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[Anslol]

Tattoos mean more to a Minmatar than a life time supply of T2 duct tape and beer. The mere presence of a voluval mark can determine an individuals status for the rest of their lives, as well as effect their future generations.

However, not all tattoos are of that ritual. Some are reminders of battles, life events, families, births, deaths, and so on and so forth. But each has a meaning for them. It makes sense that a Matari person would be offended at the idea of someone (lolGallente) using tattoos as a type of fashion. But is that disdain for extra-cultural use of a tradition held dear by the Minmatar limited to just meaninglessness or over all use despite meaning?

I ask because, ICly, Anslo now has a tattoo that, to him, has meaning and importance. So far one Minmatar ICly knows about it and approves. They key to the approval was that there was a purpose, that it wasn't just for looks. So I ask this to Minmatar RPers here.

Would a Gallentean be looked down on for getting a tattoo at all, or only if it was meaningless? I do not ask so that I can adjust my RP to not rustle feathers (I'm not getting rid of his tattoo), but more for my own interest and intrigue.

[Lithium Flower]

I believe there are better ways to offend a minmatar, than making a tattoo. Besides, by doing a tattoo you are doing it with your own body 

I am not a minmatar RP-er myself, sorry, never tried it, but I think that what would really offend minmatar is a tattoo that has also some sort of sacred minmatar meaning, used for another or no meaning. For example, Ray of matar.

[Katrina Oniseki]

Minmatar do not have the exclusive cultural trademark on all tattoos. That's not what offends them. They won't care if Anslo has a sailor's anchor behind a heart that says "MOM" on it. They won't care if he has a big tattoo across his back that says "GURI 4 LYFE", or an image of a praying Saint Kor-Azor with a crown of thorns behind a sunburst, or whatever.

Minmatar only care about Minmatar Tattoos. That means tattoos that have specific meaning to Minmatar culture, such as the voluval, naming marks, and other extremely specific designs that mean specific things. Minmatar tattoos are like a visual language. They tell very specific stories about the wearer, and as such they likely follow a very specific format and style, not entirely unlike a written language.

So, most tattoos will mean nothing to a Minmatar beyond the actual visual representation or words they say. It's possible that Anslo's tattoo might mean something obscure or unintentional to a Minmatar, in the manner of how you might scribble some lines down on a piece of paper and it ends up almost looking like a word. Most likely, if Anslo just got a regular picture tattoo or some regular words inked on... it's no big deal.

Keep in mind that literally every race and bloodline has a selection of tattoos, including Amarr and Caldari.

[Anslol]

Do you know anything about the naming tattoos or other non-Voluval tattoos? I checked evelopedia but couldn't find anything very specific.

Namely, I'm interested in some Tribal Name tattoo for a possible background story for Anslo. Nothing major, just an interesting side story of his.

[Katrina Oniseki]

Do you know anything about the naming tattoos or other non-Voluval tattoos? I checked evelopedia but couldn't find anything very specific.

Namely, I'm interested in some Tribal Name tattoo for a possible background story for Anslo. Nothing major, just an interesting side story of his.

Information on them is available in the Chronicle called "Tattoos". You should keep in mind that the Minmatar may not have a tattoo for a Gallente name like "Anslo", thus rendering his naming tattoo either a meaningless forgery or something worse.

Now, assuming all things are fair for Anslo... and he's gotten a legit Minmatar tattoo that means something equally legit... he's still going to get some angry responses from other Minmatar. Two reasons on that.

1.) Not all Minmatar think the same thing. while someone moderate and friendly like Ava might approve, you might have some other Minmatar roll up his sleeves and take a swing. IC, opinions vary between the person. In the end, at first glance, Anslo is a Gallente who's wearing a Minmatar tattoo.

2.) Most players OOC are trained to see Gallente wearing Matari tattoos in a poor light, and will have their characters react accordingly. It's a stereotype of Gallente cultural mocking that comes directly from PF, and so you can expect that others will assume you're following that trope. You'll need to be vigilant in reminding players that these are legit tattoos... but you still have problem #1 to deal with. Convincing the characters.

[Matariki Rain]

It depends. There's no Minmatar hegemony or unified view of things like this.

I asume you've read the Tattoos chronicle, yes?

A Minmatar cannot bestow upon herself just any tattoo. In some cases she may be able to influence styling and shape, but she cannot add a tattoo without having first earned the right. Inking a tattoo upon yourself without permission is considered a grave crime and offenders are subject to severe judicial punishment.

[....]

The Gallente find the culture of tattoos somewhat barbaric and uncivilized, and early on tried to persuade their Minmatar neighbors to drop this old custom and embrace their future as a civilized nation. Their efforts to this end were initially met with polite denials and later with derision, but interestingly the Gallente youth now find the custom fascinating. Indeed, it is not uncommon to see young Gallente teenagers sporting tribal and gang motifs lifted from their Minmatar peers, symbols of whose true meaning they have little to no knowledge. This can evoke anything between high derision and outright hostility when those so inked encounter true Minmatar.

If I were to generalise I'd say that if it's clearly not a Minmatar design then it's your business. If it is a Minmatar design and you're in Matari space, there's an issue. How that issue will be handled is up to the tribe and individuals involved.

[Anslol]

So if it was a more benign but meaningful Matari tattoo, such as a sub-clan's tattoo given to him for his assistance in something very important to them, it could still elicit some strong negative reactions.

[Matariki Rain]

So if it was a more benign but meaningful Matari tattoo, such as a sub-clan's tattoo given to him for his assistance in something very important to them, it could still elicit some strong negative reactions.

Yes.

My reading of things is that a sub-clan wouldn't "give" its own marking: bearing that just means you are (or are mistakenly claiming to be) a member of the sub-clan.

I note that there is -- or was when I was aware of things -- a strand of Matari RP that's pretty dismissive of clans that "adopt" people indiscriminately.

[Makkal]

A Gallente wearing a Minmatar tattoo is going to be seen as engaging in cultural appropriation. The Federation as a whole has a reputation of treating other's cultures as an entertainment product. The Minmatar are highly protective of their culture.

You'll get some negative first reactions from Minmatar players, and even if you have a good excuse, some of them aren't going to budge. Others might be more chill about it.

[Shintoko Akahoshi]

The best you could probably hope for, though, would be the reaction that white folks with tattoos of random Han characters get when they go to Japan.

"Nice... *snicker-snicker* ...tattoo..."

[Lyn Farel]

Tattoos mean more to a Minmatar than a life time supply of T2 duct tape and beer. The mere presence of a voluval mark can determine an individuals status for the rest of their lives, as well as effect their future generations.

However, not all tattoos are of that ritual. Some are reminders of battles, life events, families, births, deaths, and so on and so forth. But each has a meaning for them. It makes sense that a Matari person would be offended at the idea of someone (lolGallente) using tattoos as a type of fashion. But is that disdain for extra-cultural use of a tradition held dear by the Minmatar limited to just meaninglessness or over all use despite meaning?

I ask because, ICly, Anslo now has a tattoo that, to him, has meaning and importance. So far one Minmatar ICly knows about it and approves. They key to the approval was that there was a purpose, that it wasn't just for looks. So I ask this to Minmatar RPers here.

Would a Gallentean be looked down on for getting a tattoo at all, or only if it was meaningless? I do not ask so that I can adjust my RP to not rustle feathers (I'm not getting rid of his tattoo), but more for my own interest and intrigue.

Do it ingame and find out ?

[Samira Kernher]

So if it was a more benign but meaningful Matari tattoo, such as a sub-clan's tattoo given to him for his assistance in something very important to them, it could still elicit some strong negative reactions.

Would guarantee a strong negative response. Minmatar have a very specific process for applying tattoos. Namely, they don't apply them (beyond the temporary naming mark) on anyone who doesn't have a voluval (and who is therefore part of the tribe/clan/etc). Therefore the only way Anslo would have been given a tattoo would have been if he worked his ass off to integrate into a clan/tribe and undergone the voluval, received his naming tattoo, and then been granted another tattoo in response to stuff he's done.

Matari take these things serious, yo.

[Katrina Oniseki]

So if it was a more benign but meaningful Matari tattoo, such as a sub-clan's tattoo given to him for his assistance in something very important to them, it could still elicit some strong negative reactions.

Would guarantee a strong negative response. Minmatar have a very specific process for applying tattoos. Namely, they don't apply them (beyond the temporary naming mark) on anyone who doesn't have a voluval (and who is therefore part of the tribe/clan/etc). Therefore the only way Anslo would have been given a tattoo would have been if he worked his ass off to integrate into a clan/tribe and undergone the voluval, received his naming tattoo, and then been granted another tattoo in response to stuff he's done.

Matari take these things serious, yo.

Good point. I'd forgotten about that part.

[Samira Kernher]

Thinking on it though... I suppose it's possible that some individual clans could potentially have "friends of the tribe/clan" tattoos that are granted to outsiders. Not sure on that, though.

[Anslol]

Thinking on it though... I suppose it's possible that some individual clans could potentially have "friends of the tribe/clan" tattoos that are granted to outsiders. Not sure on that, though.

Crux of the matter. I need to find out if this is PF or not. Thanks for the info everyone! Back to research.