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A. Paulita Roa .

I GREW up with this biased view that tattoos were only for prisoners and the misfits of society. But not anymore for today, tattooing is a global multi-million dollar industry but has been elevated in to a high form of visual art with physical bodies as the canvas. Talk about walking exhibits! Recently, I was squirming in my seat as I watched a segment in Jessica Soho’s Sunday TV show where a person had his eyes tattooed in a different color.

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Do you know that tattooing was an ancient form of art in our country specially among the Bisayans long before Magellan and expeditionary force came to our shores in 1521? Early on, the Spaniards called the the tattooed Bisayans “pintados” or the painted ones. The men had beautiful and intricately designed tattoos all over their bodies. This was called “patik” and “batuk” and were proud symbols of bravery. The tattoos were applied only when a man fought courageously in battle. It is similar to a coveted military medal of today. More tattoos were then applied as a warrior accumulated more victories against the enemy.

Tattoos were highly esteemed and therefore, a cause for public display. Men were stripped to the waist and strutted around like peacocks as they showed off their tattoos with much bravado. But there were also men who had themselves tattooed even if they have not killed or captured an enemy. They were scorned and compared to a “halo,” a big lizard with black and yellow markings all over but were extremely shy.

Tattooing was a very painful procedure and served as a test for manhood since this was the time when anesthesia was unheard of. Philippine prehistorian William Henry Scott, in his book, “Barangay” (1994), mentioned that some warriors postponed having their tattoos till they were shamed into it. (The book is about the 16th century Bisayans.)

The most daring had facial tattoos right up to their eyelids and they were considered part of the elite group of warriors. However, there were also the celibate transvestites who were not expected to have tattoos and were called “mapuraw” or naturally colored. While the women had very fine tattoos in one hand or both that looked like delicate embroidery.

A skillful tattoo artist was most sought after and highly paid. He began his work by tracing the design on the body with an ink made from pitch soot. The skin was then pricked with a number of needles shaped like a comb, and soot was rubbed into the fresh wounds. This procedure was done by installments and it caused high fever, sometimes an infection and even death.

The first tattoo a person received were applied from the ankles to the waist. Chest tattoos were seldom done while tattoos in the abdomen were applied after the warriors saw more action in the battlefields. The back was considered as a big canvas for the tattooers’ artistry. Scott wrote down the terms used to describe the different designs. Labid were inch wide designs that were either straight, zigzag or wavy like a snake. It went from legs to the waist. Ablay were shoulder designs, and Dubdub was from the chest up to the throat. Daya-daya were tattoos on the arms, and Bangit were designs that made a face looked like a frightful mask. Hinawak were men tattooed below the waist. Finally, there were heroes known as Lipong who were tattooed all over except under their bahag or G-string. The Boxer Codex, a rare 16th century manuscript, has a beautiful illustration of Bisayan pintados that had different designs tattooed all over their bodies, including their faces.

The Spanish missionaries and the colonial officials exerted a strong influence in abolishing tattooing among the Bisayans. Though they wrote that the tattoos on an almost naked Bisayan warrior were impressive and appeared from afar liked he was dressed, they frowned on this for it was equated with savagery. In a short time, the pintados became a memory since tattooing went against the Hispanic Catholic mores.

Today, tattooing is back and is highly popular among men and women in this country. Tattoos have become symbols of love, protest, group identity or for vanity’s sake. I still have to see tattoos similar to the ancient Bisayan warriors that were ornate and flashy in design. But then it takes a lot of courage and fortitude to obtain one just like in the olden times.

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