The History of Tattoos in the Philippines
Tattoo art in the Philippines goes back to its headhunter heritage. It was very common for the size and number of tattoos a person had was directly related to the number of heads he had taken in the headhunt. Different tribes in the Philippines had different designs and tattoo meanings. One tribe had elaborate line patterns that started at both nipples and arched up around the shoulders and down the upper arms signifying that man had taken a head.
Another tribe placed tattoos on the back of the hands and wrists after their first kill, meaning that they had used those hands to remove someone’s head. Once men from this tribe acquired more kills, more elaborate patterns were covering the body.
The common tribal design was that of centipede scales which were considered protective symbols. The highest ranking warriors had small crosses inked on their faces. People of this tribe used body art for therapeutic reasons also. They would place centipede scales in certain patterns on tumors, varicose veins and tumors.
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