Many cultures regard tattoos as protective amulets,
and such magical applications are closely linked to religious beliefs.
Ainu women in Japan, for instance, tattoo themselves with images of
their Goddess, which is able to repel evil spirits and thus protect from
disease. Iraqis commonly tattoo a dot at the end of a child's nose to
guard against illness. A tattoo of Hanuman is used to relieve pain among
Hindus. Aborigines in Australia believe tattoos on their arms allow them
to dodge boomerangs. Soldiers in Burma tattoo their thighs to be
invulnerable in war, and Cambodian men cover themselves in tattoos to
make themselves impervious to harm, even from bullets. The use of
tattoos in Cambodia may have come centuries ago from Indian settlers who
practiced Vedic rituals.
Sacred Buddhist texts are a favorite tattoo in Thailand, where they are
believed to have magical power. In an initiation rite known as the "Krob
Kru," the devotee lights incense and pray in preparation. The
tattoo artist uses a special rod to inscribe the sacred text on the
chest, back or arms. A shaman then tests the tattoo's potency by giving
each tattoo three or four strong swipes of a sword. Tattoo recipients
often enter a state of ecstasy or burst into violent trances.
The snake clan of Pakokku, Burma, has made a science of protection
tattoos. For centuries these Buddhist snake handlers have tattooed their
bodies to protect themselves against the vipers and cobras that share
their town. But they hold these deadly snakes in high esteem: Buddhist
legend tells of a giant cobra sheltering a sleeping Lord Buddha during a
rainstorm, and there is even a snake pagoda in nearby Mandalay. The town
also regards the snake as its fertility God. Currently about a dozen
members strong, the snake clan of Pakokku claims that no member has ever
been killed by a snake no small feat considering these men are
responsible for capturing snakes by hand and releasing them unharmed
miles from town. Their secret is the tattoo. Each member undergoes
weekly tattooing, a ritual that involves prayer, a very large metal
needle and black ink mixed with snake venom. The venom, collected from
snakes found in town, acts as an inoculation against snakebite. Arms,
legs, chest, back, face and even the scalp are tattooed with Buddhist
symbols, each mixed with venom cobra venom for tattoos on the upper
body, viper venom for the lower body to help build the bearer's
antibodies.
The Hawaiians are prominent among peoples who have specific tattoo
Gods. Like Native American spirit guides, the 'aumakua can take the form
of animals, inanimate objects or even natural phenomena, like lightning
and thunder. Many Hawaiians adorn themselves with special tattoos
honoring their 'aumakua. A tattooed row of dots around the ankle, for
example, is considered a charm against sharks thanks to an ancient story
in which a woman swimming in the ocean was bitten by a shark, her
'aumakua. When the woman cried out, the shark let go, saying, "I
will not make that mistake again, for I see the marks on your ankle."
In Hawaii, the images of the tattoo Gods are kept in the places of
tattoo priests. Each tattoo session begins with a prayer to the tattoo
Gods that the operation might not cause harm, that the wounds might heal
soon and that the designs might be handsome.
Like most of the Pacific Islands, Samoa also has a rich tattoo
tradition. "In ancient Samoa, tattooing played an important role in
both religious ritual and warfare," writes Gilbert. "The
tattoo artist held a hereditary and privileged position. He customarily
tattooed young men in groups of six to eight, during a ceremony attended
by friends and relatives who participated in special prayers and
celebrations associated with the tattooing ritual." The tattoos of
Pacific Island natives made an impact on English explorers notably those
who sailed with Captain Cook late in the 18th century and they returned
home with bold new designs and helped resurrect the tattoo art in
Europe.
