Body piercing is not an invention of the twentieth century; its popularity has only exploded in recent years. Rumors of body piercing go back to ancient Roman armies. It is believed that soldiers used the rings in their nipple piercings to secure their heavy robes and capes. Apparently this was a sign of masculinity...it sounds more like a way to lose your nipples. The Romans also pierced their slaves’ genitalia because they believed it would keep them from reproducing...not exactly the effect that it has on modern day society.

Kirdi women in Africa wear long inserts in their ears along with many other piercings. They believe the spikes will protect them from the evil exhalations of supernatural forces. Several African tribes pierce the lips of their women and place a plate into the opening. As they age a larger plate is inserted into the hole, the logic being that the bigger the hole is the more beautiful the woman is. The size of the plate is also directly proportional to how much a man will pay for his wife. Some African tribes think that illnesses are caused by demons that fly up their noses and that wearing rings in their noses will scare away these demons. French explorers identified a Native American tribe as Nez Perce because members of the tribe wore pendants attached to the piercings in their noses. The nasal septum piercings in Australia and Papua New Guinea are thought to enhance the cross-sensual perception of the wearer. This is regarded as a magical or paranormal experience where one or more of the five senses expands into the realm of the others.

Such magical effects are only one reason for tribal body decorations. The others deal with indication of clan, tribal, or totemic group affiliation, indication of age, social ranking, or status, marking of slaves and criminals, a sign of mourning, deflection of evil and illness, gaining entry to the next world after death, a frightening or fierce appearance to one’s enemies during battle, making oneself more attractive, or the enhancement of sexual stimulation.

The Mayans would temporarily pierce their tongues for communication with the spirits of their ancestors. Today tongue piercings are performed for reasons that would make your ancestors glad they were dead.

When I told a previous boyfriend that I wanted to get my tongue pierced, his immediate response was "Well, you know what they say about girls with tongue rings!" He lucked out that this was a conversation on AIM and we were hours apart, putting him out of smacking range. He didn’t try to explain that any farther and I didn’t ask because I knew it was nothing I wanted to hear. Instead I got to steam over the sexual reference I heard. I wanted a tongue ring because I liked the way they looked and thought they were cool...great logic, right? However, I decided that I would not be getting my tongue pierced while I was dating him.

Body piercings are performed today for reasons that go beyond the aesthetic appearance of them. A hole is put into the skin and then a piece of jewelry is inserted into it so the hole will heal around it. This changes the body, creates new surfaces, edges, ridges, and orifices that are all extremely sensitive. Thus already sensitive areas are even more so or new erogenous areas may be created. The protrusion of the jewelry also can be enjoyable to the person wearing the jewelry or anyone that comes in contact with it.

I have always admired body piercings but it took me until the summer after my first year of college to build up the courage, as well as the explanations for my parents, to get anything beyond simple lobe piercings. I knew my father would have had several choice things to say to me if I went out and got the eyebrow or tongue piercing that I really wanted, so I opted to put a sixteen gauge hoop through the middle of both of my ears. The first was one completely painless; the second brought tears to my eyes and blood from my ear. It took a frosty to calm my stomach down. I showed my mother these earrings the minute I walked in the door because she was upset with me when I had not shown her my second and third sets of lobe piercings. A look of total disgust passed over her face as she declared they were gross. I honestly didn’t care what she thought because I liked them. Later that summer I went and had my industrial done.

I stepped up to the counter and took a deep breath, announcing that I was ready. The young lady nodded, addressing the man in the back room. A few minutes later he emerged and motioned me back. The butterflies had started to flutter so I asked, "Can my friend come back?" He nodded and we followed him back into the small, sterile room and I was seated in the dentist chair in the middle of the room.

The technician began to scrub his hands in the sink in the corner. He looked over his shoulder and asked if I had done this before and knew what to expect. It was my turn to nod. Once he finished he snapped on a pair of latex gloves and had me recline and relax in the chair. He handed me a mirror to show me what and where he was going to do. Agreeing with him I took a deep breath.

Piercing techniques have evolved throughout history. Pioneer girls placed small potatoes behind their ears and ran a hot needle through the lobe. A piece of straw was left in the hole until it healed and then golden hoops were usually worn. Variations of this procedure are practiced today when people, like my younger sister, decide to pierce their own ears. She chose to numb her ear with a piece of ice and then force a sewing needle through it. It’s not sterile and can be dangerous if the needle is shoved too far, but it can occur when children take matters into their own hands after a parent’s refusal.