Interestingly enough, the modern meaning of distinguishing what group, team, rank or role someone belongs to, has literally the same connection to the past. Traditions aside, armbands can be found all on the arms of men from all walks of life including the military (a brassard), press, sporting teams and more. If you’ve ever wondered where the phrase “wear your heart on your sleeve” comes from, there’s your answer. In medieval times during jousts, knights wore scarves or kerchiefs around the arm to show an emotional affiliation or conviction for his lady. And if you look back in Sri Lankan history you’ll find stories of brides wearing armlets to keep bad luck at bay. However, even with the passage of time you’ll still find arm rings in use by Kandyan drummers of Sri Lanka who celebrate an age old tradition. Of course, back then the metal band took on a slightly different name of “arm ring”. In historical times, like the Bronze Age, armbands were actually make of bronze and jet, a minor gemstone formed from petrifying wood under tremendous pressure.
The truth is, their purpose was often associated with a variety of different meanings not to mention, materials too. While the once popular tattoo style has fallen out the spotlight in the past, lately it’s been making quite the comeback on the arms of gentlemen across the globe.Īges ago, traditional tribal armband tattoos weren’t the only way to distinguish a man’s role or rank among a group of people.