The fashion of Tongue piercing and wearing Some kind of adornment in the holed part can be sourced back to the Aztec and Mayan cultures; however, Their purpose behind getting Their taste gland pierced was mainly to please Their respective Gods. At the turn of the twentieth century, it was adopted as a fashion trend by the west, and they started adorning Their pierced Tongue with a specifically-designed piece of jewelry, namely Tongue Rings or barbells.