Introduction

Multiple earlobe piercings and daith piercing.

Within the parameters of this paper I intend to discuss, and advance a possible explanation for the recent dramatic increase in the practice of contemporary body piercing and its associations with the Modern Primitive movement. My own introduction into the body piercing 'scene' began in April 1994 and since then has involved continued contact with both professional piercers and their clientele, 'piercees', in social and professional situations. As such, much of the following discussion is based on data collected during participant observation in a number of piercing studios and night clubs over the past two and a half years. It should be noted that while my interaction with pierced people has been extensive, due to the informal nature of most of the meetings there is a degree of bias in the type of people spoken to.

Whilst body piercing as a practice has become more exposed to the public the majority of body piercing still remains the domain of so-called fringe groups, in particular the modern primitive movement. It is the purpose of this paper to examine the motivations of these fringe groups and in particular to look at any possible relationship between contemporary body piercing and magico-religious rites found in many non-industrialised societies. I wish to pay special attention to the idea that piercing can be regarded as a self imposed rite of passage.

It is important to understand that for the purposes of this paper the term 'body piercing' refers to any piercings which might be regarded as 'unusual'. The term 'unusual' is ambiguous but necessary due to the wide range of piercings available. An obvious example of this can be seen in the piercing of the ear. Multiple piercings of the ear lobe and rim are not regarded as particularly unusual in the same way as a single stretched ear lobe piercing would be regarded. Similarly whilst the piercing of the side of the nose is widely regarded as commonplace piercings of the bridge of the nose and of the nasal septum are regarded as unusual.

Bridge piercing, eyebrow piercings, septum piercing, labrets, nostril piercings.