Yoruba and Maori Body Art
Yoruba and Maori Body Art
For centuries body art and ornamentation has been performed in different cultures across the world to signify various meanings. Through anthropological research, we find that scarification, piercings, and permanent and nonpermanent tattooing are forms of body art and ornamentation that can be seen as a visual language done for many reasons. Schildkrout (2004) mentions "Skin, as a visible way of defining individual identity and cultural difference is not only a highly elaborated preoccupation in many cultures; it is also the subject of wide ranging and evolving scholarly discourse in the humanities and social sciences" (pg. 1, para. 2). The procedures of body art and ornamentation is an acutely painful experience but critical to an individual 's self-discovery and building a place within their society. In this paper, I will analyze facial scarification in the Yoruba tribe and facial tattooing in the Maori tribe.
The West Africa Yoruba tribe wears scar stripes on their faces. "Yoruba facial stripes are only produced by scarification and not by paint or tattoos" Orie (2011, para. 2). Anthropologists have noted that scarification is the predominate type of body marking among African tribes. African cultures use scarification markings as identifiers amongst tribes as a source of separation from outsiders. As an example, men, women, and children are often governed to scarification of their face to divide their tribe from other tribes in Africa. However, Orie (2011) states " [...] not all Yoruba people have facial stripes. A person whose face is scarred with stripes is referred to as Okola 'the one with facial stripes ', whereas those without them are called Oboro 'plain not striped face" (para. 2). Furthermore, various scarification facial patterns exist with both cheeks marked. Normally scarification rituals are performed during early stages of infancy. Oyelaran mentioned that (as cited in Orie, 2011) "A surgical operation is performed on
For centuries body art and ornamentation has been performed in different cultures across the world to signify various meanings. Through anthropological research, we find that scarification, piercings, and permanent and nonpermanent tattooing are forms of body art and ornamentation that can be seen as a visual language done for many reasons. Schildkrout (2004) mentions "Skin, as a visible way of defining individual identity and cultural difference is not only a highly elaborated preoccupation in many cultures; it is also the subject of wide ranging and evolving scholarly discourse in the humanities and social sciences" (pg. 1, para. 2). The procedures of body art and ornamentation is an acutely painful experience but critical to an individual 's self-discovery and building a place within their society. In this paper, I will analyze facial scarification in the Yoruba tribe and facial tattooing in the Maori tribe.
The West Africa Yoruba tribe wears scar stripes on their faces. "Yoruba facial stripes are only produced by scarification and not by paint or tattoos" Orie (2011, para. 2). Anthropologists have noted that scarification is the predominate type of body marking among African tribes. African cultures use scarification markings as identifiers amongst tribes as a source of separation from outsiders. As an example, men, women, and children are often governed to scarification of their face to divide their tribe from other tribes in Africa. However, Orie (2011) states " [...] not all Yoruba people have facial stripes. A person whose face is scarred with stripes is referred to as Okola 'the one with facial stripes ', whereas those without them are called Oboro 'plain not striped face" (para. 2). Furthermore, various scarification facial patterns exist with both cheeks marked. Normally scarification rituals are performed during early stages of infancy. Oyelaran mentioned that (as cited in Orie, 2011) "A surgical operation is performed on
References: Nikora, L., Rua, M., & Te Awekotuku, N. (2007). Renewal and resistance: moko in contemporary New Zealand. Journal Of Community & Applied Social Psychology, 17(6), 477-489. doi:10.1002/casp.942 Orie.(2011). The Structure and Function of Yoruba Facial Scarification. Anthropological Linguistics 53(1), 15-33. University of Nebraska Press. Retrieved April 20, 2014, from Project MUSE database. Palmer, C., & Tano, M. L. (2004). Mokomokai: Commercialization and Desacralization. Significance of Moko and Mokomokai in Maori Culture. International Institute for Indigenous Resource Management. Retrieved from http://nzetc.victoria.ac.nz/tm/scholarly/tei-PalMoko-t1-body-d1-d2.html Schildkrout, E. (2004). INSCRIBING THE BODY. Annual Review Of Anthropology, 33(1), 319-344. doi:10.1146/annurev.anthro.33.070203.143947