In the ancient world body piercing was often identified with royalty and symbolized courage and virility. The Pharaos in Egypt wore navel rings as a rite of passage from the world of the living to the after-world. High rank Roman soldiers pierced their nipples to show their manhood and
obligation to protect their Caesars.

Nose piercing reached India in the 16th Century. The nose stud (Phul) is usually worn in the left nostril as it is supposed to make childbirth easier. Sometimes, it is joined to the ear by a chain, or both nostrils are pierced.

Tongue piercing was part of a religious ritual of the high priests of the Aztecs, Shamans, and the Mayans in Central America, and of the Haida, Kawakiutul and Tlinglit tribes in Northwest America. They used to pierce their tongue in order to draw blood to propitiate the gods, and to communicate with them on another level.

Lip piercing was widely practiced among tribes in Africa and Central America. The Dogon tribe
of Mali pierced their lips with a ring for religious reasons. They believed that the world was created by their ancestor spirit “Noomi” weaving threadthrough her teeth, but instead of thread out came speech.

Lip piercing is usually done with labrets (from the Latin word “labrum” - lip). The women of the Maikololo tribe of Malawi, in Africa, wear plates called ” Pelele” in their upper lip to arouse the men. Labrets are usually made of wood, ivory, or metal. Among the tribes of Central Africa and Central America the labret piercing is stretched to extremely large propotions. The ancient Aztecs and the Mayans wore beautiful labrets fashioned from pure gold in the shapes of serpents. The Native Americans of the Pacific Northwest, and the Intuit peoples of northen Canada and Alaska wore labrets fashioned from walrus ivory, abalone shell, bones, and wood.

The African explorer Dr. Livingstone, once asked a chief of a tribe what was the reason for
wearing a big labret on the lip. Surprised at the question the chief answered: “For beauty!”.

One of the most common piercing among primitive peoples is the Septum piercing. It was particularly prevalent among warrior cultures, probably because the large tusks through the septum give the face a fierce appearance. The Aztecs, the Mayans, and the Incas loved septum piercing with jade and gold jewelry because their religious associations.

Ear piercing was practiced largely by many primitive tribes. They believed that demons and spirits can enter the body through the ear but would be repelled by metal, and ear piercing would prevent them from entering the body. Sailors, during the Elizabethan era, used to have their ears pierced to improve their eyesight. In case their body washed to the shore and someone would find them, the jewelry would pay their Christian burial.

Later, during the Victorian era, genital piercing became fashionable, allegedly to impose chastity in women.

By the end of the 1960’s and the beginning of the 1970’s body piercing appeared as a form of rebellion, and self- expression of the individual. It was first popularized in the United States by Jim Ward and his piercing shop, The Gauntlet, which opened in 1975 in Los Angeles. Today, body piercing is regard as a kind of artistic expression, others see it as a form of sexual expression and stimulation. Celebrities like Hollywood stars, Rock stars, and Sports figures, are models for imitation.

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