History

The piercing of the tongue without the permanent wearing of jewelry was already known in several cultures as a religious ritual. According to reports, Spanish conquistadors in the 16th Century, as well as of traditional stone reliefs were pierced in Central America next to the ears, cheeks and genitals, the tongue as an offering, and for internal cleaning.

In the Thai city of Phuket finds since 1825 a year, the Vegetarian Festival held during which participants put in a divine invocation into trances and stand during a procession swords, sticks, metal bars or everyday items with a significant diameter by the tongue or other parts of the body. A similar tradition is celebrated annually in Malaysia in January and February at the Thaipusam festival.

The decorative tongue piercing was first produced during the 1990s in western culture. Regarding the present distribution of the piercings and body modification Piercerin-actor Elayne Angel attributed to an influential role. Later, the singer Melanie Brown of Spice Girls band, and within the techno scene Flinth Keith, singer and dancer of the band The Prodigy, have contributed significantly to the popularization.