List of ethnicities with traditional body modifications
The list of ethnicities with traditional body modifications includes ethnicities and ethnic groups that currently or historically regard certain body modifications as a central part of their cultural identity.
Africa
| Ethnicity | State / Region | Traditional body modification | image |
|---|---|---|---|
| Azande | Central Africa | Tooth deformation , scarification |
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| Baka | Cameroon , Republic of the Congo , Central African Republic , Gabon | Tooth deformation | |
| Baluba | Democratic Republic of Congo | Scarification |
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| Bangala | between Congo and Ubangi | Tattooing |
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| Banyang | Cameroon | The Banyang, from the upper reaches of the Cross River , have scarifications on their chests and arms. | |
| Berber | Morocco , Algeria , Tunisia , Libya , Mauritania , Mali , Niger , Egypt | Among Berber women, blue-green tattoos on the face, forearms, wrists and calves were culturally anchored. The tattoos consisted of spiritual characters, borrowed symbols and ornaments. The patterns are an expression of connection with nature and the cosmos and symbolize fertility and protection. |
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| Bétamarribé | Benin | Scarification | |
| Chokwe | Angola , Democratic Republic of the Congo , Zambia | Scarification , tooth deformation |
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| Dassanetch | Ethiopia , Kenya | Labret piercing , scarification |
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| Datooga | Tanzania | Dilated piercings , scarification |
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| Dinka | South Sudan | Scarification |
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| Fulbe | Mauritania , Senegal , Gambia , Guinea-Bissau , Mali , Burkina Faso , Niger , Guinea , Nigeria , Cameroon , Chad , Republic of Sudan | Women wear up to twelve earrings in each ear , which are pierced from the age of one. Wearing septum piercings is also common among women. In addition , women tattoo their mouth area beyond their lips with indigo . |
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| Hamar | Ethiopia | The Hamar traditionally wear ornamental scars arranged in a geometrical fashion . They are considered an ideal of beauty and are mainly located on the back and arms. For men, they symbolize success in hunting and defending the tribe. |
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| Kikuyu | Kenya | Dilated ears |
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| Makonde | Mozambique , Tanzania | Lip plate , tattoo |
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| Manduru | Central Equatoria | The Manduru have V-shaped, multi-row scarifications on their foreheads. | |
| Mangbetu | Democratic Republic of Congo | Conch piercing , skull deformation |
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| Maasai | Kenya , Tanzania | Flared piercings , helix piercing , circumcision |
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| Mongwandi | Congo | The Mongwandi wear button-like scarifications on their foreheads. | |
| Mursi | Ethiopia | The Mursi are known for the women's lip plates , called dhebi . To use these, girls have their lower lip cut open at the end of puberty and two of the lower incisors knocked out. The Mursi also wear widened piercings and scarifications , which consist of geometrically attached scars. |
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| Nandi | Kenya | Dilated ears |
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| Ngombe | Democratic Republic of Congo | Scarification |
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| Nuba | Sudan | Scarification |
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| Only | Ethiopia , South Sudan | Scarification (gaar) | |
| Nyangatom | Ethiopia | Scarification , labret piercings |
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| Pokot | Kenya , Uganda | Among members of the Pokot, in addition to large earrings, it is common to wear a leaf made of aluminum as a septum piercing . |
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| Sanan | Burkina Faso | Scarification |
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| Schilluk (people) | South Sudan | Scarification |
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| Senufo | Ivory Coast , Mali , Burkina Faso | Scarification , tooth deformation |
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| Surma | Ethiopia | Scarification , lip plate , Dilated Piercings |
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| Tigray | Ethiopia | Among other things, the Tigray wear a tattooed cross from Ethiopian Orthodox Christianity on their foreheads. |
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| Tsamay | Ethiopia | tattoo | |
| Turkana | Kenya | Septum piercings with large metal ornaments and labret piercings are and were common among the Turkana . |
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| Wodaabe | Sahel zone | Women wear face tattoos at the Wodaabe. |
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| Yoruba | Nigeria | Yoruba tribal sign - scarification , tattoo |
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America
Asia
| Ethnicity | State / Region | Traditional body modification | image |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adivasi | India | tattoo |
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| Aeta | Philippines | The Aeta wear scarifications ( tuktuk ) on their back, arms, chest, legs, hands, calves and stomach, which they then irritate with fire, lime and other means so that effective wounds develop. They also file the teeth into pointed stumps ( tayad ). |
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| Ainu | Japan | The traditional tattoos formerly worn by the women of the Ainu natives of Japan were called Anci-Piri . They were of religious origin and an expression of the social hierarchy of adult and marriageable women. |
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| Apatani | India | Wide piercings , nostril piercing , tattoos | |
| Baiga | India | tattoo |
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| Bontok | Philippines | Filipino tribal tattoos |
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| Chin | Myanmar | tattoo |
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| Derung | China | tattoo | |
| Iban | Indonesia | Tattoo , widened piercings |
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| Jews | Israel | Brit Mila |
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| Kayan | Borneo , Malaysia | Tattoo , widened piercings |
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| Kenyah | Indonesia | Ampallang , widened piercings |
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| Konyak | India , Myanmar | tattoo |
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| Mentawai | Indonesia | The Mentawai practice a ritual deforming of the teeth . They also decorate the body and face with special tattoos , some of the oldest in history. They serve both as a beauty mark and as a balance between body and universe. The Mentawai believe that after their death they can be recognized by their ancestors' tattoos. |
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| Naga | India , Myanmar | Stretched piercings , nostril piercing |
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| Tamang | Nepal | Stretched piercings , septum piercing |
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| Padaung | Myanmar | Giraffe neck |
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| Ryūkyū peoples | Japan | Hajichi |
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| Chukchi | Russia | tattoo |
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| Visaya | Philippines | Filipino tribal tattoos |
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| Yupik | Russia | tattoo |
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Australia and Oceania
| Ethnicity | State / Region | Traditional body modification | image |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aboriginal | Australia | The Aborigines wore scarifications , subincisions and sometimes long rods or bones in the nasal septum to make the nose appear flatter for aesthetic and erotic reasons. |
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| Aroma | Papua New Guinea | tattoo | |
| Asmat | Indonesia ( New Guinea ) | The Asmat warriors attracted attention with their particularly martial-looking septum piercings , so-called "bipane". These were flat, up to several centimeters wide plates of mussels, the shape of which is reminiscent of the guns of wild boars. A resin that is often fragrant was applied around the bridge in the nasal septum to make it comfortable to wear . Other Asmat jewelry for the strongly dilated or incised septum were made from pig bones, or sometimes from the shin of a killed enemy and were called "ooch" or "otsj". These could have a diameter of up to 25 millimeters. |
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| Chambri | Papua New Guinea | At the central sepic , scarifications are a central component of a traditional initiation ritual lasting several weeks, which is closely linked to the mythological creation story of the village communities. The aim is to simulate the skin of a crocodile that is revered as a spiritual creature. | |
| Dani | Papua New Guinea | Septum piercing | |
| Fayu | New Guinea | The men of the Fayu wear septum piercings and double nostril piercings | |
| Fijians | Fiji | Tattoo . Historically: only girls after puberty and women, with progressive tattoos in the lower abdomen and pubic area. Religious justification: Untattooed women would be punished after death in the underworld by the creator god Degei (Ndengei). The tattoo was not visible to outsiders by covering it with the raffia apron, the liku ; it had no outwardly directed decorative function. In addition to the color and black-and-white tattoos with small multi-toothed hammers (called "tooth"), which were only performed by women in Fiji, women were also given line or V-shaped scar tattoos on their backs and arms. In addition, blue circle tattoos were made at the corners of the mouth, the shape of which also showed the progress or completeness of the tattoo in the genital area. The only surviving sketch of such a tattoo comes from Theodor Kleinschmidt from 1875; it was unscientific reported until the middle of the 20th century. The line and zigzag patterns were similar to those on the plaited tapas . Apart from circumcision, which is common in boyhood, men rarely had tattoos in earlier times, which probably came from contacts with Tongans and Samoans, in which primarily men were tattooed. They preferred to adorn themselves with colored face paints and the famous hair wigs. | |
| Hula | Papua New Guinea | tattoo | |
| Iatmul | Papua New Guinea | At the central sepic , scarifications are a central component of a traditional initiation ritual lasting several weeks, which is closely linked to the mythological creation story of the village communities. The aim is to simulate the skin of a crocodile that is revered as a spiritual creature. |
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| Kaningara | Papua New Guinea | At the central sepic , scarifications are a central component of a traditional initiation ritual lasting several weeks, which is closely linked to the mythological creation story of the village communities. The aim is to simulate the skin of a crocodile that is revered as a spiritual creature. | |
| Koita | Papua New Guinea | Koita women were tattooed from the age of five and the tattoo was expanded annually. Most recently, they received V-shaped stripes on the chest, which indicated that they were marriageable. |
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| Lugunor (Island of the Carolines ) | tattoo | ||
| Mailu | Papua New Guinea | tattoo | |
| Māori | New Zealand | The typical tattoos of the Māori, especially those worn on the face, were incised with scratching and scraping tools and thus led to pitted bumps. The patterns were an expression of the rank and origin of the wearer and were scratched in adolescence. |
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| Marshall Islanders | Marshall Islands | tattoo | |
| Marquesans | French Polynesia : Marquesas | Full-body tattoos Young men were tattooed from around the age of 18, with a full body tattoo lasting until the age of 30, but without a degree. Women were i. A. Tattooed on hands, ankles, lips and behind the ears. The extremely complex patterns were made by the tuhuka patu tiki (tattoo specialists). There was something sacred about the process. |
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| Mekeo | Papua New Guinea | tattoo | |
| Motu | Papua New Guinea | tattoo | |
| Palauer | Palau | Until the 20th century, tattoos were a central component of culture and society, as well as an indicator of the status and wealth of the wearer. They were worn by both sexes. In women, however, they were of particular importance. |
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| Papua | Papua New Guinea | Septum piercing |
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| Rapanui, Easter Island population | Easter island | Face, neck, body tattoo |
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| Solomon | Solomon Islands | Residents of the Solomon Islands wore septum piercings with nose sticks that were mostly made of shell limestone. |
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| Samoans | Samoa | Tattoo , traditionally for men Peʻa : from the hip to the knees, called "knee pants". |
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| Waima | Papua New Guinea | tattoo | |
| Yaper | Yap | Tattoos |
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Europe
| Ethnicity | State / Region | Traditional body modification | image |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alemanni | today's Baden-Württemberg and Alsace , Bavarian Swabia , German-speaking Switzerland , Liechtenstein , Vorarlberg | Influenced by the Huns, the Alamanni wore skull deformations , which were probably a sign of a special social position. |
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| Aromanians | Macedonia | Up until the first half of the 20th century, girls between the ages of 13-14 were tattooed with a cross on their foreheads to protect them from being abducted by the Ottomans. It was usually placed centered above the bridge of the nose between the eyes. Girls were also given their brothers' names tattooed on their hands and fingers. For the color, grated charcoal was mixed with alcohol and injected into the skin with pin pricks. |
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| Bavarians | Old Bavaria , Austria , South Tyrol | Skull deformations were carried out among the Bavarians, presumably referring to a special social position. The custom was adopted by the Huns, who in turn probably brought it to Central Europe from Asia. | |
| Burgundy | Skull deformations were carried out under the Burgundians . The custom was adopted by the Huns, who in turn probably brought it to Central Europe from Asia. | ||
| Gepid | later Romania | Skull deformations were carried out under the Gepids, especially in the 5th and up to the 6th century AD . The custom was adopted by the Huns, who in turn probably brought it to Central Europe from Asia. | |
| Goths | Roman Empire | Skull deformations were carried out under the Goths, especially in the 5th and up to the 6th century AD . The custom was adopted by the Huns, who in turn probably brought it to Central Europe from Asia. The deformation was probably a sign of a special social position. | |
| Huns | Byzantine Empire | The Huns performed skull deformations . They probably brought the custom from Asia to Central Europe. | |
| Croatians | Bosnia and Herzegovina | Until about the middle of the 20th century, blue tattoos were common among Croatian Catholic women on the hands, forearms, chest and, more rarely, on the forehead. The motifs consisted primarily of Christian symbols and Stećak ornaments, which mostly depicted the cross as the central motif. The tradition can be traced back to the conquest of Bosnia by the Ottomans in 1463 and lost its importance due to the lower status of religion in the former socialist Yugoslavia . |
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| Picts | Scotland | tattoo |
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| Thuringian | later Thuringia | Skull deformations were carried out among the Thuringians . The custom was adopted by the Huns, who in turn probably brought it from Asia to Central Europe and was probably a sign of a special social position. |
Individual evidence
- ^ Democratic Republic of the Congo; Luba peoples ( Memento of the original from October 29, 2013 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ African ornamentation , Brill Archive, page 48
- ↑ a b c d e f The Völkerschau in Pictures , Eckstein-Helpaus-Verlag, 1932
- ↑ Snakes, jackals and scorpions - Berber tattoos in North Africa ( Memento from June 4, 2015 in the Internet Archive ) , journal-ethnologie.de
- ↑ West Africa - Mysterious Sahara
- ^ Robert Gardner: Rivers of sand , GRIN Verlag, 2006, p. 11
- ↑ Ethnic Lexicon | New Sudan Foundation. Retrieved January 31, 2017 .
- ^ Turkana elder with nose ornament , Pitt Rivers Museum ref
- ↑ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah ai aj ak al am an ao ap aq ar Dion Kaszas: Indigenous Tattooing
- ↑ Pierre Clastres : Chronicle of the Guayaki. Calling themselves Aché, nomadic hunters in Paraguay. Trickster Verlag, Munich 1984, ISBN 3-923804-06-7 , p. 106 ff.
- ^ Image and on the website of the anthropologist Kim R. Hill . Retrieved October 25, 2013.
- ↑ a b c d e f Lars Krutak: Tattooed Tribes of the Amazon
- ^ Curtis, Vol. 11, p. 11.
- ↑ The Marubo Indians: Rebirth of a Nation
- ↑ The Mundurucú: Tattooed Warriors of the Amazon Jungle by Lars Krutak. Retrieved January 31, 2017 .
- ↑ Body Piercing History ( Memento from April 26, 2013 in the Internet Archive )
- ↑ Yanomami Indians: The Fierce People?
- ^ Dorling Kindersley: [Encyclopedia of People], p. 79
- ↑ pinatubo aeta by Khristin Fabian ( Memento of the original from February 7, 2008 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ^ WR Van Gulik: Irezumi - The Pattern of Dermatography in Japan , 1982
- ^ Lars Krutak : Tattoo Hunter - Mentawai , 2009
- ^ A History of Body Piercing throughout Society
- ↑ a b c d e f Lars Krutak: The forgotten code: Tribal tattoos of Papua New Guinea
- ↑ New Guinea shell septum
- ↑ The Septum Piercing
- ↑ Turkana tribe septum jewelry
- ↑ Kingsley Roth: Fiji: Tatuing. Some Unrecorded Details on Tatuing in Fiji. In: Man . Vol. 33, 1933, pp. 162-163. ( JSTOR 2790097 ). Retrieved September 29, 2013.
- ^ Herbert Tischner: "Contributions to the ethnography of the old Viti Levu and Vanua Levu based on unpublished notes and drawings by Theodor Kleinschmidt from the years 1875–1878". In: Contributions to people research: Hans Damm on the 65th birthday . Akademie-Verlag, Berlin 1961, pp. 665–681.
- ↑ Fig. Of the Fiji Museum by Theodor Kleinschmidt's sketch on the Lars Krutak website (note the copyright of the Völkerkundemuseum Leipzig).
- ↑ Willow Dean C. Cell: Tattooing in the Marquesas. (= Bernice P. Bishop Museum Bulletin. 1). Museum, Honolulu 1922. ( Digitized , PDF 2.52 MB).
- ^ Karl von den Steinen : The Marquesans and their art: Studies on the development of primitive South Sea ornaments based on their own travel results and the material of the museums. 3 volumes, Reimer, Berlin 1925–1928. Volume 1 tattooing: with a history of the archipelago and a comparative introduction about Polynesian custom . 1925 ( digitized version of the Bodleian Libraries )
- ↑ Eric Kjellgren: Adorning the world. Art of the Marquesas Islands. Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY 2005. ( Digitized , PDF 52.6 MB).
- ↑ Tattoos and body painting of the Rapa Nui on Easter Island on the website osterinsel.de
- ↑ Samoan tatau (tattooing) on the website of the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa
- ↑ a b c d e Herwig Wolfram: Die Germanen, 2009, p. 17
- ↑ Peter Podjavorsek: The Aromanians in Macedonia , arte documentation
- ↑ a b c d e Johannes Hoops: Reallexikon der Germanischen Altertumskunde, Volume 26, p. 575
- ↑ Ćiro Truhelka: The tattooing among the Catholics of Bosnia and Hercegovina , Carl Gerold's son, 1896 - 16 pages
- ↑ Tattooing of Croatian Women In Bosnia-Herzegovina ( Memento April 7, 2014 in the Internet Archive ) , accessed on March 30, 2013
- ↑ The Croatian Tattoo Grandma Cult , Vice , accessed on March 30, 2013
- ↑ Migration Period - 375 to 600 AD ( Memento of the original from October 2, 2013 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. , Brandenburg State Archaeological Museum
