There was a lot of overlap in national tattoo traditions, both functionally and symbolically. I found the presentation on Innuit tattooing specifically interesting, as it was a marker of gender and served as a way for women to distinguish themselves. It was also usually done by women for other women, and served as a sign of beauty, maturity, and protection against spirits, drowning, animal attacks, etc. They also helped reflect religious beliefs, and they were used for both medicinal purposes and funeral celebrations as functional symbols of health and rebirth. Chin tattoos were especially important, and were seen as a sign of strength and identity during periods of violent conflict. Tattoos served a huge range of purposes in Innuit culture, and clearly exemplify how they could be useful, beautiful, and affirmations of identity. Tattoos in the Balkans were similar in their range of purpose, and were medicinal, magical, religious, and ritualistic, especially for women. The relationship between women and tattoos was also a large part of Godna culture, and tattoos provided women with agency and power. They also allowed women to reclaim their subordination and abuse from men, in the context of the Hindu aristocracy (marriage and status).

I did my presentation on Ancient Egypt, which paralleled a lot of these places in their customs and traditions surrounding tattoos. Some of the earliest instances of tattooing are actually provided by the Nubian Mummies found in King Mentohotep II’s funerary complex, who reigned during the 11th dynasty of Egypt’s Middle Kingdom around 2000 BC. This was really interesting to discover. The mummies are speculated to have been Nubian dancing girls that provided entertainment for the king, and display tattoos that are similar to styles of Egyptian body decoration from the same period. The Nubian mummies were found alongside the body of Amunet who is believed to be a priestess of Hathor, the goddess of fertility, beauty, sexuality, and music, as well as the protector of women. Her tattoos are a complex array of dots and dashes across her upper body with an especially dense pattern around her lower abdomen. While the purpose of the tattoos was initially associated with provoking sexual arousal, they are now understood as a ritualistic practice in the service of Hathor that promised fertility and rejuvenation. One of the most prominent images in the tattoo culture of Ancient Egypt was the God Bes of revelry and patron saint of dancing and music. His image is found on the thighs of dancers and musicians throughout many paintings, vases, and amulets, as well as on the Nubian mummies from 400 BC. He most likely served as an omen of fertility and protector of women, similar to Hathor. This is a major theme in Ancient Egyptian tattooing, and many of the styles seemed to have protective functions that signified the importance of motherhood as a source of power. Others are interpreted as a rite of passage that marks sexual maturity and fertility as well. This is also similar to the Innuit tattooing culture. Overall, it was useful and exciting to learn the similarities in tattoo purpose and how they have served a pretty consistent purpose throughout decades of history.