Some of the strangest people have tattoos...

... though we should point out that you don't have to be strange to get a "permanent mark or design made on the skin by a process of pricking and ingraining an indelible pigment or by raising scars".

Put 'em away, Mel

Are people with tattoos giving full expression to their creative side and making the world a more beautiful place Or are they scaring little children

One thing they are doing is going against the Bible. Leviticus 19:28 states "Ye shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor print any marks upon you: I [am] the Lord." (It comes right between "Ye... shalt thou mar the corners of thy beard" and "Do not prostitute thy daughter" in a long list of naughties).

Some unlikely walking works of art

Sir Joseph Banks (1743-1820), for 42 years President of the Royal Society and founder of Kew Gardens, got his tattoo as a young man when accompanying Captain Cook on his voyage to the South Seas. Our use of the word 'tattoo' (or 'tattaw') dates to this voyage.

Lady Randolph Churchill, mother of Winston, had a snake tattooed on her wrist and, it has been alleged, body piercings too. Winnie may also have had a tattoo.

King Frederik IX

King Frederik IX of Denmark (1899-1972) is the most tattooed royal of the modern era (Britain's King George V was rather more discreet). Frederik had a great classical Chinese dragon tattooed on his chest by the celebrated London artist George Burchett, as well as assorted anchors and the family crest.

Russian royals Peter the Great, Catherine the Great and Nicholas II were all tattooed. So was the Archduke Franz Ferdinand, but it didn't stop him being assassinated on the eve of the First World War.

Teddy Roosevelt had a tattoo of his family crest, dating perhaps from his days as a cowboy rather than his period in office as President of the United States. His daughter Alice was never a cowboy, but she was tattooed.

More up to date, former US Secretary of State George Schultz looks like a rock-solid citizen. Butter wouldn't melt in his mouth. He's dealt with major crises and argued, conferred and debated with politicians and diplomats the world over. All with the tattoo of a tiger on his bum, allegedly.

Phoarr, look at her tatts...

Of the World's 100 Sexiest Women in the World 2002 (courtesy of FHM magazine), six of the top ten are known to have tattoos: in second place, Britney Spears (fairy on lower back); Halle Berry (flower on derriere); No 4 Alyssa Milano (multiple tattoos); Jessica Alba (tattoo on back of neck); Angelina Jolie (multiple tattoos) and Sarah Michelle Gellar (multiple tattoos).

Lights, camera, tattoo.

Robert Mitchum had an obscenity inked on his arm, as well as starring as a preacher with LOVE and HATE on his knuckles in Night Of The Hunter.

Other recent Oscar winners with skin art include Cher, Sean Connery, Geena Davis, Jodie Foster, Cuba Godding Jr., Whoopi Goldberg, Melannie Griffith, Jessica Lange, Robert de Niro, Gwyneth Paltrow, Sean Penn, Julia Roberts, Billy Bob Thorton and Marisa Tomei.

Sir Ian McKellan and the other actors in the Fellowship of the Ring got commemorative tattoos during filming.

She might never win an Oscar but Pamela Anderson shares a love of skin ink with that exalted list. At least one of her tattoos, the word 'Tommy', has since been removed, a fate shared with the 'Winona Forever' tattoo on Johnny Depp, now altered to read 'Wino Forever'. And talking of Pammie, the Barbie doll comes with a butterfly tattoo on her stomach!

Nowhere left to go.

The Leopard Man of the Isle of Skye is the world's most tattooed person. 99.9 per cent of Tom Leppard's body is covered in a leopard-skin design. The 0.1 per cent that remains un-inked consists of the skin between his toes and the insides of his ears.

His female counterparts are American Julia Gnuse and a Canadian woman, Krystyne Kolorful. Research indicates that this latter may be a made-up name.

Sporting heroes

Sporty Spice (does she count as a sporting hero ) is a veritable treasure trove of tattoos, as is David Beckham, who is an association footballer. More players in America's NBA basketball leagues have tattoos than don't.

Sportsmen have heroes too. Maradona has Che Guevara on his right shoulder; Mike Tyson has Chairman Mao on his left arm; Aussie tennis star Mark Philippoussis went for an image of Alexander the Great on his shoulder. Meanwhile, Norwich City midfielder sports the Kilmarnock crest.

Musicians

It's more surprising to find a rock star without skin art than with. Special mention, though, goes to Tom Waits, who carries a map of Easter Island on his back.

Links

Body art: Tattoos

For more celebs with tatts: The Vanishing Tattoo