The thought that body piercing is a flash in the pan trend which is certain to wane in popularity or even disappear could not be any further from the truth. Even though piercing is relatively new in modern western society, it has existed since before the beginning of recorded history. In addition, body piercing has been documented in both ancient and modern civilizations from every continent on earth.

Body piercing has held a revered place in many different cultures for many thousands of years. As part of religious ritual, body piercing has been around almost as long as mankind. Piercing has historically been a symbol of social/political power and physical prowess in several societies. For example. ..septum and nipple piercings symbolized strength among Roman gladiators and tribal societies at war, to the exclusive use of navel rings on the holy statues of the Pharaoh in ancient Egypt. These are only a few of many examples of the long-standing nature of body piercing and it's permanent place in human civilization.

I thought it might be interesting to have a look at several of the more common piercings and delve into their history a bit. So...here we go. The logical place to start is with the most common type of piercing...the ears.

The most visible body piercing throughout history is the pierced ear lobe. This piercing is found in almost every culture on earth. The oldest mummy ever found, dating back five thousand years, had its ear pierced and there is evidence that over two thousand years ago the people on the Island of Cyprus had ear piercings. The Bible also talks about it in Genesis, 22:42, where Abraham gives the gift of an earring to Rebecca as part of a wedding dowry for her marriage to his son Issac. This ritual is still followed today among some African and Middle Eastern cultures where an earring is given to the bride as a symbol of marriage and to ensure her financial security in the event of divorce. The earrings size can also indicate the affluence of the wearer and is an important symbol of social status. Tribes in South America and parts of Africa pierce their ears and stretch the holes; the larger the hole, the greater the person's importance in the tribe. This practice has gone on for countless generations.

Earrings were also popular with pirates and most other seafarers of the past. The single ring hoop type earring was believed to aid the sailor with his vision at sea and had a secondary use of paying for a decent burial should the body of a sailor wash up on shore after an accident or storm. The unfortunate person who found the body was expected to take the earring, sell it, and pay for the burial with the proceeds.

Nipples:

Roman centurions wore nipple rings as a sign of virility and courage and as a dress accessory for holding their short capes.

In the mid 14th century, Queen Isabella of Bavaria introduced a revolutionary new style of dress that had an open neckline clear down to the navel. This fashion naturally led to the application of rouge to openly displayed nipples. .. then to positioning diamond studded rings with caps on them. This then evolved into piercing them and passing gold chains through them adorned with diamonds.

Navel:

The earliest records of navel piercing date to the ancient civilisations of Egypt. It was only the Pharohs and their royal relatives who were permitted to have their navels pierced. Any unfortunate soul who broke this law was promptly executed. Although, if a peasant girl was born with the high priests considered "The Perfect Belly Button" she was on occasion permitted to have it pierced, instantly elevating her social standing.

Nose/Nostril:

Nostril piercing first originated in the Middle-East some 4000 years ago. A passage from Genesis in the Bible's Old Testament says, "...The man took out a gold nose ring....". From there it migrated to India around the 16th century, where it was quickly embraced by the noble castes. The kind of jewellery worn could distinguish the wearer by caste and social standing. Nose piercing was made popular in the west by the Hippy movement that travelled to India in the '60's and '70's. It was then adopted by the Punk and other youth cultures of the '80's and '90's.

Tongue:

Tongue piercing was practiced by Aztec and Mayan priests and shamans, in the belief that it would help them better communicate with their gods. It has always been practiced by the Haida, Kwakiutul, and Tlinglit tribes of the American Northwest. The tongue is pierced to let blood, appeasing the gods and create an altered state of consciousness in which the priest or shaman can communicate with the gods. In addition, it was and is common among Australian Aborigines.

Lip piercing:

Ancient Aztec and Mayan adult males underwent labret piercing and wore elaborate gold labrets to differentiate themselves as members of high social standing. Among certain African tribes, lip piercing had religious significance, while others saw labrets as simply body adornment. Some African tribes used labret piercing as part of the rite of betrothal. Today, lower labret piercing is still found among tribes in Amazon, West Africa, India and North American Indian. Upper labret piercings are unique to tribes in the African nation of Chad.

Foreskin:

Foreskin piercing evolved from a practice originated in ancient Greece during the Olympic Games of 776 B.C.. Atheletes competed naked, so to prevent their genitals from flopping around and lower the risk of chafing and tearing they fastened a ribbon around the foreskin and tied the ends securely at the base of the shaft. They called this device a Kynodesme Fastening Band. The practice evolved into a more permanent form in Rome between 200 and 400 A.D.. The Romans pierced the foreskin of atheletes and slaves with a metal rings that were welded shut. The Romans called this apparatus a Fibula. Its primary function was to prevent erections...not so much for protection but to ensure the athelete didn't break the training regimen and so the slaves could not breed.

Prince Albert:

Prior to being associated with royalty, Victorian haberdashers refered to the Prince Albert as a Dressing Ring. The practice supposedly originated with Beau Brummel, "a gay effete bachelor" who used the device to secure his over-sized member against his thigh to reduce the appearance of his "manly endowments". In 1842, at the age of twenty-five, Prince Albert had a Dressing Ring placed on his organ. Gossip magazines of the time gave a new moniker to the Dressing Ring...the Prince Albert.

The Prince Albert has quite a storied history. In addition to being used as a fashion accessory, it was and is still used for hightened erotic pleasure. Interestingly enough, Benito Mussolini had a Prince Albert for the purpose of fondling his member through a hole in his pants pocket. IL Duce is thought to have fondled his P.A. to boost his confidence, especially when making important decisions. And...Saddhu fakirs of Southern India hung weights off their P.A.s and stretched their tallywhackers to lengths of between two and three feet! Of course, it is rendered non functional after this. The fakirs would then wrap their stretched organs around their waists and display themselves for money.

I hope you have found this brief history of piercing informative and entertaining. Having your body pierced is a serious decision. There are different pain levels and healing difficulties associated with each area of the body that can be pierced. Knowing the facts can help you to make the right decision when thinking of getting a body piercing. If you should realize that the person who is about to poke a needle in your skin is not practicing safe and sterile methods, GET OUT! You have the right to stand up out of the chair and tell them no thank you!