Tattoo Culture Essay

In Southeast Asia, Animism and Buddhism have led to a unique tattoo culture where tattoos have practical, magical, protective and power enhancing properties. Animism is the world view that non-human entities (animals, plants, and inanimate objects or phenomena) possess a spiritual essence. This is the indigenous belief system of the people who inhabit Burma, Thailand, Southwest China, and Laos. The imagery and ritual of tattoo culture in Southeast Asia takes its roots in a mixture of indigenous practices as well as Theraveda Buddhism. A few of the numerous names given to the tattoos of this region are shan tattoos, yantra tattoo, katha tattoos, or sak yant. These words imply different tattoo sects of Southeast Asia, but in this paper they will be used interchangeably because they all tattoos used as method for accessing power though Buddhism.

Tattoos derive their power from three sources. The first source of power is from the tattoo artist. Tattooers acquire power through the practice of discipline and restraint, such as meditating and keeping the five basic precepts at all times. The five precepts are a Buddhist code where followers refrain from killing, stealing, improper sexual behavior, lying, and intoxication. The second source of power in Buddhism, as it relates to tattooing, is that of the tattoo artist’s teacher, and through the teacher, their linage. Tattoos designs do not have inherent power of their own, but when learned from a powerful teacher the power of the tattoo is augmented. Not only must one learn the practice from an honorable teacher but the student must show homage to their teacher in order to access the power of the teacher lineage. The last source of power is that from the Buddhas, and objects associated ...

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...tattoos close of the body preventing dangerous objects from entering, but also preventing good things from entering. A person with a large number of theses tattoos is likely to be poor and somewhat unlucky since they prevent good fortune from entering. The type of person who would seek a kat and pik tattoo is someone who is likely to experience violence, like a soldier or a police officer.

All powerful tattoos require people to keep at least one of the five precepts. The more precepts one is able to keep the more powerful their tattoos. The consequences of breaking a precept vary with the strength of the tattoo; the more powerful the tattoo, the worse the consequences. These range from the tattoo loosing its power to the tattooed person going insane. In this way tattoos are a method for accessing power because they require the bearer to uphold the law of the Buddha.