to recognize one another. The crusaders also made use of tiny crosses on their arms so that they would get a Christian burial in case they die in faraway lands.
Such tattoos were also evident in ancient India and to a large extent in most South East Asian counties. Traditional Hindus wore tattoos depicting the various gods and goddesses on their bodies. Buddhist monks tattooed scriptural texts on their person in the belief that the practice will maintain harmony and peace between the soul and body.
In modern times religious tattoos are still in existence, but they are more in tune with the latest fashion trends and represent the various religions prevalent all around the world. Even has to keep up with the times and the ever changing trends.