The Art Of Modifying The Rare Human Body As A Symbol Of Courage, Status And Achievement In Traditional Societies

When we talk about the art of body modification, one of the first things that comes to our mind is definitely tattoos. Simply put, tattooing is the act of injecting pigment into the skin.

By piercing the first layer of skin repeatedly, one could literally draw the flesh of a human body and leave an intricate work of art on the body in many colors. By nature, tattoos are one of the oldest forms of body modification.

The word "tattoo" itself comes from the Samoan language, where tatau means "to hit (skin)". The Samoans practice extensive tattoos all over their face and body.

And when European explorers first met the Samoans, the word tattoo became popular, as did the trend of tattoo practice itself. For Europeans, it was a real novelty and a long lost part of their history.

Tattoos are one of the earliest practices in the world. To date, the oldest known tattoo has been found on Otzi the Iceman, the mummy of a man who lived around 3350 BC.

Thanks to the ice wrapped around Otzi's body, his skin is well preserved and still features the simple tattoos on the mummified man's pelvis, ankles, spine and joints. These tattoos, which turn simple lines, have been identified as an early form of acupuncture and pain relief.

But not all tattoos are that simple. Over time, developed cultures have expressed their creativity in diverse ways, inspiring tattoos that are complex, artistic, and instantly impressive. The Scythians were famous for practicing elaborate tattoos.

Some of the best-preserved mummies from the Altai region of Siberia show incredible and modern-looking tattoos of mythical animals and animals all over their bodies. This was undoubtedly a painful form of body modification and was reserved only for members of the powerful elite of society.

Many other cultures around the world also practice tattooing. Starting from the ancient Egyptians, Inuit, Dayak, Celtic, Norse, Native Americans, and many others.

The process of making tattoos today is generally not too painful and already uses a variety of sophisticated equipment. But tattooing in the past was undoubtedly a painful process.

Primitive peoples used sharp objects at their disposal, including thorns, bird bones, and rough carvings. The ink is made with soot and other easily available natural materials.

The rest is patience and a high pain threshold. Among some Bornean tribes, and among Polynesians, tattooing is a process that can take hours, leaving the tattooed person exhausted from excruciating pain. But the end result is an elaborate symbol of strength, virility, fertility, or even greatness that they deem worth the process.

As painful as ancient tattoos may be, however, they are the least extreme of body modification practices. Far worse practices occur around the world in different cultures.

Many people, for example, perform complex scarifications for a variety of reasons. In the simplest terms, as quoted from Ancient Origins, scarification is the deliberate cutting of one's skin and flesh in various patterns.

So, once the wound has healed, the end result will be left forever on the skin. Around the world, this practice is usually performed as a primitive rite of passage where young men and women undergo this painful procedure in order to appear more desirable or as a full part of society.

For example, the tribes living along the Sepik River in Papua New Guinea have traditionally practiced a brutal form of full-body scarification. As part of the initiation rites, the youths are decorated with hundreds of small and painful incisions. After healing, these incisions become like crocodile skin, so this is known as "crocodile scarification". The process is very painful, and is performed all over the back, buttocks, and legs.

Many tribes in Africa also practice body scarification. This is usually done to enhance a person's beauty to be considered attractive by the opposite sex. Other tribes perform scarification for healing purposes and some believe the scars can be used as currency in the afterlife.

As painful as it sounds, the practice of scarification is also not the most extreme form of body modification. The remote and primitive cultures of the world performed far more cruel and painful rituals, even today. Some of them are truly unique to a particular region, and are very rarely observed anywhere else in the world.

An important example is the practice of tooth extraction, a rare form of body modification. Many tribes throughout Africa, especially the Luo, practice the extraction of the healthy lower six front teeth.

To them, the loss of these teeth was seen as a sign of beauty, a mark of distinction, and "an easier way to feed the sick." Undoubtedly, this practice is very painful.

The Batonga people of Zambia also removed all of their upper front teeth. For women, this is considered a sign of beauty. However, such practices actually make it difficult for these people to process certain foods and speak properly.

Other cultures, on the other hand, do not pull their teeth, but sharpen them. It is listed as one of the most painful body modifications in history.

It made the wearer akin to a beast or a monster, with every tooth sharpened to a point. This practice was recorded mainly among the Mentawai people of West Sumatra in Indonesia. This tribe considered sharpened teeth as a sign of beauty, placing them in a greater connection with nature. The grinding of the teeth is done with specially made chisels, and no anesthetic is used during the process.

In Africa, the Herero people practice an even more brutal tradition. Here, boys and girls will lose their four lower teeth. This is followed by the upper teeth being honed into an "inverted V" shape.

This tribe believes that a girl without this appearance can never attract a partner. Filed teeth are a sign of extraordinary beauty, no matter how painful the procedure may be.

One of the oldest and most mysterious forms of body modification is artificial skull deformation. Many of the world's ancient civilizations did it for a variety of reasons.

This practice involves tightly tying the baby's head. During infancy, the skull is still "flexible," and can be shaped through pressure. As bones continue to grow and strengthen, they remain elongated and shaped. At first, archaeologists were baffled when they found all sorts of elongated skulls that looked alien, but the answer was later revealed.

This deformation is practiced all over the world. Native American Chinooks flatten their babies' heads with a special board, a process that results in the pointed skull shape. The Mayans used a similar technique, and considered elongated skulls a sign of their elite status. By far, the most prominent example of the practice is the ancient Paracas Culture in Peru, where skulls can extend to more than twice their original size.

Interestingly, the practice also exists in Europe. The Alemanni of Germany practiced head binding, as did the Burgundians, Rugii and Heruli. It is believed that they adopted the customs of the Huns, and from there this custom spread widely.

In some African and Asian cultures, there are very peculiar forms of traditional body modification. It is based on the heavy brass neck rings worn by women. This is especially evident among the Kayan people of Myanmar, Burma.

The women there started wearing the neck rings from childhood, adding more rings throughout their lives. It is not uncommon to see a woman with more than twenty rings around her neck. This creates the illusion of an elongated neck, something that is physically impossible.

In fact, it's not the neck that elongates, but the clavicles and upper ribs that change shape over time. This deformation creates the illusion of an unnaturally long neck.

The neck rings were often worn for life. The neck rings caused great discomfort, but remained an active tradition and were seen as a sign of beauty.

When we step back into history. At whatever point we choose, we are bound to encounter some form of body modification all over the world. History is filled with diverse people who came and went, and their traditions varied. Interestingly, they never flinch when it comes to changing their natural appearance through painful and gruesome methods.

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