- Tattooing methods in Africa--both ancient and modern--are different than what we are accustomed to today. The most common way to apply tattoos in the United States is with ink and needle, but tattooing started with scarring in Africa. A sharp object was pressed into and dragged across the flesh in a pattern or design carrying some meaning, leaving behind cuts, which eventually became decorative scars. Because most Africans' skin is dark, adding pigment to create a colorful tattoo was not only rare but unnecessary.
- In the United States, people get tattoos for a variety of reasons, reasons similar to those that motivate Africans. Beauty, decoration or the influence of popular culture are the main reasons to get tattoos in the United States and Africa. However, the designs in African tattoos/scars are not randomly chosen; they often have historical and cultural significance. Another reason an African man or woman might be tattooed is to show tribal, ethnic or familial loyalty (loyalty/ethnic scarring is often done on the face.) Scarring or tattooing in Africa can also symbolize a rite of passage and is applied to men and women. When boys become men, they might take on a scar to show their inner strength.
- The reasons for getting tattoos, such as beauty, fashion, loyalty and the desire to mark momentous events, transcend racial boundaries. It is interesting to note the similarities in tattooing in U.S. gangs of any race and in ethnic groups in Africa. Where African ethnic groups scar to show membership in the group, U.S. youth tattoo and scar themselves to show affiliation to their chosen gang.
- While it is almost unheard of for Americans to get facial tattoos--especially women--it is a common practice in some countries in Africa. Women of certain tribes in northern Africa tattoo small dots on their faces after they give birth to a son. They also get facial and other tattoos announcing their ethnic identity. Some nomadic groups are known to bear facial tattoos that ward off evil spirits. Some women in Africa tattoo the areas on the face where they are mostly likely to get wrinkles, thinking the design will keep them looking young.
- It is important to remember that tattoos on black skin usually mean nothing different than tattoos on white skin. African tattoos and African-American tattoos are sometimes portrayed as barbaric or primitive, but they are actuality nothing more than a cultural practice that exists in almost every other culture around the world.
- Advertisement -
- Advertisement -