African scarring rituals why

The path is yours alone if you choose it. Scarring is also permanent, so you should give the idea some deep thought before you make a decision to do it. Will the scars fit in with the rest of your life?

Will your employer have a problem with your body art if it shows outside of your work clothes? Will your significant other find the scars as attractive as you do? These are all things to be considered as you weigh your decision. Tattoos and Body Art About Tattoos and Body Art Africa Scarification History Africa scarification history shows that while scarring may seem like a new and avant garde form of body art, the practice is really quite ancient.

Beauty Scars are thought to beautify the body, and this journey for beauty through scarification often begins during childhood, especially for young African girls. Strength and Courage Scarification is also viewed as a test of courage.

Fertility Scarring is especially prized in young women of marriageable age. Family Pride Scarring can also be a matter of family pride. Protection from Death Spirituality plays an important role in African culture, and many Africans believe in the presence of spirits around them, both good and evil.

The Ancient Art of Scarring According to Africa scarification history, scars were created in various ways, depending on their purpose. Modern Scarification. Reasons Scarring may be an ancient art, but it is certainly not one that is fading away.

Reasons for scarification today are much the same as they have always been: Scars are used to beautify the body with exotic patterns. In other words, they simply look cool when they're well done.

Scarring is also used as a rite of passage and a test of inner strength. Once you've been through such an intense experience, everyday annoyances and fears seem mundane.

Scarring can also be used to mark significant moments in your life. This could be the birth of a child, the death of a loved one or anything else that has a left a permanent mark on your consciousness or changed the course of your life. Procedures Modern scarification procedures are typically performed in a far more sterile environment than the ancients had available to them.

Is Scarring for You? History of Scarification. In more recent history of sub-Saharan Africa, the processes of tattooing and scarification have merged into something called cicatrization. Cicatrization is the usage of cutting deeply like scarification, but also the using of ash and soot as a way to pigment the scars after wounding, and they double as agitators to cause inflammation for more exaggerated markings as well.

The scars may later be re-opened for the addition of small solids to increase the protrusions of marks. When items are added there is usually a ritual associated with them pertaining to the tribe's traditions of self-progression. Fulani Women of Cameroon. While in more recent times of North Africa, where there is a large population of Islamic societies, tattooing is considered disrespectful and unholy.

In light of this, henna tattoos prevailed in these societies as they are temporary, and even date back to the first ever being used in ancient Egypt around BCE. Today, plain-ink tattoos are much more of a commonality in African countries and vary widely amongst them. Not all tattoos are religious, tribal, or ritualistic representations either. At the age of 16 or 17, cuts are made on the chests, shoulders, and bellies of both men and women.

Without these scars, "clean skin" tribe members were traditionally not permitted to trade, sing ceremonial songs, or participate in other tribal activities. In Ethiopia's Karo tribe, men scar their chests to represent killing enemies from other tribes. Women with scarred torsos and chests are considered particularly sensual and attractive. Scarification has been most used among dark-skinned equatorial peoples. There are several reasons for the growing popularity of scarification. Pitts feels that it's partly spurred by a nostalgia for a different type of society.

She cited the example of an American who tattooed his face with a female Maori tattoo as a form of gender-bending—which the Maori would find extremely offensive. Some scarify simply to be different. Pitts argues that body modification is not really so strange within a culture where identity is often expressed through appearance—which in mainstream society includes fashion consumption, cosmetic surgery, and botox. All rights reserved. Body Modification Movement In the U.

A Growing Practice There are several reasons for the growing popularity of scarification. Cutting Edge Some scarify simply to be different. On the fringes of society, it's tattooing, piercing, and scarification. Share Tweet Email. Why it's so hard to treat pain in infants.

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