Berber Tattooing: in Morocco's Middle Atlas

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Berber Tattooing: The Disappearing Tradition of Amazigh Tattoos, Tattoo Idea Book, Tattoo Symbol and Meanings, Tiny Tattoos Book Besides the aesthetic and ornamental functions, Amazigh tattoos aimed to symbolise social status. “ Young girls would wear tattoos to highlight the stage of puberty and indicate that girls were ready for marriage “, Maya added. Function of purity: The tattoo is associated with the function of purity: as it purifies the human soul from evils and sins, and purifies them from impurities, sins by arousing fear, empathy, repentance and the desire to seek forgiveness … That is to desperate: The tattoo in the sense of scratching and penetrating the skin in the desire to purify, according to a group of rules of rituals and rules of ceremony. Additionally, tattoos are penances and fidelity, loyalty, sincerity, redemption for spiritual fulfillment. Thus, obtaining holiness of soul and attaining perfect transcendence. what it means to cleanse with the intention of attaining spiritual purity thus The tattoo also expresses an intermediate bridge between matter and spirit, between body and sanctuary.

Traditionally worn by women, Amazigh tattoos are part of the oldest ancestral rites that have persisted since Antiquity before beginning to disappear in the 1940s. The facial tattooing of women in the ancient Berber tradition is a mark of cultural identity and womanhood. Many tribes in Africa view the body as a canvas for decoration and would prefer to wear little to no clothing. Body decorations and transformationswere made to mark certain milestones in a person’s life.

A V-shaped symbol on the chin was traditionally a marker of tribal identity, with size corresponding to how big the family is. Much more than aesthetic, Amazigh tattoos are a means of expression and relieving the vagaries of life and a sign of identity and belonging. Berber weddings hold significant cultural significance, symbolising joy, and community cohesion. The festivities span three days, filled with exuberant singing, dancing, and abundant culinary delights. The bride takes center stage, adorned in elegant attire and embellished with henna tattoos. Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.

Here, Middle East Eye explores the different tattoo designs of women across the region and the meanings behind them. Amazigh Among these tribes, we distinguish the most prominent ones, such as the Chleuh of the Moroccan Mountain Atlas, the Kabyles of Northern Algeria, the Tuareg from southwest Libya to Mali, the Chaouia of Eastern Algeria, and the Mzab of Sub-Saharian Algeria. Origin of Amazigh tattoos: purposes, symbols and their meanings Women see the frog’s song as pure because this animal is deemed sacred as it lives in the rare waters of the desert.

Berber Tattooing is a unique and tender record of the tribal skin art of Morocco’s Middle Atlas. The result of a series of chance encounters, Felix & Loretta’s Leu’s road trip in 1988, opened a doorway into the intimate world of the women of the Berber tribes. In this book, the women tell their individual stories, revealing the traditions of the tattoo in their culture, together with insights into the lives that they led.

But where does this tradition of tattooing on women’s bodies come from? The first reason is primarily aesthetic: these graphic drawings that adorn their skins are intended to remain there for life. It is a kind of natural and eternal jewel, which does not need to be removed, which blends into the skin and its natural wrinkles. Today, it’s rare to see a woman sporting deq face tattoos, as many in younger generations view it as old-fashioned.This book was a labor of love and looking through his flash drawings and photographs of tattoos of course brought up many memories of our tattoo years together. We were a united couple and family, we were our own bosses, working when we needed to and taking time off when we chose to. We loved the freedom tattooing gave us. It was hard work but also exciting and fun. We worked in our own home and every day was made different by the interesting variety of people from all walks of life that we got to meet. We lived for many years without a TV. There are many abstract elements to Berber tattoo designs and symbols, yet many others are reoccurring , such as : Berber Tattooing” is a unique and tender record of the tribal skin art of Morocco’s Middle Atlas. The result of a series of chance encounters, Felix & Loretta’s Leu’s road trip in 1988, opened a doorway into the intimate world of the women of the Berber tribes. In this book, the women tell their individual stories. It revealed the traditions of the tattoo in their culture, together with insights into the lives that they led. Sensitively captured in drawings from the time by Aia Leu, the faces of the Berber women speak of a tribal culture that was fast disappearing even then. As tattoo artists, Felix and Loretta found common ground with the Berber families, gaining unprecedented access to this sparsely documented Berber art form. This book of previously unpublished work, collected nearly thirty years ago, is a tribute to the art of tattoos, tradition, family, and love. A number of motifs were common amongst Amazigh women’s tattoos, including symbols of the sun, an eye of a partridge, a chain and flies. In Berber culture, the partridge was associated with grace and beauty, and its eyes symbolise the omnipresence of danger. Berber tattoos were used to determine tribal affiliation and identity, indicate the marital status of women as well as if they were ready for marriage.