How an Irishman's Tattoo Changed History
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- Опубликовано: 24 ноя 2023
- Ah, coming home after being enslaved since your late teens only to have your own society condemn you as satanic for what they did to you and then be forced to headline a traveling freakshow until you died. No matter where you go, the tattoos always speak first.
This is the (self-told, probably exaggerated for circus reasons) story of P.T. Barnum's original freak success story. James O'Connell, America's first tattooed man.
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💯Thanks for sharing That AWESOME GROVE🕺💃
✊🏽🇨🇦❤🙏
I have so many questions about the left testicle.
So uh, Evan.... Can we get your interpretive dance of the Bower wars? In a RUclips short?
Celebrate your enslavement.
Celebrate your enslavement.
"He started dancing back"
Yet again, the Bard saves the day.
The first danceoff
The first danceoff
Well, for himself and one other fellow, anyway. BTW what ever happened to the other guy?
He died touching Canada
"When in Rome..."
Another incredible obscure story from the middle of nowhere. Keep finding and telling them Evan. From Dublin, Ireland.
The middle of nowhere that we(the irish) can get to every obscure destination. ..procreate & no doubt there's a pub
its an ancient Irish tradition , in the face of certain death , you can laugh , you can cry , or you can do a jig to hell with it .
a fine telling of a tale that needed to be heard .
thank you from Dublin
Ironic, that he went from being a freak in the eyes men who looked not like him to being...one of them, only to dying a freak in the eyes of men who looked like him.
I doubt the Natives carry sentiments like that, only gods people think like that.
@@thatdude3977The Pohnpeians absolutely thought like that, and even put them on display for their tribe to gawk at
@@thatdude3977nope, racism is pretty universal
The noble savage isn't just a myth it is an inversion of reality @@thatdude3977
@@thatdude3977 how embarrassing for you
Hey I grew up on phonpei! So cool that you're checking the island out, so many memories 🥰
Name checks out
@MrPohnpeiboy greetings from Dublin Ireland.
Do ya still have yer left testicle, Mr. Boy?
I thought you all got killed in a volcanic eruption?
Evan, it's a shame you didn't link the original manuscript written by James O'Connell, because it's quite interesting how he describes his experiences with the natives and the whole process off tattooing. According to him it took eight whole days to finish tattooing him, and it took a month before he recovered.
I will have to look into that.
I want to read this document !!
It's tattooed on his left leg. @@miahconnell23
Sorry for the wall of text:
I have written a few Wikipedia pages on countries / extremely interesting people from countries that aren't well documented. I had the task of writing up more about FSM a few years back and couldn't find anything extremely interesting outside of the usual coverage like diving in Truk lagoon (ik you did that). As someone who probably knows more about FSM than 99% of people outside of the country this entire series has blown me away. I am unsure how you could research stories like this that have "literally" never been told before on the world wide web. I know it isnt safe but there are some seriously compelling pieces to be about French West Africa (Burkina Faso etc). IF youre interested I could help get your feet wet in the subject matter! Have a great day.
P.S. I think the titles and thumbnails could use some work because you should be smashing the piss out of the YT algorithm!
Lived and worked in Burkina for ~2 years and agree, there are loads of fascinating stories there but yeah, it’s *extremely* not safe currently. Even Ouaga and Bobo aren’t that safe anymore, and going nearly anywhere outside of those as a civilian westerner is just asking to be kidnapped, sadly.
I'd like to chip in and say the titles/thumbnails don't need work. I like Rare Earth for it's integrity and style, not for it to desperately parade about a promise of dopamine with overly bombastic yet soulless plees for attention.
You mean Francophone West Africa?
Can you link some of the wikis you have written?
In pohnpei the castration of the left testicle was the punishment for male who feared getting tattoed because tattoos served as their version of social security. It so people know who you are. Or so i was told. Great vid i heard of the story just didn't know the details
After hearing all of this, I am just left wondering what the Irishman's Micronesian wife told their kids after he left them all.
She couldn't even use the excuse of "Dad's just out getting milk from the store, he'll be back soon," since the store didn't even fucking exist yet.
Captured by invaders, I should think.
She probably got a new tattoo explaining all this as well as her kids. So no need to tell anybody about this, people could just look at them and know.
He's Irish, sure he's just gone for a pint. His kids were part Irish sure they instinctively know that already, no need to say anymore 🍻
whatever equivalent of the store was back then, I'm sure the king owned it lol
@KyrosX27 "King's Taro and Yam: The best around!"
Nice, as soon as you said PT Barnum I knew it had to be the tattooed man. I didn't know the whole story, that was fantastic, thank you.
I LOVE me some Rare Earth, I tell everyone about this filmmaker
I'm so glad you're posting regularly again. Your stories are always though provoking. Thank you.
A wale of a tale! Australian Aboriginals used to call the history telling, sing-song. I suppose a way to remember it.
Hi Evan, I've truly enjoyed your stories exploring the small islands of the Pacific! Your narratives are captivating, and I've been inspired by the way you bring these places to life. Have you ever considered exploring and sharing the stories from the Caribbean's islands. There's a world of untold tales waiting to be discovered here. Your storytelling talent would beautifully unveil the hidden treasures looked over region. Looking forward to more amazing stories from you!
I'd love to, given the time and funding.
I missed my chance to visit Pohnpei back in the late '90s. I was a passenger aboard an Air Force C-12, a small, twin-engine, aircraft. We were flying from Okinawa, Japan via Iwo Jima and Guam to visit a Navy Seabee detachment working on a humanitarian service project in Pohnpei. We spent the night in Guam and when we returned to the airfield the next morning the pilots told us they were leaving us in Guam because they had to fly around a typhoon that was forming and they needed to reduce weight to ensure they had the range. Another Sailor and I wound up spending four-days hanging around in Guam while our command tried to figure out how to get us back to Okinawa.
Our trip had been planned as "space available" flight, at no cost to our command. Once we were abandoned on Guam, our command discovered that even though there were military flights back to Okinawa none had space available. To make matters worse, they never budgeted funds to get us home if something like that happened. I am sorry I never got to Pohnpei, but I had a good time in Guam.
That's an absolutely fantastic story. This channel is amazing 👏 Well done.
The heavily tattooed man at the end (that’s not him) is Charlie Wagner, a very important tattooer from the Bowery in NYC. He tattooed from 1890-1953 when he died.
I cannot express how much I loved this video. After living in Pohnpei for 5 years, I have so many stories I like to share with people. This video captures familiar images and presents it in such a unique visual way. Great work!
You are making me fall in love with a country I really knew nothing about. Loving these videos
That they were made of meat was such an eloquent way of describing a fearful situation. It felt all too short but very beautiful, thank you ❤
All of your videos are fascinating, but this one is especially so!
As an Irish person I can get the history told through dance thing. Our history was passed down through song and later, story-telling and our dances are also integral to that. It is still the same and we still have story-tellers to this day. Probably why we have such vivid writers, playwrights and songs of rebels etc
I can’t tell you how happy I am to have stumbled across this channel! Top quality content Evan. Thank you for your time and effort!
Love you. Love your channel. People are missing out.
Love your storytelling amigo 😉
This was another great story! Thanks! 👌😁
I'm surprised James F. O'Connell doesn't have a Wikipedia article. The existing article by that name is an unrelated professor. And there seems to be plenty of in-depth coverage of O'Connell's life. I might need to fix that discrepancy.
It is harder than you think to make an article on Wiki despite what people say! There are a lot of interesting people in history that get zero recognition. I researched FSM extensively and have never even heard of him fwiw
@@ClevelandGod Well, the coverage in reliable sources seems to exist on O'Connell from a cursory search. Both for his life prior to and during his circus act.
@@Silverizael this would have been circa 2014 ish and I dont really see anything before 2020ish that would be a reputable source to cite for Wiki. Hagiographies etc arent reputable and ofc this video in a way is one but that happens when history is told and not written. The truth has been stretched as much as the mens skin in the tattoo hut and thats what makes it interesting. Hearing how cultures and people tell stories
@@ClevelandGod Truth is kind of irrelevant. A Wikipedia article would be covering what the variety of reliable sources say about him and his life. Even if they base that off his autobiography, they would still be considered reliable sources with significant coverage for the purposes of Wikipedia.
@@Silverizael thats now how Wiki works. We need main line sources to write articles contrary to what most HS teachers say. Its actually quite tough to get an article published and takes a lot of work. You cant site a reddit post / 2 hand source! Your article will be taken down within hours. Its much more comprehensive than most think!
That was a fantastic piece. Thanks for the history lesson. Really well put together.
Fascinating story. Thanks, Evan.
This is an amazing story. Worth telling and very well told. Thanks for sharing it!
Wonderful little story. Thanks. Always happy when I see one of these roll through. (Though strangely, I had to seek it out by opening subs. Subscriptions are giving increasingly reduced weight in the main feed.)
I ran across this story during my extensive research of the written history and anthropology of Micronesia in the 1970s. It stuck with me all these years. But I couldn't remember quite where I'd seen it and never found it again. I'm so glad to run across this. I only remember the story of him ingratiating himself to the locals through dancing a jig, and thus likely saving his life and that of the other mates. I imagine those others who are lost to history left a little DNA on the other side of the island.
Holly shit George is getting roasted so damn hard man
living among the no-status women for a few years and then dying before having to get a real job seems pretty ideal for ol' George
Telling stories through dance and tattoo is beautiful.
Is there any genetic heritage / descendants of oconnel or George left in the present day?
This story was really sad for some reason
Presumably, if their story was true as they claimed. But as far as I know it isn't a known ancestry.
@RareEarthSeries not a lot of people there doing 23 and Me.
It would be interesting to see what percentage of Irish were to show up if genetic testing were offered.
It's been very interesting to see how many Samoans carry 1% European....
Excellent storytelling!
Nice work, dude. New sub 👍
thank you for the video
Amazing stories!
Thank you, wicked good video.
Nice story, THANKYOU
This has to be the most Irish story ever, the pure Irish charm being able to go somewhere and become one with people no matter what. But they made one mistake never trust an Irish man. I say this as an Irishman, we play dumb but know when the party is over.
I'm glad you're still alive after you uploaded your previous video. Also, what's the next country you're going to make a series on next after Micronesia?
great storytelling
Much Love from the Philippines❤.
Ahhh, the George's story after retrieving would be a real pearl
I live in Las Vegas now, but back home, we called it a Ceili. I really enjoy your Rants!
As always, stunning
Great story thank you 🙏
Real human voice. Interesting content. Huh might have to check out a few more vids
Man that would be a great movie plot!
Am I the only one who always pauses the end credits and reads them :)?
Nope!
Definitely not! One of the best parts, and that's saying a lot.
Absolutely not
Same here
Guilty here - but don't forget to watch the final clip after the credits.
Beautiful prose. Thanks
Another great end screen.
Thanks for making this video.
Another awesome vid! Hey if you're ever near South Carolina you should go to Salley during the chitlin strut. Just had this year's yesterday. Literally the whole town smells like boiling pig shit, in fact you can often smell it from the town over. But they've been doing it for decades & it's a bit part of the culture there. But really i just want to see the look on your face when you approach pine st. 😂
Amazing!!! Some how I believed in tattoos the same way this people belive in them, a record of one own life. I have tattoo my two last names in my chest to always remember who I'm and where I'm from and to show loyalty for the two humans who created me. 🙏🙏🙏
The American Captain no doubt learned from the death of Captain Cook.
Leave it to my kinsman to get a tattoo he doesn't rally want.
Most 6 year holidays to Malaga resulted in this
somehow we knew it was going to end up being a circus, didn't we?
😊TY for the VIDEO ❤✌
Great story. As an Irishman who has travelled extensively and had many livelyhoods I can relate to O' Connell.
I was getting 'Shogun' vibes from this story. What a brilliant film / series it would make.
You have a good vibe
Great story and story telling. For those who say he made the wrong decision to leave, he does say the captain imprisoned him before departure, so it sounds like he had no choice.
A good story well told.
Keep on dancing Hadfield
He wasn't the first tattooed man, many cultures in such as prehistoric ireland and many others had done it for millenia before.
👍
But it kind of died out after Christianity arrived and its re-emergence rekindled when sailors returned to Europe from the pacific.
No tattoos in prehistoric ireland
@@cohltonandrews9063we sure about that?
@@cohltonandrews9063 there is 100% sure tattoos in "Prehistoric" ireland. There were tattoos across europe. Even the egyptians got tattoos. What we know is that the romans only mentioned tattoos from time to time meaning it wasnt uncommon. They would mention rune tattoos on germanic people, wondering if they actually held power or not. They mentioned the people from the islands were big into tattoos. and also dressed extravagantly. In particular they mentioned the picts had pretty amazing tattoos, and they knew this because they got to see them naked. They also mentioned wolf warriors covered in tattoos hunting them. They actually believed the wolf warriors were beasts covered in rune markings, but we now know they were Irish/Scottish wolf warriors (they were warrior class spread out over Ireland and scotland, who trained by living as if they were wolves, covering themselves in fur, and going 'wolfing') and we also know that the French found the tattoos of the Irish remarkable, but that was a lot later...
You see if the tattoos all mean something, like lets say one means you killed a man in battle defending your people. Another is a rune tattoo to give your legs strength.. well now you're a christian, you wont get them tattoos for the "look" you got them for the "power" of them, no more old ways, no more power from the tattoos, no more getting them. It was that simple.
What a smile I had at the end of the story
1:30 I know we’re rooting for the Irish kid, but I think of the people of the north Sentinel islands who held that line & none would pass. And they live free still, aware of the modern world but choosing their own path & ending those who would end them. Makes you wish that other peoples had been a bit less “nice.”
Awesome sauce
That was lovely
Go with the flow
⭐ Moral of the story: dancing will save your life ⭐
Pohnpei we meet again! For reasons beyond me, pohnpei pops up in my life a fair amount. I’ve got a college friend who lives there, which shocked our local hibachi chef who’s originally from there, heck he was stunned I knew about the federated states of Micronesia & that he’s not American but is part of “team America” (I’d say “colonized” but I’m not telling other people how to feel about it).
What a fun channel
Interesting. Thanks.
Thank you, its always wonderful to see history of my countrymen from Ireland 🇮🇪 good and bad!
'Good and bad' ahh I know you're talking about poor George, poor fecker gets an awful roasting, he should have shut his mouth getting the tattoos 😂
He left behind a wife and children on an island where he needn't pay taxes to live to become a freak in a circus to be gauked at by paying customers.
He surely regretted that decision.
He was a slave gawked at by non-paying customers, so I'm not sure it was as much of a paradise as it seems
what an excellent story-OMG
Islanders dance, James new that-he was an islander.
Now you have to tell your perspective, on the Boer War.
Now THAT would be a good movie.... shipwrecked, almost eaten, assimilated, fought in tribal wars, had family, hobbed with the king, betrayal, homecoming... a life of celebrity.. wow.
I'm Irish. Our national motto should be "We went everywhere" lol.
a natural "Boat Dock Saint" - ( He had the intestinal fortitude required. )
Beautiful
Hye evan, why don't u visit a land locked country with the highest mountains, Nepal. i am sure u will find great stories here. I live in kathmandu, and i can be your guide.
Thanks 🌞
That time when the bard's antics actually managed to save some of the adventuring party.
I really enjoy your story telling. Thanks for sharing. I guess 'When in Rome .... do as the Romans do'. What on Earth will happen when we start visiting alien planets ... I shudder at the thought.
An interpretive dance concerning the Boer War? Alright, I'm curious.
I freagin like channel so much.
If they ever make a movie about this, George needs to be played by Jason Alexander
Yeah but only if it turns out George was the crying one and James was the hero George was talking about
This is what real isekai looks like.
How are you this charming? I thought your dad had owned the GOAT title, but you topped him somehow.
where is the movie????????
the boy who hadnt touch whiskey yet , james!oi!
So, that’s the place they referenced the Rook Islands from!
sounds like a plan when do we leave?
So uh, Evan.... Can we get your interpretive dance of the Bower wars?
Maybe a short of what it's like to be Canadian, when until spoken or told, everyone assumes you're an American? (given I live north n south of Canada, it's annoying when Michiganders assume I'm Canadian because... Well stereotypes.. I just have to be nice, and say eh? From when I had an Irish accent, only now in a south Detroit/north Windsor accent)