Tattoos in literature - more than just body art

Ein Buchladen, leicht staubig, irgendwo in der Stadt. Ich stehe vor einem Regal und habe Steve Gilberts „The Tattoo History Source Book“ in der Hand. Der Name ist Programm – das „The“ eingeschlossen. Gilberts Werk gilt als die Bibel unter den Tattoo-Büchern, der unangefochtene Klassiker, wenn es darum geht, die Geschichte der Körperkunst zu durchleuchten. Von den Tattoosim alten Rom bis hin zur elektrischen Tätowiermaschine – hier gibt es alles, was man über Tinte und Haut wissen muss. Schön dick, schön schwer und voller faszinierender Texte von Psychiatern, Kriminologen, Schriftstellern und berühmten Tätowierern. Ich blättere durch die Seiten und frage mich: Gibt es eigentlich tätowierte Figuren in Büchern –   fiktive Charaktere mit besonderen Tattoos?„Kafka selbst hätte sich bestimmt kein Tattoo stechen lassen“, denke ich. Oder vielleicht doch? EinKafka-Käfer auf der Schulter? Wahrscheinlich eher nicht. Aber die Figuren seiner Bücher? GregorSamsa? Sicher doch. Der Käfermann nach seiner Verwandlung mit einem Insekt auf dem Nacken – gut vorstellbar.Tattoos und Bücher – beides ist älter als Instagram und trotzdem plötzlich cooler als je zuvor. Heute tragen Stars literarische Zitate auf der Haut: Brad Pitt zum Beispiel hat auf seinem Arm den Satz „Absurdities are the only realities“ aus einem Brief von Sartre an Simone de Beauvoir. Evan Rachel Wood trägt auf ihrem Nacken ein Zitat aus Edgar Allan Poes Gedicht „All that we see or seem, is but a dream within a dream.“ Und Lady Gaga? Sie hat Rainer Maria Rilkes Worte „In der Tiefewohnt das Licht“ in deutscher Schrift auf ihren Arm tätowiert.Literarische Tattoos eröffnen neue Welten und geben uns einen anderen Blick auf die Geschichten, die wir erzählen. Früher hatten Tattoos den Beigeschmack von zwielichtigen Gestalten in dunklen Ecken, und Literatur war die Sache der Intellektuellen, irgendwo in ihren Elfenbeintürmen. Aber das ist lange vorbei. Tattoos und Literatur? Beides sind uralte Erzählformen – und beides hat dieFähigkeit, Geschichten zu konservieren und sichtbar zu machen. Ob als rituelles Zeichen, Schutzsymbol oder einfach nur, weil es gut aussieht: Tätowierungen erzählen Geschichten, genau wie die Bücher, die uns nicht mehr loslassen.

Queequeg from Moby-DickAfamous example of tattoos in literature can be found in Moby-Dick by Herman Melville. Queequeg, the tattooed harpooner, wears patterns that not only symbolize his cultural origins, but also represent his connection to the mythical forces of the sea. Tattoos are more than just body art here - they are a key to identity and destiny. Similar to classic literature, the meaning of real tattoos often remains enigmatic and open to interpretation.The magic of inkMobyDick - this giant, ghostly sperm whale is not only the monster of the seas, but also the tattoo on the left forearm of John Irving, the writer and self-confessed tattoo enthusiast. "Only one more orphan found", reads the last line from Melville's masterpiece, which is etched into his skin with a touch of melancholy. Emblazoned on his right forearm, his writing arm, is the ending of "Princes of Maine, Kings of New England" from The Cider House Rules, which in tattooed form becomes a constant companion on his literary journey.Irving and tattoos - a love story that runs through his books like ink through paper. Take, for example, Until I Find You, his eleventh novel, which revolves around the actor Jack Burns. His mother, Alice, a tattooist, becomes an icon of body adornment, while his father, William Burns, the church organist with an obsession for ink, becomes so involved in the art of tattooing that his body soon resembles a living sheet of music.The motifs - an interweaving of tattoos, organ sounds and sexual adventures - are the fabric from which Irving weaves his stories. It is a novel that delves into the abysses of obsessions and friendships; it illuminates betrayal, revenge and the perpetual quest for forgiveness, here specifically related to son, father and mother; and about tattoos that tell stories and mark the body with memories. Tattoos act as a kind of visual memory that interweaves the stories of his characters.Rebellion and trauma: Lisbeth SalanderLisbeth"Libby" Salander is a fictional character created by Swedish author and journalist Stieg Larsson in his award-winning Millennium series. She first appeared in the novel The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo ( Verblendung ) in 2005. Lisbeth is an antisocial computer hacker with a photographic memory who teams up with Mikael Blomkvist, an investigative journalist and editor of Millennium magazine. Her iconic dragon tattoo on her back is not only aesthetically striking, but also a visual manifestation of her inner conflict.Lisbeth's tattoos, especially the dragon, reflect her rebellious character and are symbolic of her struggle against oppression and abuse. From an early age, she is characterized by violence and a thirst for revenge. At the age of just twelve, she resorts to vigilante justice and douses her father with gasoline after he brutally abuses her mother. This traumatic experience leads to Lisbeth being classified as a "danger to herself and others" and taken to St. Stephen's Children's Psychiatric Hospital. In the psychiatric ward, she refuses to speak to psychologists or social workers and only develops a relationship of trust with her caretaker, Holger Palmgren. Despite escaping from several foster families, she manages to stay with Palmgren, who protects her from being committed to a psychiatric ward again. Her dragon tattoo symbolizes not only her inner struggle against the violence and oppression she has suffered, but also her strong desire for independence and self-assertion. The dragon becomes a symbol of her determination to fight back against her past and fight for her freedom.Salander uses her tattoos, much like Brad Pitt with his Sartre quote or Lady Gaga with her Rilke tattoo, to tell her personal story and define her identity. Amazon MGM Studios is planning to adapt the millennium thrillers into a television series. Veena Sud, who has already developed the series The Killing - also an adaptation of a Scandinavian original - for AMC, will act as showrunner. There were already rumors of a series titled The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo in 2020, and this title is also being considered in the new version. Although the series is set to tell a new story with a fresh setting and new characters, one thing remains constant: Lisbeth Salander.

Tattoos as a "literary" mirror of the soulTattoosand books have one thing in common: they tell stories that don't want to be forgotten. When people tattoo passages of text on their skin, it's not just about their own history - it's about preserving literature. Perhaps someone reads Rilke or Brecht because they have seen the quote on Lady Gaga or Brad Pitt's arm. And who knows? Maybe there will soon be a stand at the Frankfurt Book Fair where you can have quotes engraved. Because the moment a tattoo becomes visible, the dialog begins - between wearer and observer, between body art and literature. The meaning is renegotiated every time someone asks: "And what does that mean?" The best answer? A smile. Because sometimes it's what's between the lines that really counts. Or, in this case, between the lines of ink.text: Julian Bachmann - Graphic: Jonas Bachmann