Body piercings have seen a resurgence of interest in the last ten to twenty years and are becoming more and more a part of the mainstream Western culture. Take a look at any trend or entertainment magazine and you’ll see enough of well-known show biz stars with body piercings like navel rings or a monroe. You may be surprised to find out that piercing is actually an ancient form of expression that most cultures have practiced at some time or other for thousands of years.
One of the most popular ancient piercings was the tongue ring. Many tribes used tongue rings to express different milestones in their lives. A very prevalent culture and ritual, tongue piercing unlike now was considered to be a very holy practice earlier. The piercing of the tongue is also a way that ancient tribes worshiped to their gods. Also, tongue piercing is done to create an altered state of consciousness so that the priest known as shaman those days could communicate with the higher values.
Going across the ocean at around the same time, the Aztecs, Maya and some American Indians practiced tongue piercing as part of their holy system of rites. It was thought to bring them closer to their gods and was a kind of ritual blood-letting. The Aztec and Maya were warrior tribes, and also did septum piercing in order to look like fiercer to their enemies. Nothing looks some as dangerous as an adversary sporting a huge wild male pig tusk thrust through his nose!This exercise was also same kind among tribes in New Guinea and the Solomon Islands. Some of the materials commonly used were bone, tusks and feathers.
However, the logic of tongue piercing in the available days is to show of the body jewelry as a style statement and also to increase pleasure during oral sex.With change in times there is change in knowing and purpose of the piercing. Tongue rings are pieces of body jewelry that are worn in tongue piercings. Yet they are often alluded to as a ring, they do not be like a typical earring but instead look like a tiny barbell.
Each barbell has two balls, or bars, connected by a straight or slightly zigzag shaft. The ball/bar that connects to the shaft on the innerside of the tongue is mostly quite plain, and just large enough to prevent its passage through the piercing. The ball/bar that lies on top of the tongue is larger, and it is in general the exhibit piece that provides each style of tongue ring its unique character and design.
The barbell used for an early piercing has a longer than normal shaft to better accommodate the amount of swelling that goes along with a fresh tongue piercing. Once the tongue has healed, you’ll want to select a normal size ring for everyday wear.
