Tattooing In the Tribal World

It's hard to know where to start looking for inspiration on "Tribal" tattooing, without becoming overwhelmed at the seemingly infinite number of designs. Thousands of different clans of people use them to show thousands of different messages.

 For religion, to respect the dead, to show age, for protection against evil, to take power from animals, and many more reasons, people have permanently decorated their bodies with unique patterns and shapes.

The Kayapo

Looking at the Kayapo/Kaiapo people again, I saw it mentioned that "After an attack on an enemy village, the chest of the warriors must be tattooed and scraped with the purpose of eliminating the superfluous ‘bad’ and thus dangerous blood".

HOW INTERESTING!!!!! They tattooed themselves while scraping the skin to rid themselves of bad blood from battle!!

That said, I did find this image (admittedly from Tumblr) which showed a young male tattooed...

A Young Kaiapo male, tattoed on his face and torso, from www.tumblr.com

I think it's interesting that he has markings in the same place as the male in the other post... wait... I'll just show you again:

 There must be a significant meaning to painting on the cheeks, shaving the centre of the head, and the red paint used on the eyes and forehead. All three share one or more of these characteristics. The Kayapo are a large group of tribes. I can't see anything to say that all three are form the same tribe. Perhaps it is that they have "trends" as we do... that these stylings are in fashion?!?! Hmmm...

The Moari

A Maori Warrior, taken from EnvironmentalGraffiti.com

The Ta Moko tattooing methods used by Maori tribes in New Zealand are STUNNING! Because of the way that the ink is carved rather than punctured into their sun-darkened skin, the tattoos give the effect of embossing on leather. As though their skin was formed that way. IT'S ABSOLUTELY GORGEOUS!!! Imagine the feel of that under your fingers.

The description from EnvironmentalGraffiti that accompanied this image (->) 

says that "Persons of high social status would receive moko in a prominent place like the face so that their special status was immediately recognisable". So it's almost their uniform!!

Also, it explains that the tattoos are also used as part of the transition to adulthood as they are with so many other tribes around the world.