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Tattooing in Tribal Cultures
The Maori of New Zealand
The native people of New Zealand (Maori) are world famous for their tattooing. Though they do not cover as much of the body as many of the South Pacific people, the Maori developed an unusual style of tattooing. Working mostly on the face (Moko) and buttocks, the Maori took their wood carving technique and applied it to tattooing. With this they achieved a unique chiseled design that ink was then rubbed into. After the Europeans arrived in the 1700s, they brought metal to these islands and the Maori began a more conventional style of puncture tattooing. Amazingly enough this tattooing can still be seen in many museums around the world, not just in drawings or photographs, but actually in the skin.
The Maori had an unusual custom of removing and preserving the heads of their tattooed chiefs after death. These heads would stay with the family and be an honored possession. Until Europeans began to visit New Zealand and to settle there, heads were of sentimental interest only and had no commercial value. The museums' and collectors' desire to possess them as curiosities for caused a great demand to spring up. Although reluctant to part with the heads, the Maori were eager to obtain firearms, ammunition and iron implements. So a brisk traffic ensued and the demand began to exceed the supply. The Maori were known to fight one another in disputes over land and property. The heads of these war victims became part of the trade supply. This considerably reduced the population of New Zealand while stocking the museums of Europe with specimens of barbaric face-culture. As a commercial enterprise this traffic was not without monetary profit as well.
The first dried head ever possessed by a European was acquired on January 20, 1770. It was brought by Mr. (later Sir Joseph) Banks, who was with Captain Cook's expedition as a naturalist, and it was one of four brought on board the Endeavour for inspection. It was the head of a youth of fourteen or fifteen, who had been killed by a blow that fractured his skull. The three other heads, not for sale, seemed to have false eyes and ornaments in the ears.
The first head taken to Sydney, for which there is any record, was brought from Fouveaux Straits in 1811. It was obtained by theft, and the boat crew's heads were nearly cut off for "utu" (revenge.) In 1814 heads were certainly not yet an ordinary article to trade at Sydney, but by 1829 it appears that preserved heads were not uncommon.
The Rev. J.S. Wood says: "In the first place no man who was well tattooed was safe for an hour unless he was a great chief, for he might be at any time watched until he was off his guard and then knocked down and killed, and his head sold to the traders."
But the trade began to grow in importance and at length agents were sent to select the best specimens, and "baked heads" acquired a separate entry among the imports at the Sydney customs, and it was not uncommon thing to find them offered for sale in the streets of that city.
Many a poor slave suffered a horrible fate - mokoed only to be murdered for his head. At one time forbidden, the pride of the noble and the free, the unhappy slave was not forcibly tattooed and when his scars were healed he was tomahawked, his head dried and then sold to the ever ready trader. A good looking slave might be elaborately tattooed so that as soon as required his head might pass as that of a distinguished rangatira. When the traffic in heads became general, the natives ceased altogether to preserve the heads of their friends lest by any means they should fall into the hands of others and be sold.
Slowly but surely the traffic became a public scandal. The Maori not possessed all the arms they wanted and discontinued the practice of trading, which was repulsive to their instincts and which they only adopted as a desperate measure to preserve their tribes from annihilation. In any case the practice was dying out. The credit for stopping it is due to Governor Darling of New South Wales. He was, it is said, exposed to very violent abuse, which continued for some time. Events however had occurred which brought public opinion to bear on a matter which put a stop to the "gainful" traffic, which undoubtedly ought never to have reached the position it occupied in 1831.
This human and courageous effort to stop the abomination of the traffic in heads, was shortly followed by an Act which passed into law before New Zealand became a separate colony and Governor Darling had the satisfaction of imposing a fine of 40£ as well as publishing the name of those concerned. Public feeling ultimately supported the cause of humanity and the trade faded away.
Borneo
Borneo is one of the few places in the world where traditional tribal tattooing is still practiced today just as it has been for thousands of years. Until recently many of the inland tribes had little contact with the outside world. As a result, they have preserved many aspects of their traditional way of life, including tattooing.
One reason for the physical and cultural isolation of the inland natives is the sheer size of Borneo. It covers an area five times as large as England and Wales, and ranks as the third largest island in the world (only Greenland and New Guinea are larger). The landscape consists for the most part of steep hills, mountains, and dense rain forests. There are few roads, and most travel occurs by air or by boats which traverse Borneo_s many rivers.
Recent archaeological finds indicate that the ancestors of some contemporary native tribes have lived in Borneo for over 50,000 years. Well into the twentieth century many of them lived the life of the stone age. They fished, hunted, and cultivated rice just as their ancestors had. Game was abundant and the forest constantly renewed itself.
The term Dayak is applied to a variety of aboriginal native tribes including the Ibans, Kayans, Kenyahs, and others. Among these people there is great diversity: some Dayak tribes differ from each other as much as they differ from the Chinese and Malays who have established trading settlements along the coast.
Before the middle of the nineteenth century Borneo was largely unknown to the West, and the first published description of the Dayaks appeared toward the end of the nineteenth century. Charles Hose and William MacDougall_s The Pagan Tribes of Borneo, published in l912, is the classic account of tribal life. Hose and MacDougall traveled extensively in Borneo and collected much first-hand information, including many tattoo designs. Their work remains the classic record of the traditional life and customs of the Dayaks.
Africa
In Africa, where people have dark skin, it is difficult to make a color tattoo, like we know them. But they want to be tattooed anyway, so they have developed another technique - they make scarifications. This is not really tattooing, but it is related to tattooing, so I will treat them here anyway. I call it "tattooing for the blind", because they can be felt like Braille lettering.
Normally scarifications are made by lifting the skin a little, and making a cut with a knife or some other sharp thing. In the wound that occurs, is rubbed special sands or ashes that is known to make beautifully raised scars.
You can place these scars in beautiful patterns on the body, and these patterns will often follow local traditions.
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