The origins of Polynesian island tattooing can be found in the archipelago of islands in the Philippines
Our Monday began with this informative sentence. "The origins of Polynesian island tattooing are to be found in the archipelago of islands in the Philippines." A reader of our series sent the following opinion, which we are not at liberty to disregard. Going to the Philippines - in search of the origins of tattooing :)
The history of the Philippines dates to the earliest hominin in the archipelago at least 709 000 years ago. Homo luzonensis, an archaic man species, was found on the island of Luzon at least 134,000 years ago. The earliest known anatomically modern human was from Tabon Caves in Palawan, dating back to about 47,000 years ago. Negrito groups were the first inhabitants to settle in the prehistoric Philippines. They were followed by Austro-Asians, Papuans and South Asian people. The first Austronesians reached the Philippines in 3000-2200 BC, settling on the Batanes Islands and in northern Luzon.
From there, they rapidly spread down to the rest of the Philippines and the islands of Southeast Asia, and further east to reach around 1500 B.C. Northern Mariana Islands. The new inhabitants migrated south from Taiwan. They assimilated earlier Australian and Melanesian Negritos, resulting in the modern Filipino ethnic groups. The most widely accepted theory of island settlement is the "Beyond Taiwan" model, which follows Austronesian expansion during the Neolithic in a series of maritime migrations originating in Taiwan that spread to the Indo-Pacific islands; eventually reaching New Zealand, Easter Island and Madagascar.
Ancient clay human figurines found at archaeological sites in the Batanes Islands, around 2,500 to 3,000 years old, have simplified stamped circles that clearly represent tattoos. At the Arch Cave burial site in Cagayan province, northern Luzon chiseled and notched heads, possibly bone tattooing tools, have been found. They were dated before 1500. B.C. and are very similar to the comb-type tattoo chisels found throughout Polynesia.
Ancient tattoos can also be found among the mummified remains of various Cordilleran peoples in the caves and hanging coffins of northern Luzon burials, the oldest surviving examples of which date back to the 13th century. Tattoos on mummies are often highly individualized, covering the arms of adult women and the entire body of adult men. In particular, a 700 to 900-year-old Kankanaey mummy nicknamed "Apo Anno" had tattoos covering even the soles of her feet and the tips of her toes. Tattoo designs are also often carved on coffins in which the mummies are found. Who, then, were the first people of this island of Luzon? They are probably the oldest inhabitants of the island and probably the founders of tattooing in whole Oceania.
The Ibaloi, also called Nabaloi or Inibaloy, are among the indigenous people collectively known as the Benguet people, who occupy the northern part of Luzon, especially the administrative Cordillera mountainous terrain of the region. The word Ibaloi means "people who live at home". The Ibaloi are among the indigenous peoples, collectively known as the Igorots (igudut, "dwellers of the mountains"), who live in the central cordillera of Luzon. They are traditionally considered an agrarian society that cultivated rice in terraced fields. According to researchers, the Ibalua aborigines traveled along various tributaries from the Lingayen and Ilocos coasts to the mountains of the Southern Cordillera.
Titles are suitable in various ways – Kabayan mummies; Ibaloi mummies or Benguet mummies - Fire mummies of the Philippines. They are among the most fascinating mummified mummies in the world. Like many tribes of the Cordillera region, the Ibaloi were prolific practitioners of tattooing. The Ibaloi, used to mummify the dead and lay them in hollow logs in caves and hang them like bats.
Although the exact period in which it was practiced is still debated. These mummies are unique not only for their incredible tattoos, but also for the mummification process.
It is a complicated process of mummification that begins shortly before a person dies, forcing them to swallow a decoction of salts. After a person's death, the corpse was washed and covered in salt. Tobacco smoke was pumped into the mummified body through the mouth to dry out its internal organs. Next, the body to be mummified is folded in a sitting position, placed on the fire in a sitting position to dry the fluids and it obtains compact form. To prevent the infestation of worms and flies, crushed guava and patani leaves are applied to the mummified body while the body dries. The process lasts from two months to a year until the body is hardened :)
Among the Ibaloi people, tattoos are known as burik. It is practiced by both men and women, who were one of the most tattooed ethnic groups in the Philippines. The burik traditions have become extinct today. The most characteristic burik design was a wheel-like depiction of the sun tattooed on the backs of both hands. The whole body was also tattooed with flowing geometric lines, as well as stylized images of animals and plants.
Batok, batek, patik, batik or buri, among others, are general terms for Filipino tattoos. In the pre-colonial era, tattooing was practiced for both sexes by almost all ethnic groups in the Philippines. Tattoos were symbols of tribal identity and kinship, as well as courage, beauty, and social or wealth status. Most tattoos for men were for important achievements, such as success in war and headhunting. In Kalinga society, murder was considered wrong, but killing an enemy was considered a noble act to protect the entire village.
A boy could only get tattoos after participating in a successful head-hunting expedition (kayaw) or in an inter-village war (baraknit), even if he did not personally participate in the killing. A boy is allowed to behead his slain enemies, thus passing into adulthood (igam) and gaining the right to get a tattoo.
Their first tattoo is known as gulot (literally "head cutter").It was three parallel lines that encircled the forearm, starting at the wrist.
In addition to their prestige and ritual significance, tattoos were also considered aesthetically appealing. Tattooed women were traditionally considered beautiful (ambaru or whayyu), while tattooed men were considered strong (mangkusdor). In pre-colonial times, people without tattoos were called Dinuras (or Chinurs, as Butbut in Kalinga) and were teased as cowards and bad omens to society. Social stigma usually encouraged people to get tattoos. They were also believed to have magical or apotropaic powers (especially animal drawings) and could also document personal or community history. The pain that tattoo recipients had to endure also served as a ritual.
It is said that once a person can endure the pain of a tattoo, they can also bear the pain experienced later in life, thus symbolically transitioning into adulthood. For tribal men, tattoos symbolize courage and Kalinga warrior status, while for the women they symbolize maturity, fertility and beauty. "A woman with tattoos shows that she is ready to marry and bring a child into the world," "A woman who refuses to be tattooed is infertile."
Tattoo motifs usually repeated geometrical drawings (lines, zigzags, chevrons, checkered patterns); stylized representations of animals (such as snakes, lizards, eagles, dogs, deer, frogs or giant centipedes), plants (such as grasses, ferns or flowers) or people; (lightning, mountains, water, stars or sun).
Each motif had a name and usually a story or meaning behind it, although most have been lost in time. Tattoos were actually considered a form of clothing, and men usually only wore loincloths (bahag) to demonstrate them. Each ethnic group had specific terms and designs for tattoos, often the same designs used in other art forms and decorations such as pottery and weaving. Tattoos are a gradual and costly practice that began on specific parts of the body and eventually covered the entire body.
Tattoos allow ancestral spirits to see if a person is worthy of joining Them in the spirit world.
Tattoo artist (mambabatok) - A mambabatok traces a design template on the skin using a rice or bamboo stem. They used pieces of string or blades of grass to outline designs on the skin before tattooing, which were drawn with uyot, a dried rice stalk bent into a triangle. They were dipped in ink and used as an outline before applying tattoos. Uyot also serves to measure the scale of tattoos, ensuring their symmetry. Tattoo artists were predominantly men, women were rarer. They were either residents of the same village or itinerant artists who visited different villages. Tattoo artists traditionally charged very expensive fees.
For example, a chest tattoo for men or a tattoo of two arms for women would cost a pig, a certain amount of rice, a quantity of silver, two kain (skirts) or bahag (hip fabrics) and beads equivalent to the price of a carabao (pig). Master - Must be rewarded :)
Typically, a gisi is constructed from a carabao (water buffalo) horn approximately 10 cm long and 2 mm thick, bent at right angles with a fire into an L shape. This handle makes the needle more stable and easier to position. Three to five razor-sharp needles, traditionally made from bat’s claws or citrus three-thorns. Gisi is placed over the tattoo area and quickly tapped with another stick (pat-ik) - from 90 to 120 strokes per minute (impressive) :) Gisi can also be used to measure distance in symmetrical tattoos. Citrus thorns are preferred because the strong smell is believed to drive away evil spirits (ayan) that are attracted to blood (chara). The tattooing process is traditionally accompanied by chanting, which is believed to enhance the magical power and effectiveness of the tattoos. Needles created wounds on the skin, which were then rubbed with ink made from soot or ash mixed with water, oil, plant extracts (such as sugarcane juice) or pig bile.
Another tattooing technique, mostly practiced by the Lumad and Negrito peoples, uses a small knife or pointed tattooing chisel to quickly cut the skin into small stripes. The wounds are then rubbed with pigment. They differ from dotting methods in that the process also causes scarification. Regardless of that, the motifs and placement are very similar to tattoos made with needles.
The process of tattooing was usually a sacred event involving rituals for ancestral spirits (anito) and observance of Omu. For example, if the artist or recipient sneezed before tattooing, it was seen as a sign of disapproval from the spirits and the session was canceled or postponed.
The Spanish priest Francisco Combe wrote in great detail in 1667. "This care and attention which determines the construction of their boats makes their ships sail like birds, but ours are like lead in this respect." Like other ships with spires, the caraco had a very shallow draft that allowed them to move right up to the shoreline. The hull was long and narrow, and made of light materials. The whole ship could be pulled ashore when not in use to protect it from storms. The karakoa can reach up to 25 meters (82 feet) in length.
A very large karakoa can seat up to a hundred rowers on each side and dozens of warriors on a sailboat. The karakoa was an integral part of the Filipino naval assault (mangayaw). These were naval sea expeditions (usually seasonal) against enemy villages to gain prestige in battles, plunder and capture slaves or hostages (sometimes brides).
This fact amplifies our theory about the origins of the Polynesian islanders and their tradition of tattooing. Illustration from Historia de las Islas e Indios de Bisayas showing a tattooed Visayan horo-han (common warrior) with a leaf-shaped blade (bugsay). Horo-han served as karakoa rowers and warriors.
Before a raid, Visayans performed a ceremony called pagdag, in which the bow and keel of the karakoa warships were smeared with blood taken from a captured member of the enemy's settlement. Participating in the raid was a great honor.
The exploits during raids were permanently inscribed on the tattoos of Visayan warriors and nobles (timawa and tumao), earning them the Spanish name pintados (“painted ones”).
Elite warriors also often had frightening mask-like facial tattoos on their chin and face called (bangutu) or langi, resembling, among other things, crocodile jaws or robber beaks. Facial tattoos were only allowed for elite warriors. They were supplemented by scarification (labong), a technique that would also be practiced in New Zealand.
P.S.
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