Nowadays we are not surprised if we see someone with piercings. It is something completely widespread in Western culture, just as it happens with tattoos and other body adornments. However, was it always like this?
The origin of piercings dates back thousands of years, when the first humans populated the earth. It was not just aesthetics, but these ornaments were related to much deeper meanings, often linked to religion and the stages of life and its transition. If you are interested in knowing what is the origin of piercings , keep reading. We propose a trip to the beginnings of this practice that is so common today.
The origin of piercings: when humans began to pierce their bodies
The word piercing is an Anglicism that comes from the verb to pierce (to pierce, pierce) in its gerund form, which indicates action. Therefore, when we talk about piercing we refer to the act of piercing, but currently the meaning extends to the object in question with which we adorn the body. There are various types of piercings. The most famous are those placed in the nostrils, eyebrows and lips, but we also find piercings in the tongue, nipples and genitals; a priori astonishing areas, but of which, if we investigate a little, we find some testimonies in history.
We cannot forget either that the classic ear earrings, which have been normalized in Western tradition since ancient times, are also piercings, since they are also piercings of the flesh. It is common nowadays to find people who do not limit themselves to a single earring, but rather pierce several parts of their ear to increase the number of piercings. But What is the origin of piercings? When and where did they start to be used? What was its meaning?
We can say that piercing is as old as human culture, since Skeletons of individuals who lived in Prehistory have been found with evidence of having worn a similar ornament For example, human remains have recently been discovered in modern-day Turkey that date back to about 11,000 years ago and that had decorative objects next to their ears and mouth, as funerary trousseau, that have been interpreted as piercings. On the other hand, the pronounced wear that experts have observed on their lower incisors is similar to that which occurs when wearing a perforated ornament.
These findings confirm that, during the Neolithic, people already had piercings on their bodies. Now what was its meaning? Was it a mere decoration, as we might wear them now, or did they have a specific symbolism?
In fact, the fact that all the individuals found with piercings nearby were adults leads one to think that these piercings would rather be due to a ritual of passage from childhood to adulthood something quite common in many cultures that used perforations as vital transit markings.
What was the meaning of the first piercings?
There are many theories about this, and anthropologists often disagree. The fact is that The custom of piercing meat and decorating it remained in many cultures, and some continue to maintain it today
The reasons are diverse, but among them, we can highlight three: first, the transit rites; second, the piercing as a testimony of a higher spiritual state; and, finally, the piercing as a symbol of belonging. Let’s look at them one by one.
Transit rites
This theory would fit with the reality of many current primitive communities, which continue to pierce their skin to celebrate the transition from child to adult. Since ancient times, puberty and, therefore, the beginning of sexual activity, has been a transition of great importance, to the point that many cultures subjected (and still subject) young people to various tests to “certify” their passage to sexual life. adult life. For example, some tribes in Borneo pierced boys’ genitals as a symbol that they were no longer children.
Some anthropologists venture that the origin of this practice is found in the ritual of pain , common in many cultures. To show that he is really prepared to face adult life and the problems and sufferings that it entails, the young man must prove that he is capable of enduring pain. In this sense, the perforation of the flesh would be nothing more than a test of its ability to tolerate pain; that is, a proof of his “adulthood.”
Higher spiritual state
Another origin of piercing is its religious symbolism. In this case, the use of these ornaments would be related to the connection with a higher spiritual state, a kind of trance, reserved for priests or people who have reached such a high level of spirituality.
The Mayan culture of the classic period stands out especially for its profuse body decoration, both through tattoos and piercings in various parts of the body. Among others, the jade stone inlays in the teeth and the piercings they had in the tongue stand out especially. Some anthropologists consider that this custom was related to religious practices, but others are more inclined to see it as part of Mayan aesthetics and the expression of the individual’s social status.
The Nuba people, located in Sudan, decorate their entire body with paintings, tattoos and piercings, either as a manifestation of religious rites or also to show their status.
But probably One of the most impressive rites of purification through the piercing of the flesh is the Kavadi ritual , enrolled in the Hindu religion. Two days before the celebration of the sacred festival, the faithful must purify themselves, and this entails a vegetarian diet, abstaining from alcohol and sex, and a mortification of the flesh that goes through certain piercings in the tongue, cheeks, and other parts of the body. . Something similar happens in southern Thailand, where there is also a period of ritual purification that includes abstention from the consumption of products of animal origin, as well as ritual piercings to drive away evil spirits that may contaminate the community.
This may be the primary function of the ancestral practice of piercings, beyond vital transit processes or religious rituals. In almost all cultures, individuals have wanted to express their status or identify with a specific group ; in fact, it still happens today and sometimes the piercing is still a good vehicle for it, even in Western society.
In India, newly married women pierce their nasal septum, thus indicating their fertility status after marriage. It is the piercing known as nath, already mentioned in the oldest Vedic texts, and even in the Bible, where it is narrated that the wife of Abraham’s son receives a nath from him as a gift from her.
Piercings and other body adornments can also carry a meaning of belonging to the tribe , that is, to a specific group. For example, the Maasai of Africa wear ear rings, in addition to other decorations, to express their belonging to the tribe. On the other hand, we must not forget that this type of body decorations also ascribed the individual to a specific status within his community.
In conclusion, we can affirm that, although today (and, especially, in the West) the piercing has become a mere aesthetic product, in ancient times and in many current communities it continues to be an important symbol, both of its beliefs as well as their identity.
