At A Glance
Author	Ania
Contact	[email protected]
IAM	deadly pale
When	N/A

A picture says more than a thousand words. Given the popularity of tattoos, many people obviously hold this statement true. Variety of flowers, butterflies, animals and many other designs show in how many ways people can express their feelings and attitude towards the world. Sometimes, however, a picture is not enough and some of us turn to lettering tattoos to express fully what we feel deep inside.

Pictures are great when it comes to express our feelings or mood but it is words that are omnipresent in our lives. We think in words, we name our feelings by means of words and we name people and things that are dear to us. Ever since humans mastered the complex skills of thinking and speaking, we have done so by means of words. The Bible tells about Adam naming everything in Paradise and thus taking control over it; Ulysses preferred to call himself "Nobody" to keep from revealing his identity to Poliphem and thus trying to avoid his revenge; in many tribal cultures young people, while coming of age, received new secret names known only to their closest relatives and friends. Old times and old superstitions? It may be but even now, subconsciously, we tend to believe in the power of words. We knock on wood while talking about things we do not want to happen. In many languages there are sayings and proverbs about the power of words; the Poles say "powiedziec cos w zla godzine" ("to say something in the wrong hour") meaning carelessly expressing our fears or not very well thought over wishes which, subsequently, happen and turn against us; an old Polish proverb says "slowo wylatuje wroblem a wraca wolem" ("a word flies away as a sparrow but comes back as an ox") showing how disastrous rumors and bad words might be. If we think a while about our native languages, we will come up with many other examples of the power words hold over us. Thus, deep within, most of us probably believe that words do indeed have significant and mysterious power.

Is there any wonder then that many people choose to tattoo words of personal importance on their skin? There are many reasons why we do that. In this text I would like to describe a few lettering tattoos and try to show what they mean to their owners. As the owner of two lettering tattoos, I decided to start with my own tattoos but I also asked for help a few IAM-ers who have such tattoos.

So far I acquired two lettering tattoos on my forearms. Both of them are fragments of Germanic poetry and neither of them is in my native language. The question "why" is both most fundamental and most difficult to answer as there are many reasons behind our modifications. I chose to tattoo my forearms this way for many different reasons. I am fascinated with languages and am deeply convinced that learning a foreign language is one of the most honest things one can do in this world � no nepotism, no corruption, no support from the outside; everything here depends only on us and am proud whenever I am able to learn a foreign language entirely on my own; figuring them out gives me a great sense of independence and pride. My reasons of those particular tattoos were described in some depth in my tattoo experiences but I would like to stress once more that my tattoos are supposed to give me strength in moments of doubt or despair, and to inspire me to work towards my goals.

The first one("There are only three things that, until one occurs, are uncertain: old age or illness or the edge of the sword can deprive a doomed man of his life") is in Old English, a language I was studying for some time and whose literature and culture I am deep in love with; the other one ("axe time, sword time, the sundered shields, wind time, wolf time, till the world's collapse") is in Modern German which is one of my current fascinations. By means of those foreign words which I understand either partially (I have never been fluent in Old English) or quite well (I know German relatively well although it still needs some work) I managed to create my own sacred sphere treasuring values I love and respect, and giving me strength when it is badly needed. They could not be done in my first language � firstly, because they would not speak to me strongly enough and secondly, because both those languages were/are a big part of my life. Finally, I would not like other people to "read" me and know, straight away, what my tattoos mean. With my choice of these words and these languages I have not only succeeded in creating my own small world (to some degree, of course) but have also protected it from being invaded by people's nosiness.

IAM: hallmark received her nickname, which subsequently became her screen name on IAM, from her tattoo artist as all her lettering tattoos are written in her own handwriting. Most of these lettering tattoos are in English, her native language ("Keep the Faith", "Live Forward", "You do see the sun again"), and one in Ukrainian ("friends forever as one family") to remember her stay and work in Ukraine. She says that her tattoos are not related to her interests but were done to commemorate significant moments in her life: "They are a reminder of where my life has taken me!" She is very proud of the fact that, due to stories behind her tattoos and the fact they are in her own handwriting, all her lettering tattoos are unique and no one else wears them.

For IAM:xflootootx the main reason to get a lettering tattoo done was his desire to have "a permanent ineradicable motto to encourage or oblige me to ignore discomfort, pain or weakness, and do what I must." His tattoo consists of two lines of one of the greatest Old English poems, The Battle of Maldon, done in the original Old English, and means: "Courage shall be firmer, heart the keener, Mind the greater, as our strength wanes." He is not fluent in Old English but is able to read it fairly well. He decided to use this language "because it is simple, homely, yet virile and expressive. In addition, I love the poem." He also states that this particular language is related to his interests because he loves Anglo-Saxon poetry for its muscular simplicity and often feels the need for encouragement when life gets difficult and poetry is a great prop at such not infrequent times.

IAM:MSIpinkeeMSI's chest is adorned with a tattooed banner reading "Like Father Like Son" written in English, and the Polish emblem in the center. He is aware of the role words play in communicating and demonstrating our feelings: "I got a lettering tattoo done because it is easy for society and me to understand. It is words, words are simple. Yet they can bless a meaning with depth and whatnot." His tattoo has double meaning as it was done to celebrate the memory of his father who passed away a few years ago and whose personality, obviously, was inherited by his son, and because IAM: MSIpinkeeMSI wanted to make clear that he is 100% Polish. The language the tattoo was done in is his second language (his first language is Polish) but he used to live many years in Florida and this place means a lot to him. Now, when he lives in Poland again, he is thinking about another lettering tattoo, this time in Polish.

IAM: Karnage has two lettering tattoos. One of them, which was his first tattoo ever, consists of Kanji characters that represent his fascination with martial arts and his involvement into them. According to his own words, the mushroom cloud his kanji is in (and the kanji, meaning "Chaos", itself) is supposed to represent his explosive personality. IAM: Karnage does not know Japanese at all. He is considering covering this piece up.

His second lettering tattoo is an old school piece saying "Rock'n'Roll Outlaw" (the words come from one of his favorite songs by Clutch). Even though his reasons for getting this particular tattoo were not too profound (he says he got this tattoo because his friend, a tattoo artist, was in the town at the time and he just wanted to get a new work done) it still represents his personality which he describes as violent and sometimes explosive. He is convinced that this tattoo "fits him quite well and that it would fit him even if he later changed his mind about the song."

IAM: savagerabbit has two lettering tattoos. One of them is a quote from Hunter S. Thompson whose writing had a big impact on her life and she wanted to memorialize both this impact and the author in this way. According to her own words, she did not decide to get a lettering tattoo done; she just saw the quote and, right away, knew she had to have it. The quote is in English.

Her second lettering tattoo is "Carpe Diem", stemming from her fascination both with the film "The Dead Poets' Society" and English literature and poetry. The saying, meaning "Seize the Day", is in Latin, a language she is not fluent in but she enjoys it and is aware of the influence this language had on English, her first language. As she says: "I know I wasn't very happy with my life at the time and I figured I'd get "Carpe Diem" tattooed on me as a way to remind myself to live life to the fullest and not dwell on the bad."

For IAM: socialobscenity her lettering tattoo, consisting of a quote from one of the songs by her favorite band (His Hero Is Gone), reflects both her values and chosen lifestyle. The lines, "But the shadows have foes" and "And like weeds we will grow", express her feelings and represent "a struggle against all systems of oppression, and the bond I like to think I share with others who struggle with me."

She chose lettering because she feels that words are both straightforward and open to various interpretations. The quote is in English because it is her native language (and she feels that one should know more or less the language which one's tattoo is in) and because the song the quote comes from is in this language.

Two of her other tattoos are also lettering ones. Both are custom pieces and tell about values and places playing an important role in her life. Her arm tattoo is a stylized drawing of two redwoods and the night sky with a quote from one of the songs by a band A Silver Mt. Zion. She says that at first she did not plan to include words in the tattoo but "they just fit the picture and idea behind the tattoo so perfectly, it just clicked. I added them and the design was perfect." This tattoo reflects her love for her adopted hometown, Santa Cruz, CA, which is surrounded by redwood forests.

Her last lettering tattoo consists of two banners, on the back of her thighs, reading "vegan" and "love". She has been a vegan for a long time and decided to "permanently mark herself with her beliefs." For IAM: socialobscenity it was the perfect way to demonstrate her personal values and beliefs because "this was the most straightforward way to declare my beliefs, and I now have a permanent reminder of my commitment."

IAM: Elaine's lettering tattoo was her first one and, since she wanted to have something meaningful tattooed on her, the words seemed to be a good route. She describes herself as "more a lexical than graphical person" and is a linguist, so for her "the words are just great." Her tattoo is in Hebrew because the quote (Isaiah 56:5, "I will give to them . . . a memorial [lit. 'hand'] and a name.") was originally in Hebrew and because she likes this language � she studied it for a year and, even though not really fluent, she is able to read and enjoy it.

The quote itself has a very important meaning to IAM: Elaine: "The verse in its whole context is referring to eunuchs and foreigners, who had not traditionally been included in the nation of Israel. There were provisions in Israel's law (the Torah) for the inclusion of foreigners but they were largely ignored or followed nominally. However, God is here expanding his plan, and the previous verses read, "Let no foreigner who has bound himself to the LORD say, 'The LORD will surely exclude me from his people.' And let not any eunuch complain, 'I am only a dry tree.'" So now he is including those who were previously excluded. And to make a long story short, that is a reminder to me that I, who also am an outsider many times, will by no means be excluded from God's people either."

"Words are and have always been very important to me � says IAM: wolfbane - so getting a lettering tattoo seemed like a logical progression." IAM: wolfbane goes on to say that "symbols can change over time but words stay the same and I wanted to be happy with the text that I was getting." Her three lettering tattoos ("There is eloquence in screaming" and "Not all those who wander are lost", both written down and tattooed in runic characters and "In darkness I will find you giving up inside like me" written in English) hold very personal meaning to her and she perceives them as a way to find beauty in difficult and socially negatively perceived acts (such as cutting / self-injury) and self-acceptance.

Runic characters in which her two tattoos are done in were chosen due to their double meaning (runes both present sounds and symbolize certain values, such as protection, fertility, courage etc. and thus were very often used in magic). She is very familiar with them and can read them well. She comes from Wales and, even though she was brought up speaking English, her Welsh heritage is very important to her therefore she is considering getting a tattoo done in Welsh once she masters this language.

Behind the tattoos described here one will find stories and meanings important to the tattoos' owners. Some of us want to communicate with the world by means of our tattoos to show people who we really are; others seek the way to deal with their problems and try to find some consolation in words written down on us forever. Some of us knew right away that the words we have chosen are meant for us while others put a lot of thought into the decision-making process. All these tattoos differ as far as designs, quotes and stories behind them go; however, all of them have something in common � they show ourselves and others what is important to us and what we strive for.