God of Tattoos and Tattooers

“And we don't mean military ones. The Maya often decorated themselves with body art which was of deep mystical significance. No cheesy anchors or "I luv Prudence" tattoos for them — they favored designs of the utmost godliness. Having the symbol of a god tattooed on their flesh would, they believed, give them just the faintest whiff of godly essence themselves.

Tattooing can be a nerve-wracking business. It's all very well scribbling a wobbly picture of Marilyn Monroe on someone's elbow, but what if you're inscribing the holy face of a deity and get the nose wrong? It's enough to make anyone's hand shake.”