Tattoo Tradition of Dayak Tribe

Dayak tribe is a primitive people community in Borneo Island - Indonesia. In general, The Dayak is referred to the 6 tsub ribes , they are: Kenyah/Kayan, Ot Danum, Iban, Murut, Klemantan, and Punan. Don't be surprised if you get into the Dayak villages and meet an old man who decorated Tattoo pictures on the several parts of his body. Tattoos that decorate their bodies were not just a decoration, and also not to be considered heroes. But, tattoos for the Dayak community had a very deep meaning.

Tatttoos for some Dayak ethnic communities are part of the tradition, religion, a social status in the society, and as a form of recognition rate on the ability of a person. Because of that, tattoos can't be made haphazardly.And Every dayak people have their own rules and laws according this tattoo tradition.

In the Dayak tribe, tattoos are not just owned by men, but also women. For men, tattoos can be made in any part of his body, while the female is usually only in the feet and hands. If the men, giving a tattoo was associated with an award or honor, and women, tattooing is more religiously motivated, in order to get God blessing and protection from evils .Women have limited motives of tattoo, like black nail on finger or tiger face on arm. Every dayak women who have tattoo on their thigh usually have high social status, and also wearing a bangle on the lower legs, and some of them assume that women who does not have tattoo considered as lower class society

There are certain rules in tattooing, such as the choice of the picture, the social structure of who's tattooed, and tattoo placement. Their tattoo also given to the royal family, The motive for royal family has good quality details and finishing than common people. However, in religion, tattoos have the same meaning in the Dayak community, namely as a "torch" for one's journey into the world of eternity, after death. Therefore, more and more tattoos, "torch" will be more bright and the journey to the world of eternity increasingly increasingly widespread. However, tattooing can not be made as much arbitrarily, because it must abide by customary rules.