7 ms·

Just scarification, tattoos and petroglyphs. Without paper, the next best thing is to write one's entire life story upon the skin, or carve a symbol into a rock

Just scarification, tattoos and petroglyphs. Without paper, the next best thing is to write one's entire life story upon the skin, or carve a symbol into a rock. It's not phonetic, but it does preserve information for many years, so I think it counts. Of course tattoo and scarification were only for people who had actually done anything worth remembering.

jelliclesfarm 6y ago
do they have meaning..like coming of age etc? or is it art?
- jacobwilliamroy 6y ago
  Think of Maori tattoos like a collection of facts about the person bearing the tattoo. Scarification is the same idea, except those facts are REALLY important, too important for a tattoo which is less memorable than a scar. Examples of facts would be: family of origin, affilliated organization, past achievements, place of birth, occupation, etc. Markings would be born on the front of the body to make introductions very quick and easy: you can just look at a stranger and you already know a lot about him or her, and assuming you have good manners, you would also know what etiquette to observe when meeting for the first time.
  - jelliclesfarm 6y ago
    I can see how it would have been useful in a small community. But I guess being here..I can’t help wondering..isn’t that a privacy/security risk?
    - jacobwilliamroy 6y ago
      It is a little dystopian isn't it? In European history tattoos specifically are associated with punishment, judgement and exploitation: Cain was "marked" and banished from eden, slaves and prisoners both past and present have born brands or tattoos which marked them as second-class citizens. In the United States, being marked by the government specifically is considered a sign of the apocalypse so there is a very strong fear about such things. However this can have a positive effect in a different context. Maori don't come from a Christian background, so the act of marking people has a completely different meaning. If my life story is permanently written on my skin, that's a strong motivator to live well and do things I can be proud of. If my ancestry is part of my public identity, then I must also be excellent, so that my actions reflect well on my descendents and those descendents have a good role model to emulate in their lives. I think it encourages a strong sense of individual responsibility, a focus on supporting the community and multigenerational thinking.
      - jelliclesfarm 6y ago
        I understand that. I am from the south of India and in the villages, women get the names of their clans and names of their husbands tattooed on their arms after they get married. There are tattoos for soldiers, for achievements and tattoos for shaming. South Indian original tribes probably have aboriginal roots than Polynesian but I suppose the intention was the same. But everyone is somewhat ‘urbanized’ now and we don’t live in tribal societies anymore. That has its advantages but also makes those who follow older customs more vulnerable.

jelliclesfarm 6y ago

do they have meaning..like coming of age etc? or is it art?

jacobwilliamroy 6y ago
Think of Maori tattoos like a collection of facts about the person bearing the tattoo. Scarification is the same idea, except those facts are REALLY important, too important for a tattoo which is less memorable than a scar. Examples of facts would be: family of origin, affilliated organization, past achievements, place of birth, occupation, etc. Markings would be born on the front of the body to make introductions very quick and easy: you can just look at a stranger and you already know a lot about him or her, and assuming you have good manners, you would also know what etiquette to observe when meeting for the first time.
- jelliclesfarm 6y ago
  I can see how it would have been useful in a small community. But I guess being here..I can’t help wondering..isn’t that a privacy/security risk?
  - jacobwilliamroy 6y ago
    It is a little dystopian isn't it? In European history tattoos specifically are associated with punishment, judgement and exploitation: Cain was "marked" and banished from eden, slaves and prisoners both past and present have born brands or tattoos which marked them as second-class citizens. In the United States, being marked by the government specifically is considered a sign of the apocalypse so there is a very strong fear about such things. However this can have a positive effect in a different context. Maori don't come from a Christian background, so the act of marking people has a completely different meaning. If my life story is permanently written on my skin, that's a strong motivator to live well and do things I can be proud of. If my ancestry is part of my public identity, then I must also be excellent, so that my actions reflect well on my descendents and those descendents have a good role model to emulate in their lives. I think it encourages a strong sense of individual responsibility, a focus on supporting the community and multigenerational thinking.
    - jelliclesfarm 6y ago
      I understand that. I am from the south of India and in the villages, women get the names of their clans and names of their husbands tattooed on their arms after they get married. There are tattoos for soldiers, for achievements and tattoos for shaming. South Indian original tribes probably have aboriginal roots than Polynesian but I suppose the intention was the same. But everyone is somewhat ‘urbanized’ now and we don’t live in tribal societies anymore. That has its advantages but also makes those who follow older customs more vulnerable.