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Tattoos
Dwayne has two tatoos, one on his right arm of a Brahma
Bull that represents his sign of the zodiac which is Taurus the Bull and
also he has an affinity for bulls. His next tattoo extends from his left
shoulder, shoulder blade, and midway his left arm. It is a Polynesian
tattoo (basically Marquesan) that he had done in Hawaii sometime in
February of 2003 by Po'oino Yrondi - a famous Tahitian tattooist.
What Does Dwayne's
Polynesian Tattoo Mean?
In early 2003, Dwayne traveled to Hawaii to have his family history
tattooed on him—a Samoan tradition. Here he reveals the meanings of
his tattoo.
A) These are coconut leaves, or niu,
which denote a Samoan chief-warrior.
B) This is the sun which brings good
fortune.
C) This isa/ga fa'atasi (three
people in one), That's me with my arms open. As it continues on my
chest, it connects to my o lo'u to'a/ua (my wife, Dany) and my o
lo'u afafine (my daughter, Simone Alexandra).
D) These descending swirls represent
past, present and future, with the future becoming ever bigger. The
pattern continues under my arm, where its meaning is written: "It
changes in the place where it is found to be gone."
E) These two eyes, called o mata e
lua, represent my ancestors watching over my path.
F) This is the Great Eye, It's an
intimidating symbol that allows its user to possess the spirit of his
enemy. The eye is used to distract the enemy in a confrontation.
G) This broken face, marked by shark
teeth—a symbol of strength—is my spirit protector and a symbol of my
struggle.
H) This is the priest and spiritual
guide, who raises a warrior to enlightenment and supernatural power
under the eyes of the warrior's ancestors.
I ) These are stones of achievement
and abundance. They're the foundation of my life and symbols of my
dedication. They bring the right to stand and speak with honor as a Tula
Fale—a high talking chief—and they maintain mana, or
supernatural power.
J) This is a tortoise shell, to
deflect evil spirits. Warriors used shells as shields.
It took between 15-20 hours
to have done (not counting his chest that was done afterward). According
to Dwayne, when you get a tattoo like this, it tells the story of his
life and what he represents, what's important in his life from strength
to protection to loyalty to family. It tells a story from beginning to
end. During the process of receiving this tatoo he along with his cousin
Tanoa'i, who also got a tattoo of the same magnitude that took 24 hours,
sat around with other cousins and friends and talked about the story of
his heritage as well and played music and sang in order to take their
minds off of the pain of getting the tattoo.
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