Africa is the world center of tattooing
The black continent has always been famous for its tattoos. By their presence, it was possible to judge to which tribe a person belongs. Each of them had their own customs to apply drawings on the body. The climate in these places allows people to get by with a minimum of clothing, or even flaunt without it at all - therefore, tattooed patterns can be shown all year round.
That is why tattoos have become such a favorite type of jewelry in Africa.
The inhabitants of this continent have achieved real mastery in the art of decorating their bodies. They used and use different types of them: the actual tattoo, scarring, piercing and painting on the body. Why did Africans need tattoos? And decorate yourself, and show the person you meet your position in society and your social status. Just as Europeans learned about it from clothes or hairstyles, Africans could get all the information from the patterns on the body. They will meet such a person - and his whole life is in full view for them.
It cannot be said that in Africa the tattoo was a purely masculine or purely feminine adornment - they were equally used and used by both. What can be seen as patterns on the bodies of men? Drawings that prove to you that in front of you is a hunter or a warrior. What about women? Is she married, how many children does she have and what position does her husband occupy in society.
Each tribe decorated itself in its own way. Some tattooed on the arms or thighs. Others inflicted scars on their heads and chests. The ubangibanda clan adorned the arms, back and chest. The Yaounde tribe was famous for the fact that women were simply obliged to have scars on their thighs. And in other tribes it was not welcomed.
There was also a tradition to decorate the bodies of children with tattoos. Sometimes special compositions of saltpeter, ash and juice of a number of plants were used for tattoos. The scars after such a procedure remained quite deep and persisted throughout a person's life.
The tattoo was popular in Africa in ancient times and remains popular today. A person with patterns on the body is considered there as a fully-fledged member of society and does not cause surprise or any negative emotions. Very often, the process of applying patterns is accompanied by a number of ceremonies, and only the elite are present at them - all this is considered as a sacred rite.
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Africa is a continent, in most of which clothing is needed purely symbolically.
The climate of these places allows you to do without it almost all year round, if it were not for the principles of morality.
However, for the majority of the indigenous population, these principles are minimized, and that is why clothing for them in everyday life consists mainly of a loincloth for men and a kind of skirt for women, children usually get by with what nature has given.
But the proverb: "Meet by clothes ..." is also valid for those who have a minimum of clothes. That is why it was customary for ancient African tribes around the world to decorate their bodies with various patterns.
For many ancient people, various paints were used for these purposes, which did not last long on the skin. So the American Indians applied war paint only for the duration of the hostilities, and the wedding drawings of the Indians were made only for the duration of the marriage, the Africans went further. They drew pictures of their face and body with paint, and then they injected this beauty into the skin tissue with needles. Such drawings were kept on the human body all his life. These drawings are called tattoos.
On the Black Continent, since ancient times, it has become a custom to make tattoos for almost everyone. By drawing tattoos, you can determine from which tribe this person is, and at what level of hierarchy he stands in his tribe. The tattoo was a kind of business card. Why did the Africans need it?
And everything is simple and for them a tattoo is both an ornament and a kind of business card that showed any person they met what kind of tribe they were, what their position in society was, what their social status was. Just as the Europeans determined the nobility of a person by their clothes and hairstyle, so the Africans learned from tattoos who was in front of him and how to treat him.
Well, since the African climate allows you to show pictures on your body all year round, these decorations have become common for everyone. Africans have made the process of tattooing a real art, having achieved unsurpassed skill in this.
In general, tattoos are not considered purely feminine or masculine jewelry. They are used by both men and women, the only difference is in the drawings and places of their application. According to the drawing of a man, you can determine that in front of you is a warrior or a simple hunter. The leader and his relatives have special drawings; only the family of the leader can wear them. Seeing such a pattern on the body, even representatives of another tribe are obliged to pay tribute to him.
In women, according to the drawing, you can determine whether she is married or not, what is the status of her husband in society, and even how many children she has. If a woman has been married several times, this is also reflected in tattoos on her body. In many tribes, this serves as an occasion for a respectful or not very attitude towards her.
Different tribes have their own tattooing technologies and their own drawings. They used and now use various types of tattoos: the actual tattoo, piercing, the application of certain scars. Among Africans living in the northern regions of Africa, who have fair skin, along with tattoos, it is popular.
In most tribes, tattooing usually has a special ritual character. It is performed as a kind of sacred rite. This is done by special people admitted to this, while selected members of the tribe are present, often the shaman performs a certain ritual.
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The variety of tattoos is very large. So for some, tattoos are applied to the arms or thighs, for others, scars are made on the head and chest. So in a gang, drawings are applied to the chest, back and arms. What is considered beautiful and necessary in some tribes, in others it is not accepted, so among the Yaounde tribe, in Cameroon, it was previously prescribed for women to have scars on their thighs, in other tribes it is considered unlawful.
Tattoos are also made in children. Moreover, some natural dyes are used for this, as well as ash or even saltpeter. Such tattoos last a lifetime and are almost impossible to reduce.
Tattoo in Africa, as it was popular in antiquity, is also popular in modern times. A person with patterns on his body is not surprising, but on the contrary, he is a full-fledged member of society who requires a certain respect for himself. These are their manners. Although over time, tattoos have become popular with many people around the world. If a few decades ago, a tattoo in our country was mainly an attribute of the zone and “gentlemen of fortune”, well, sometimes those who served in the army set themselves such marks, now tattoos are very common among young people and there is a whole direction in the cosmetics business that is in high demand.
On the beach you can meet as many young people as you want, including girls and women with tattoos on different parts of the body, and this is not considered shameful, but rather attracts attention.
Nowadays, attitudes towards tattoos can be extremely opposite. Some attribute to the owners of tattoos "ostentation", "playing in front of the public." Others see nothing but art and "decorate" their body in every possible place. Today, you can make any tattoo without any problems, as well as use the skill of "wearable painters" for decorative and cosmetic purposes: tattoo lips, eyes, and correct eyebrows. But few people thought and know where this art came from.
Tattoos have been used for a long time. The birthplace of this art can be safely called Africa. There, since ancient times, each tribe had its own traditions, extending to tattooing. An important factor contributing to the widespread distribution of tattoos in Africa was the hot climate, which allows you to show your body all year round. In addition to tattoos, Africans used scarring, all kinds of piercings, etc. to decorate their bodies.
The purpose and meaning of tattoos in Africa
When decorating the body, a number of goals were pursued, among which the decorative was far from the main one. Tattoos are primarily insignia. According to them, the tribes differed from each other, they reflected the social status of a person, his position within the tribal hierarchy, worldview. Tattoos served to protect against evil spirits.
It was possible to “read life” by wearable signs: in addition to status signs, “event” signs (let’s call them that) are common, which are applied after overcoming a certain milestone in a person’s life: entry into adulthood, marriage, the birth of a child. Tattoos were applied to both men and women. Men's wearable signs usually characterized their owner as a hunter or warrior, and women could "read" whether their owner was married, had children, etc.
Symbols
When applying tattoos, their location, size, color, color intensity played an important role. Sizes and colors were often specific to each tribe or family.
"Patterns", as a rule, are uncomplicated. Figures of animals, plants, as well as symbols denoting spirits and ancestors were chosen as an ornament for drawing.
The social significance of tattoos in Africa
For the vast majority of African tribes to date, the absence of a tattoo is a sign of inferiority. It is believed that a man without a badge will not become a successful hunter, and a woman will not be able to start a family. Due to the fact that tattooing occupies such an important place in the life of tribes, the rite itself is treated very reverently in Africa, and only the elite are initiated into its sacrament.
Africa is a continent, in most of which clothing is needed purely symbolically.
The climate of these places allows you to do without it almost all year round, if it were not for the principles of morality.
However, for the majority of the indigenous population, these principles are minimized, and that is why clothing for them in everyday life consists mainly of a loincloth for men and a kind of skirt for women, children usually get by with what nature has given.
But the proverb: "Meet by clothes ..." is also valid for those who have a minimum of clothes. That is why it was customary for ancient African tribes around the world to decorate their bodies with various patterns.
For many ancient people, various paints were used for these purposes, which did not last long on the skin. So the American Indians applied war paint only for the duration of the hostilities, and the wedding drawings of the Indians were made only for the duration of the marriage, the Africans went further. They drew pictures of their face and body with paint, and then they injected this beauty into the skin tissue with needles. Such drawings were kept on the human body all his life. These drawings are called tattoos.
On the Black Continent, since ancient times, it has become a custom to make tattoos for almost everyone. By drawing tattoos, you can determine from which tribe this person is, and at what level of hierarchy he stands in his tribe. The tattoo was a kind of business card. Why did the Africans need it?
And everything is simple and for them a tattoo is both an ornament and a kind of business card that showed any person they met what kind of tribe they were, what their position in society was, what their social status was. Just as the Europeans determined the nobility of a person by their clothes and hairstyle, so the Africans learned from tattoos who was in front of him and how to treat him.
Well, since the African climate allows you to show pictures on your body all year round, these decorations have become common for everyone. Africans have made the process of tattooing a real art, having achieved unsurpassed skill in this.
In general, tattoos are not considered purely feminine or masculine jewelry. They are used by both men and women, the only difference is in the drawings and places of their application. According to the drawing of a man, you can determine that in front of you is a warrior or a simple hunter. The leader and his relatives have special drawings; only the family of the leader can wear them. Seeing such a pattern on the body, even representatives of another tribe are obliged to pay tribute to him.
In women, according to the drawing, you can determine whether she is married or not, what is the status of her husband in society, and even how many children she has. If a woman has been married several times, this is also reflected in tattoos on her body. In many tribes, this serves as an occasion for a respectful or not very attitude towards her.
Different tribes have their own tattooing technologies and their own drawings. They used and now use various types of tattoos: the actual tattoo, piercing, the application of certain scars. Among Africans living in the northern regions of Africa, who have fair skin, along with tattoos, it is popular.
In most tribes, tattooing usually has a special ritual character. It is performed as a kind of sacred rite. This is done by special people admitted to this, while selected members of the tribe are present, often the shaman performs a certain ritual.
.jpg)
The variety of tattoos is very large. So for some, tattoos are applied to the arms or thighs, for others, scars are made on the head and chest. So in a gang, drawings are applied to the chest, back and arms. What is considered beautiful and necessary in some tribes, in others it is not accepted, so among the Yaounde tribe, in Cameroon, it was previously prescribed for women to have scars on their thighs, in other tribes it is considered unlawful.
Tattoos are also made in children. Moreover, some natural dyes are used for this, as well as ash or even saltpeter. Such tattoos last a lifetime and are almost impossible to reduce.
Tattoo in Africa, as it was popular in antiquity, is also popular in modern times. A person with patterns on his body is not surprising, but on the contrary, he is a full-fledged member of society who requires a certain respect for himself. These are their manners. Although over time, tattoos have become popular with many people around the world. If a few decades ago, a tattoo in our country was mainly an attribute of the zone and “gentlemen of fortune”, well, sometimes those who served in the army set themselves such marks, now tattoos are very common among young people and there is a whole direction in the cosmetics business that is in high demand.
On the beach you can meet as many young people as you want, including girls and women with tattoos on different parts of the body, and this is not considered shameful, but rather attracts attention.
