Anthropology
What is on Your Skin?
Groups of people strive for their cultural identity all over the world. It is surprisingly how some of the authentic traditions are still kept in some regions. Body ornaments are powerful symbols of belonging, and signify identification with an individual’s cultural group. We explore two very different cultural traditions: the brass neck rings of the Paduang in Thailand, and the facial tattooing of the Ainu in Japan.
In Thailand, huge metal spiral "collars" are worn by women of the tribe, as the armor of a medieval knight. In half-twisted condition, with leaky adjoining rings, it takes the amount of, say, seven-liter bucket. I weight on the scale, it would be a little more than 5 kg! Some of the kids suffer from allergies on the metal, but still have to wear it. According to the custom of the tribe, with the five-year old girls begin to wear brass rings around the neck, every year adding one hoop. This continues until such time, as the girl marries (Eller 6).
The Ainu in Japan associated tattoo with women and entering marriage and the only way to transfer into the life after the death. Even prohibiting laws of the country could not stop the Ainu. Body ornaments represented their belief and religion. They were mostly depicted over the lips. Besides the spiritual context, the pattern represented the feminine beauty and social status. If the girl died at an early age, having a tattoo, it is believed that after death, she is thrown into the underworld, and the demons would do it cuts all over his body. To the dead could avoid such a fate, the women of the village painted with soot patterns on her body, which should have been to scare away evil spirits. In addition, tattoo was intended to protect a woman's mouth from evil forces. In addition, women without tattoos were not allowed to take part in the bear festival - the chief of the Ainu. So that was even a part of dress code (Krutak 3).
As to my point of view, I see tattooing as a form of artistic expression that should be free and cause the difficulties only if the person wants it. It is interesting to watch the traditions from the outside, how the girls prepare for their marriage, however, globally people shall decide for themselves whether depict their face or wear uncomfortable necklace and not to connect the material world with their believes. In conclusion, the beauty of the world is in its imperfectness and fantasies, so it is a good example of cultural diversity, if not exaggerated.
Works Cited
Eller, Jack. “Cultural Anthropology: Global Forces, Local Lives. 2nd ed.” New York: Routledge. (2013): 5-17. Print.
Krutak, Lars. “Tattooing Among Japan’s Ainu People.” 2008. Web. 23 Jul. 2015
