THE AFRICAN ORIGIN OF TATTOOS

THE AFRICAN ORIGIN OF TATTOOS

THE AFRICAN ORIGIN OF TATTOOS

Tattooing has a long history in many African cultures and has been practiced for thousands of years. In some African tribal societies, tattoos were used as a form of cultural identity, spiritual protection, or even for medicinal purposes. Today traditional tattooing is still practiced in some African communities. African tattoo designs are becoming more popular as tattoo choices for people around the world for preserving cultural heritage. The first evidence of tattoos leads back to the mummies in Kemet. The oldest tattoo was found on the mummy of Amunet, a priestess of the Goddess Hathor, during 2160-1994 BC. The mummy’s simple tattoos were parallel lines on her arms, legs, and an elliptical pattern below her navel.

In Maasai culture, tattoos were traditionally used as a symbol of passage from childhood to adulthood, and were also used to signify warrior status. For Maasai boys, the tattooing process was part of a coming-of-age ceremony called Eunoto, which marked the transition from boyhood to warrior status. The tattooing process for Maasai women was different and typically involved small dots or lines on the face, usually around the mouth and chin. These tattoos were seen as a sign of beauty and were often applied before marriage. Tattoos among the Fula people of Mali. The Fula or Fulani women’s symbol of beauty and courage are black lips tattoos. They uphold a “Tchoodi” ceremony that is a cultural identity and ritual performed exclusively by women and the tradition serves as a right of passage, a sign that girls have achieved womanhood.

Another ethnics group that practice the culture of face tattooing is the Wodaabe also known as the Mbororo or Bororo, who are a small subgroup of the Fulani ethnic group. They are traditionally nomadic cattle-herders and traders in the Sahel, with migrations stretching from southern Niger, through northern Nigeria, northeastern Cameroon, southwestern Chad, western region of the Central African