All about ear piercing: types of piercings, history, tips and earrings. Where did the custom of wearing an earring in the ear come from?

The beginning of the history of wearing earrings in the ears among men in Russia was laid by the military Cossack movement. This sub-ethnos appeared on the territory of Russia since the Zaporizhzhya Sich became part of our state. The Cossacks who inhabited the Zaporizhian Sich did not completely become part of Russia, some of them went to Turkey, but the majority settled along the southern borders of the Russian Empire.

The earring in the Cossack's ear indicated his status in the family. It is known that the only son in the family of a single mother or the last man in the family, on which the male line ended, wore an earring in his left ear. In the right ear is the only son in the family. Two earrings in the right ear were worn by the only child in the family.

On the one hand, the earring was a protective talisman protecting the Cossack in battle. On the other hand, the commander saw who should be protected in battle. It is from here that the command “Equal!”, known in the army, comes from, the soldiers specially turned their heads to demonstrate to the commander the presence or absence of an earring in the right or left ear.

The history of men wearing earrings in various cultures and subcultures

Interestingly, earrings originally appeared as men's jewelry. For example, in Asian cultures for several millennia there is a tradition in which skilled craftsmen make jewelry for men. The ancient Egyptians also wore earrings in their ears, which was an indicator of high social status and wealth.

In ancient Rome, on the other hand, an earring in the ear indicated a slave, and in ancient Greece, a man who made a living by prostitution. In the gypsy tradition, an earring was put into the ear of the boy who was born after the death of the previous child. In the thieves' tradition, an earring in the ear indicates belonging to the "bottom of life" and the absence of fear.

For pirates, each new ring in the ear denoted another captured ship. Ordinary sailors put an earring in their ear as soon as they managed to cross the equator. "On land" such a sailor was very much, and among his colleagues he was allowed and forgiven a lot.

Piercing in the 21st century

Today you will not surprise anyone with an earring in a man's ear. There are no special requirements for a man who decides to adorn himself with an earring, he should not have a special social status, stand out from other men in some way. The symbolism of wearing an earring has faded and transformed into a sign that attracts the attention of the opposite sex. It should be noted that the earring, as a hint of homosexuality, is also no longer valid, because. a lot of young straight people get pierced ears. The wearing of an earring does not currently have any practical or conceptual application either.

History of piercing

The history of piercing goes back thousands of years. Since ancient times, a person has tried to decorate his body with punctures, sometimes punctures on the body symbolized a person's belonging to one or another caste, to one or another layer of society.

In Egypt, women pierced their navels, unlike today, then only the pharaoh's close associates and priestesses were allowed to wear a ring on this part of the body. In ancient India, the fairer sex wore an earring in one of the nostrils, which was a sign of marriage. Ancient Roman warriors preferred to pierce the nipples. For men, this meant that the owner of the earring in the nipple had a fair amount of courage and courage. Piercing was used in many rituals in which a person had to pass the test of pain and prove his masculinity. For many, piercing is associated with punctures on the body of the crucified Christ. continuation

By piercing certain places on the body, people pursue various goals. Either this is the desire to decorate your body, stand out from the crowd, draw attention to yourself, look more sexy (usually these are places available for general viewing). Either a person seeks to change his sensations or make them more acute, with punctures of the genitals, nipples, tongue and other places. With the help of piercing, a person, at times, proves to himself that he is able to withstand many tests.

Life was filled with peace and beauty. Naked beauty, but perfect. And all this would have continued until now, if Adam had not succumbed to the temptation of Eve, the first woman. Everything in this world is done for women. And sin appeared on the earth. People began to put on robes so as not to tempt each other with carnal sin. And, losing his natural attractiveness under clothes, a person made up for it in with the same clothes or their accessories. Despite the fact that the word itself (French mode from Latin modus - rule) - the short dominance of a certain taste in any area - appeared on the lips millennia after the above events, a charming, unpredictable and capricious woman hiding her face under this name, began to disturb the human mind much earlier. It was she and, of course, the desire to attract the attention of the opposite sex that motivated people to change from mammoth skin to leggings, and then jeans, from Roman sandals to sandals. Thanks to fashion, duels, wars took place, bridges, temples, cities were built and collapsed. Odes, symphonies, raves were written in her honor. gave way. It was fashion that stopped the ever-seeking look of the 90s on their own body (back to the origins?), More precisely, on the introduction of foreign substances into it.

Body Piercings

Body Piercings (English - body piercings) - a phenomenon that has existed throughout the entire historical space, in recent years has been rapidly projected onto the bodies of young people, which caused hostility among the most conservative part of the population, perhaps due to ignorance or the ability of memory to forget mores and tastes previous generations. (Often more conservative). Ear piercing is the most liberal manifestation. Among the American Indians, the ears were pricked to men, and the punctures were made both in the lobes and in the cartilage. For representatives of the Caucasian race, this prerogative remained with the female half for a long time. Although in tsarist Russia an earring it was inserted into the ear of a sailor who crossed the equator for the first time. (A major milestone in a sailor's career is a major distinction.) In 1970s Britain, the shape of the earring went through every stage imaginable, but the safety pin was still preferred. (Though, but always conservative.) Rappers of the 80s popularized the piercing of both ears among men. And if, until recently, our compatriot, the owner of the earring, doomed himself to public accusations of homosexual orientation, now, even having a myriad of rings in the hearing aid area, you will least of all resemble an alien or some kind of infernal mechanism (except perhaps - a restless teenager) and you can calmly defile through the streets.

nipple piercing

Nipple piercing among civilized nations was born in Ancient Rome. Wealthy Roman centurions, the bodyguards of Julius Caesar, wore nipple rings as a sign of courage and courage, as well as dress accessories to support their short capes. Society ladies of the Victorian era (late 19th century) defended their femininity in this way, increasing the size and giving a more elegant shape to the breast. The current ravers, of course, do not even look like legionnaires, and the virgins, alas, have lost their manners, but this fact will in no way serve as an obstacle to the mechanical excitation of the nipples, which is unattainable in other ways.

Belly button piercing

The navel piercing of the ancient Egyptians symbolized that this person has communal rights. Times have changed and model Christy Turlington's pierced belly button has become the sexiest place on the planet. True, in addition to the correct outlines of the navel, this lady is also endowed with the correct features of the face, casts from which were made for the museum. Therefore, it is not so easy to challenge this title.

Prince Albert

Prince Albert - the name of the ring, which is an attribute of Victorian haberdashery. Legend has it that Prince Albert wore such a ring inserted into the head of his penis for hygienic reasons. This puncture is carried out through the urethra at the base of the head. The procedure is fast, pain is minimal, healing is almost immediate, pleasure is long lasting.

Tailbone piercing

Tailbone piercing is one of the most difficult types of piercing. The complexity of the puncture lies in the exact match of the hole punched in the skin and the horizontal hole passing through this bone, as well as in the subsequent, not always peaceful coexistence of your body and, for example, a bed.

In the 19th century, chest piercing was common among North American Indians, performed during the ceremony. Two vertical incisions were made on the chest, through which a leather cord was threaded. On it, a person was hung from poles. In this state, he had to hang until the skin burst. Such rituals caused strong hallucinations in people, helped them with Those Who Are Above (as the Indians called the Holy Spirits.) And, although we are not North American Indians, but outside the window is already the 21st century, only God knows what the next step of this extravagant woman will be named fashion, and that tomorrow will replace the metal rod in Kid's nose. Will it make us call a crane a headdress, insert rings into internal organs or pierce our heads. Therefore, thrill-seekers (I do not mean fans of Leopold Sacher-Masoch and the Marquis de Sade), armed with the common sense of a civilized person and the appropriate advice from a professional piercer, do not waste a second of your pleasure. Tomorrow, body piercings will simply turn into archaism, and an earring in some strange place will only cause indignation in your lover.

Nose piercing.
Nose piercing looks attractive and emphasizes facial features very well. Leonardo Da Vinci believed that the nose forms the character of the entire face.
The first nose piercing was recorded in the Middle East 4000 years ago, it is mentioned in the Bible (24:22) Abraham asked his employee to find a wife for his son Isaac, the employee found Rebecca. One of the gifts that Isaac gave Rebecca was a "gold earring" - Shanf. Shanf is the original Hebrew word, translated as "nose ring".
The practice of piercing the nose is present among the nomadic tribes of Africa, the Berber, Beja and Bedouins of the Middle East, the size of the ring indicated the degree of wealth of the family.
Nose piercing jewelry was brought to India in the late 16th century from the Middle East. In India, a stud (Phul) or a ring (Nath) was usually worn in the left nostril, sometimes connected by a chain to an earring in the ear (piercing both nostrils was no exception). Piercing of the left nostril was the most common, it is associated with Indian acupuncture medicine (Ayuvedra). The left nostril is believed to be associated with the female reproductive organs, and piercing the left nostril is believed to reduce pain and ease childbirth.
In the West, nose piercing appeared in the 1960s among Hippies who traveled to India. Later, it was taken over by the movement Pankov in the late 1970s as a symbol of rebellion against conservative values ​​and conservative people.
Nowadays, nose piercing has become socially acceptable and many celebrities, such as Madonna, Lenny Kravitz, Sinead O "Connor, Slash from Guns & Roses, have decorated their noses in this way.

Tongue piercing.
Tongue piercing existed as a ritual among the ancient Aztecs of Central America and some tribes of the Northwest. Shamans pierced the tongue during rituals to achieve a certain change in consciousness and connection with the gods, and the blood was used to calm the gods.
Tongue piercing is one of the most common types of piercing.

Ear lobe piercing.
The earlobe was probably the very first place pierced in the human body because of the ease and safety of the piercing. The oldest mummy with an ear piercing was found in an Austrian glacier in 1991, studies have shown the mummy is over 5,000 years old and the earlobe has been stretched to about 11 millimeters.
The ears of the mummified body, apparently, were originally pierced for ritual purposes. So many primitive tribes believed that demons entered the human body through the ear, and ear piercing and metal jewelry helped prevent demons from entering.
Sailors did ear piercings, believing that this improves visual acuity, and in the event of the death of a sailor, if his body is thrown ashore, the cost of the precious jewelry will be enough to organize a funeral. Along with this, in many nations, ear piercing is associated with puberty.

Lip piercing.
The lip piercing is widely used throughout the world, however, only two tribes pierce the lips with the insertion of a ring: the Dogon tribe of Mali and the Nuba tribe of Ethiopia.
In all other cases, lip piercing uses special labrets made of wood, ivory, metal and quartz crystals. Among the tribes of Central Africa and South America, the practice is to gradually increase the hole in the lip to an extremely large size with the help of special discs made of wood or clay. The Aztecs and Maya use solid gold lip piercings with jade inlays, snake-shaped jewelry to denote high-caste men.

Earrings from the very beginning of their invention were typically male jewelry. Only much later, ladies borrowed it from the strong half of humanity. Wearing earrings in ancient times was not just a whim, but a meaningful act.

Protection from evil spirits

In ancient times, the pagan Slavs believed that through the openings of the human body, the most secret and difficult to control - the soul - could fly out of it. And vice versa, some kind of evil and magic can sink into unprotected auricles, just as unkind words enter them.

Men pierced their ears, and then put earrings into the punctures to protect themselves from all evil. The latter served as amulets, a kind of protection. This is such an old idea that it was common among the ancient Assyrians, and not only among the Slavs.

Indicator of social position

It is quite natural that very soon earrings ceased to be just amulets, but turned into a symbol of a high - or vice versa, low - position of a person in society. Brave warriors, who in ancient times not only bravely crushed enemies on the battlefield, but also plundered captured cities after that, could afford very expensive and beautiful earrings.

Gradually, jewelry made of precious metals, inlaid with pearls and precious stones, became the privilege of the highest nobility. In Russia, princes, high-ranking warriors and other rich people wore only gold and silver earrings. Commoners could afford copper, pewter or wooden jewelry of this kind.

Wealthy merchants had a tradition of wearing silver earrings. The prince, his sons and other members of the princely family wore the most luxurious jewelry, inlaid with rubies, sapphires, emeralds and other stones of this kind. Around the same time, women also joined them, appreciating the beauty of the pendants that framed the face.

Indication of occupation and family ties

Earrings were endowed with great significance. In addition to protecting against spells and demonstrating the wealth of the family, they also expressed belonging to a particular profession. In the old days in Russia, warriors, heroes wore one earring in their ear. This custom continued until the 12th century. This single decoration had the name " lone". A man who wore an odinets was called " earring».

In ancient Rome, one earring was worn not by warriors, but by slaves. Over the centuries, this tradition has taken root among the pirates. Much later, among the Don Cossacks, one earring in the left ear of a man meant that he was the only son of his mother. If a Cossack wore one earring in his right ear, everyone who knew this symbolic language understood that he was the last of his kind. To kill such a Cossack meant to interrupt the whole family.

Tribute to fashion

In the Moscow kingdom, the fashion for men to wear earrings began to gradually become obsolete. They were not at all popular in Peter's times. Then the highest nobility had a new hobby - lush perfumed wigs, from under which the earrings were not visible at all. Close to the royal court and everyone who could afford to buy such a wig, they stopped decorating their ears.

The commoners, who had no money for wigs, continued to flaunt their earrings. Wearing one earring for a serf symbolized his belonging to the owner. In Elizabethan times, the fashion changed: it became relevant to wear shorter wigs. Earrings shone again in the ears of the nobility.

During the reign of Paul I, the military began to wear them. Moreover, they wore women's earrings, donated by their beloved ladies. So the beauties sought to protect their men from a stray bullet. Jewelry in the ears again began to play the role of talismans, protective amulets.

Storyearrings The tradition of wearing earrings dates back to primitive people, they pierced their ears with sharp, thin, curved bones, which they wore as jewelry. Among African and Oceanic peoples, women and men wear heavy pendants that stretch their earlobes. In the Roman Empire, wealthy citizens wore earrings in both ears. Historically, in Europe, a person, especially a male, with one pierced ear was considered labeled, of low birth or of dubious occupation. In the days of ancient Rome, slaves wore one earring, in Ancient Greece - concubines, in medieval Europe - pirates, gypsies, swindlers. Large, beautiful earrings on both ears were worn by merchants, aristocrats and even monarchs. In the East, an earring was a common decoration worn by the nobility, rajas and shahs. Hindus believed that ear piercing protected the child from disease.

Ear piercing as a rite of passage. The custom of ear piercing is just one of the few examples of an initiation rite, a transition from one status to another, in which the earring served as a symbol, a visible proof of the initiation that had taken place. Why exactly an earring is also explained quite logically, because this type of jewelry requires piercing the ear, which carries an additional meaning - the bonding of the sacrament with blood. For the same reason, a new earring was worn to sailors who made a round-the-world trip, and later to sailors who crossed the equator for the first time. In addition to being a status symbol and a magical amulet, earrings were a currency, a way to save money in case of emergency. Therefore, people who, by the nature of their occupations, risked their lives, warriors, sailors and merchants wore earrings made of precious metals, so that in the event of their death away from home, the finder of the body would bury it according to custom, and take the earring as payment for work. Sailors, who constantly risked not returning to their native port, adhered to this custom especially strictly.

The history of earrings in Kievan Rus. In Russia, the fashion to wear earrings in the ears came from the Viking seafarers. Even before the birth of a child in Russia, a special council met to decide what kind of jewel to wear. Therefore, for the first time, a child got acquainted with jewelry shortly after birth: a thread with beads or beads was put on his neck. When a girl reached the age of 7 or 8, her ears were pierced so that she could carry goose cannons on metal hooks. At the same time, the girl was given inexpensive beads. Slavic boys put an earring in their left ear, it was believed that this would protect it from a hernia. The earring was not only a magical amulet, but also a sign of the male sex of the child, since up to a certain age children were dressed the same way, and girls wore two earrings each. Zaporizhzhya Cossacks also used earrings that had a special meaning - the only son of a single mother wore an earring in the left ear, and the only son of his parents in the right ear. The successor of the family had an earring in each ear. Such a tradition of the Zaporizhzhya Cossacks protected them from mortal danger, since any commander tried to protect such warriors, trying, if possible, to preserve and continue each Cossack clan.

Historical styles of earrings. Until about the 17th century, both men and women wore earrings. They were exceptionally popular during the Renaissance, and during the Baroque, they were always part of the precious sets. Under Louis XIV, when French jewelers began to play a leading role in European fashion, earrings were made not only from classical materials, they were decorated with ivory, wood, tortoiseshell and mother-of-pearl. There were "girandol", earrings in the form of three pendants, and "chandelier", earrings with numerous movable pendants. As the neckline deepened, so did the pendants of the earrings, dropping even below shoulder level. In the 18th century, drop-shaped long pendants were especially fashionable, fastened under the ear on an openwork element in the form of a ribbon bow. Briolet earrings appeared in the Rococo era - in the form of pendants that were in motion, which created the then necessary atmosphere of playfulness. Under classicism, large smooth earrings became widespread, later - earrings with stones. eyami.

Hello everyone!

I will tell you in my review. ear piercing history, about the results and about the procedure itself. If you are interested, I invite you to read.

Yes, I agree that cosmetics is one of the means of transformation, but you must admit that beautiful earrings framing the face can also transform each of us for the better. I have been wearing earrings since I was 9 years old. But the story about trying to pierce them begins 5 years earlier. Then they had not yet come up with anything painless for piercing the ears, except for a surgical needle. My grandmother then worked in a pharmacy at a polyclinic and took me and my cousin to a familiar nurse for a puncture. I really wanted this, even dreamed of it (and the small gold earrings were already available), but the nurse turned out to be rude, I squeaked something like “but this doesn’t hurt very much ... otherwise I’m scared”, for which I was “expelled from cabinet." I remember how my grandmother, who was waiting for us in the corridor, began to put on glasses to look at my ears, but beautiful ears “didn’t work out”, only tears flowed like hail ... from resentment that I didn’t pierce my ears because of my fear. My sister was 4 years older, and she left the office with earrings in her ears)).

Then the funny childish thoughts began “and now I will be without earrings for the rest of my life”. Time passed, and then my mother found out that you can pierce your ears without pain, with the so-called gun. Previously, this was not done everywhere, but only in one place. And when I was already 9 years old, my mother and I went together and I did THIS. I chose stud earrings in the form of small hearts with a small white stone inside...I still remember them. The specialist drew dots on my ears with a special marker, and pointing a small pistol pierced my ears. Ears pierced with a gun require special care. For a month they could not be removed, it was necessary to smear with tetracycline eye ointment and scroll daily.

Piercing the ears with a gun really does not hurt, only there is a feeling of a sharp clamping of the earlobes.

I took care of my ears diligently, but still they healed for a long time (perhaps because of the allergy that was raging in my body at that time). As a result, a month later I tried to take them off, changed them to gold ones, and everything gradually completely healed. So I started wearing earrings. In high school, I also pierced my second holes with a pistol, and at the institute in my 1st year, the third. This is where I stopped piercing my ears. Subsequent punctures healed better, maybe because I was older and more experienced.

I'm wearing AzoraGold stud earrings here.

And here I'm wearing chic earrings from Jewelry Magic and a pencil from The Saem.

Now almost all hairdressers and beauty salons are engaged in punctures. Often, when visiting a beautician, I become a witness of how mothers bring their 2-year-old daughters and they are afraid, but the master himself gently persuades them and after the procedure they don’t even cry.

Summing up, I want to say that I recommend the ear piercing procedure. And the sooner you do it, the better. Because you want to walk beautiful even at 2 years old!