the wordsmith
sarah james
culture shock
The West tends to have specific ideas and methods for tattooing, and in a similar way, so do other cultures.
In Thai culture, for example, it is common to get Buddhist psalms and verses tattooed on the body by a monk, as a form of protection. This process is called sak yant. In contrast to the Western ideas about tattooing, this form of tattooing is not merely a way of decorating one’s body with art, but rather a ritual ceremony.
Ajarn Noo Kanpai, renowned sak yant artist in Thailand, says that he only wants to tattoo those who have respect and faith in their parents. In his view, respecting one’s parents means that one has good morals and is therefore worthy to receive such a tattoo. Kanpai says, “No spirits will protect bad people.” He maintains that bad spirits are afraid to harm those with good morals.
These tattoos appear to be mostly done on the back but can also be done on the chest, stomach and arms. The tattoo is done by using a sharpened bamboo stick dipped in ink to pierce the skin. Western sterilisation is not practiced so that tattooer usually doesn’t wear gloves. Thai tattoos have gained popularity in the West due to people like Angelina Jolie getting them done.
In a similar way, tattoos play a significant role in the lives of the Māori people of New Zealand. This tattooing is called Tā Moko and is usually done on the face and lips. In Māori culture, the head is regarded as the sacred part of the body.
Each design tattooed on to a person’s body contains ancestral messages which are specific to the wearer. Honour (mana) is an integral way of life for Māori people – honouring one’s ancestors, the past and the future. People from the same tribe will have similar patterns tattooed and so can recognise each other.
Māori tattoos are done using uhi, chisels, which are used to carve into the skin, rather than puncture it. The chisel is tied onto a long stick which is tapped firmly with another stick to break the skin surface. There are also usually people present whose job it is to stretch the tattooee’s skin, so as to tattoo straight lines, particularly if the area is fleshy (like the cheeks). Although the face is the first place to get tattooed, Māori tattoos can extend over much of the body.
The process of the Māori tattoo is often regarded as sacred, as a rite of passage, and it is not something which is taken lightly. It is an ancient tradition which many Māori people want to keep alive in modern times. It is a way of being in touch with one’s roots and maintaining a connection with one’s ancestors, who are believed to guide one through life.
In both Thai and Māori tattooing, it seems to be most prevalent among men, but, particularly in the case of Māori tattoos, women have and still do receive them. Often in Western culture, tattoos are regarded as defacing the body, but if we look to other cultures across the world, we can see how they are a sacred part of those cultures. We can also see the deep spiritual ties these forms of tattooing hold. I think we need to keep this in mind when we criticise tattoos in general.