Expressions on the Skin: Tattoo Traditions of Nagaland
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Expressions on the Skin: Tattoo Traditions of Nagaland
The enthusiasm for communication through creative expression is a remarkable aspect of human civilisation. From inscribing marks on cave walls and humming tunes to the development of scripts, the creative nature of humankind spontaneously reflects an interactive relationship with its surroundings in every community. The north-eastern states of India are home to ancient and traditional tattoo practices that are diverse and unique to the indigenous communities inhabiting these regions. One of the unique forms of expression is the ancient tradition of tattooing. Tattoos are usually used as an indication of identity, as ornamentation, to heal diseases, or as markers of rites of passage in one’s life, such as puberty, marriage, or childbirth.
Way to Kohima, Nagaland
Image Source: Wikimedia Commons
Nagaland, often called the Land of Festivals, is well-known for its centuries-old tattooing culture. Although the practice of tattooing among the Nagas cannot be traced to a specific period, it has been part of their everyday lives since ancient times. Within many Naga communities, tattooing is a sacred art form. The symbols and lines used in their tattoos also served as a medium of communication. The Nagas consider tattoos a mark of their identity and social status.
Traditionally, both men and women had tattoos. The symbols and patterns varied across clans, villages, customs, or occasions, and each had a distinct and significant meaning.
In some Naga communities, tattooing was closely linked to headhunting. It is believed that all Nagas were born warriors, but a Naga was officially ascribed warrior status only when he beheaded an enemy in battle. The tattoos subsequently served as symbols of their victories. In early Naga societies, beheading an enemy was considered to bring prosperity to the warrior and his village. The warrior with the highest number of heads would get the most tattoos, and he was considered the bravest in the village. As a result of the Indian government’s ban on headhunting in 1960, both headhunting and the tattoo practices associated with it eventually faded away.
A Konyak Naga Tattooed Man
Image Source: Wikimedia Commons
The Konyak Nagas, the largest of the Naga tribes, are best known for their facial tattoos, which are applied after puberty. The Konyak Nagas were divided into two groups based on tattoo type: Thendu and Thentho. The Thendu group of the Konyak Nagas tattooed their entire faces, whereas the Thentho group tattooed only their foreheads and chins.
Tattoos in Nagaland were traditionally created using a method known as hand-tapping, which involved hammering a needle into the skin with a small tool. The first part of the tool consisted of rattan palm needles, clustered together and fixed to a piece of wood with creepers used as threads. The second part of the tool was a hammer-like implement with a long handle, used to tap the clustered needles and insert pigment into the skin. Traditionally, tattoos were geometric in design, and the outlines of the desired shapes were drawn with a bamboo implement.
The hand-hammering technique required a bundle of needles arranged in a row, resembling a comb. These comb-shaped needles were gently inserted into the skin, producing a chain of marks that formed the tattoo outline. Various tribes had their own local plants, which they used to make the dye.
The Tattoo pigment consisted of two ingredients: a natural dye known as yam-yak and ash derived from the resin of a burnt tree. The needle used to pierce the skin was made from the thorns of a rattan palm or a citrus fruit tree. Soft-textured leaves with antiseptic properties were used to remove excess pigment after tattooing.
Several local terms were used throughout Nagaland to describe tattoos. The tattoos on men primarily signified warrior status, whereas those on women reflected their biological transformation with age. The men received tattoos on their chests, necks, faces, and arms, while the women received tattoos on their cheeks, chins, arms, legs, and faces. The tattooing ceremony was considered auspicious and was usually followed by a grand feast attended by the entire village.
This unique tattoo tradition, despite its diminished prominence today, remains an essential part of Nagaland’s rich cultural heritage. It presents a set of Naga memories and reflects diverse creative expressions that silently narrate stories from the past.