The word “tattoo” originates from the Tahitian word “tatau”. Captain James Cook used the word “tattow” when he witnessed a tattooing for the first time in his life in Tahiti in 1796. According to Māori mythology, tattooing began thanks to a love story. The story is about the love between a young man named Mataora […]
Kayan, Sihan, and Lahanan: Three Tribes from North Sarawak, Malaysia, Borneo The three tribes are collectively known as Orang Ulu (People of the Interior), and most of their members are heavily tattooed. Unlike the Iban people, the Orang Ulu tattooists were exclusively women. The Orang Ulu did not use specific models for long, but the
Borneo Island and the History of its Tribes This chapter explores the island of Borneo and its history, which stretches back over 50,000 years. The island is the world’s third largest, after Greenland and New Guinea, and its territory spans three countries: Indonesia, Malaysia, and Brunei. Borneo is one of the few places in the
The Mysterious Island of Borneo: Tattoos, Headhunters, and Spiritual Beliefs Read More »
When the American writer, Lewis Henry Morgan, published his work on Iroquois culture in 1851, the tradition of tattooing had already faded among the people he described as so vibrant and colourful. Missionaries, much like the cessation of tribal warfare, compelled the native peoples to adapt to European culture and fashion, which favored fewer and