Tattoo History - Africa

Body decoration has a very long and strong tradition for the African people dating back almost 6000 years to the pharaohs of egypt and many of the body painting and tatauing rituals have still survived over the centuries. On the one hand it survived in some regions because the natives were, and still are, making their living serving tourists as photo models. On the other hand because civilization didn't advance to many parts of the third world countries yet, especially in the southern regions. In those from civilization untouched regions it survived because the natives, bushmen and pygmies are still carrying out their rituals like their forefathers did thousands of years ago. In some tribes of norther Africa the art of tatauing is still left from mothers to their daughters. The images on the skin, climbing work of points, straight lines, crosses and triangles, work as amulet. They illustrate the fertility of a woman, enure her health, wealth and repel transcendental forces. And because the natives believe those forces are entering the body through it's holes, the women mostly apply the patterns on their face and parts on the body that can not constantly protected with clothes.

The Scar tatau has survived until today with some tribes of black Africa, the so called ethiopic race. Therefor the skin is pulled up with a thorn, some tribes use a fishing hook, and incisions are made with a sharp knife or a razor blade sometimes cutting out the skin part completely. To ease the pain oil, flour and healing herbs are applied. The results of this procedure are small scars decorating the skin with diversified patterns. The scar decoration tells about the social standing of someone since not everybody can afford an extensive scarification because the procedure is performed by specialists and is very complex and expensive. The more complex the scars are the higher is the social standing of the carrier.

Adorning scars also characterize a certain age class. In some places the first incisions are already made after birth and more scars follow in continuous intervals. At women, for instance, scars are applied after the first menstruation, after child birth or after the breastfeeding period. At the same time the scarifications are considered as a beautification since they ensure success with the other sex. The scars show overcome diseases, physical qualities and awards of personal achievements and you only become a real men or women with the scars.

Scar designs also simply characterize a tribal designation. A simple sign of local and related groups but no matter which tribe or which region, people without any scars are treated as misfits and cowards. Many African governments have made scar decorations illegal by law nowadays but those practices are still carried out secretly in most of those countries.

To get an overview of the art of the body painting in Africa is an almost impossible venture. Each region had, and sometimes still has, their own motives which could vary from family to tribe. In the Republic of Niger, for instance, the man used to painted themselves for hours for the groom exhibition. In southern Ethiopia again, tribes would use body paintings as a designation of ancestry and affiliation when going to battle. In neighboring Kenya the men painted themselves according to their age group and in Tanzania young men painted themselves to enhance their health and abilities for the transition into adults. On the contrary in Sudan body paintings were applied for big, social occasions and in Zaire, to display the social elite of a tribe, especially red colors were used. In south Africa the young men painted themselves, during the transition process to adulthood, extensively with the color white symbolizing their standing outside of society during this transition but at the same time getting closer to their ancestors.

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