by Jesse Singleton (jesse@7manger.freeserve.co.uk), © 1997
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, without the prior permission in writing of Jesse Singleton.

Contents

Introduction
The History of Contemporary Body Piercing
Who Gets Pierced
Modern Primitives
Attitudes to Piercing
Aesthetics - Fashion and Beauty
Reasons for Piercing the Body
Self Presentation and Identification
Piercing as a Self Imposed Rite of Passage
The Ritual Piercing
Pain
Magico-Religious Aspects of Piercing
Conclusion
Bibliography