Scarification, bad?

            Scarification has been viewed with negative connotations, much like tattoos and piercings. Some feel that it is a form of self-mutilation, which according to www.answers.com is the intentional destruction of tissue or alteration of the body done without the conscious wish to commit suicide, usually in an attempt to relieve tension.  With this in mind, it is easy to correlate intentionally marking the body with suicidal intent. However, scarification is usually done for the exact opposite reason, to evoke good feelings. Scarification is a method of making one more aesthetically pleasing; therefore, it boosts self-esteem and confidence. It allows people to face their fears and to discover more about themselves in the process. Rob Carlson, a Vancouver Island University student states "It is a very real experience that brings light to the soul, pain to the dead and life to those who hold out for hope. There is something very sensual about allowing pain to willingly enter your body by any means. This pain allows you to breathe once more." Rob himself is a proud bearer of two brandings.

       Though the previous use of scarification as a method of marking and punishing criminals is banned and outlawed, scarification is still used in many positive ways. It is practiced to separate different groups in Africa and other civilizations as well as a means of self-expression and visual stimuli. There are still few who associate the custom with negative connotation, however others are becoming more aware of the positive effects that scarification creates. As the craze spreads and grows in popularity people will become more acquainted with the practice and will learn of a new and exotic way to express themselves and will be able to define themselves with scars of identity.

Sacrifying undesireables

           Inversely, scarification has been used to mark those who are deemed unworthy and subhuman. Human branding was among the most popular of techniques that were used to identify such beings. It was originally used to mark property, but as humans became known as property they too were branded. Slaves and criminals were branded throughout Europe and Asia, and even in the United States and was as recent as the founding US Pilgrim fathers.

            Branding has been dated back to the Greeks and Romans, who would brand their slaves to show ownership. The Greeks were known to brand slaves with a Delta. Romans marked runaway slaves with the letter F for fufitivus. They were not alone in their methods. During the period of Trans-Atlantic enslavement, European and other colonial slavers had managed to brand millions of slaves.

            Aside from slaves and property, criminals were also branded. The branding of criminals was a means of punishment. It was popular because it combined physical punishment and public embarrassment, liken to hangings. Romans branded robbers with the letter F, and the same goes for runaway slaves. Despite the situation, the cause behind the branding is usually to reduce the status to concur with one of goods or animals .  It also made it considerably easier for a cop or law defender to recognize former criminals and for possible victims to prepare themselves or escape. If one were to see a man with a brand on his person, it was instantly known that this man was a law offender and therefore, not good company.  Also, if a man was arrested and bore the mark of a previous offense, his sentence would be much more severe considering that this was his second offense. This system did not last, however, as modern science revealed it as cruel and inhumane.

          

Uses of scarification

           Although the origin is unknown, one story states, “They developed the method of scarification to mark the family members selected to rule the captured land. In the future - when they returned to the same area and saw the tribal markings they would know they already controlled the land”. It is also said that this practice became widespread in Africa due to the growth of slave raiding during the 17^th century. Sulley Kupah, the secretary to the Gwollu Paramoncey explains that the markings “ became very important during slave raiding because people became displaced and families and tribes wanted to be able to find each other and reconnect again when held in captivity”. Among the Dagombas in Northern Ghana there is one vertical scar, which identifies them as having direct grand fathers from Nigeria. Three vertical lines mark the sides of the faces of Gonjas of Northern Ghana .

            Scars are also used to mark families within a tribe, however clan, region, and tribal markings are generally more intricate. A group of Sissala (outside Gwollu) has two marks on either side of their mouth that extends outward from their lips towards their cheeks and jaw. Three huge marks down either side of the face identify the royal family in the Mossi ethnic group in Wa. The tribal mark of The Dagbanba people consist of one to four short vertical lines on both cheeks. The number of lines depends on the parents. The Funsi people have a long mark extending from the nose to the cheek. Males bear the scars on their left cheek while females bear them on their right cheek.

         

Scarification in the US

  It is said that the body modification movement appeared in the United States for the first time in the mid-1980s. The practice was initially believed to be embraced by the gay and lesbian subcultures. By the 1990s the practice was adopted by members of the neotribal or ‘modern primitive’ movement. Since then it has become widespread throughout western civilizations and Australia. Part of its popularity can be accredited to nostalgia for a different type of society, says Victoria Pitts, professor of sociology at the City university of New York in New York City. She also argues that body modification is not really so strange within a culture where identity is often expressed through appearance—which in mainstream society includes fashion consumption, cosmetic surgery, and botox (news.nationalgeographic.com). People often desire to be different. Scarification is simply a way that one can express oneself and make a statement in society.

           

Scarification

Scarification: Scars of Identity

The clock ticked on as the smell of burning flesh filled the room. The hairs on Nick Black’s arm burst into flames and disintegrated as a 2,200degree surgical wand burned through his skin. The pain was immense, but his face remained steady. After thirty minutes of this mutilation the pain had dissipated and a masterpiece began to form. A Mandalorian Bontha Boba Fett Mythosaur skull was freshly engraved on Black’s right bicep. This moment was the zenith of this diehard Star Wars fan. As with many others, scarification has redefined and enhanced Black’s life (www.sltrib.com). However, scarification is more than just a passing trend. It is an ancient practice that allows societies and subcultures to express identity in exotic and distinctive ways.

            Scarification is a practice that dates back to 4000 BC (www.google.com). It has an extensive history that appears in many different cultures and subcultures around the globe. Though it is most prominent in West Africa, it can be found in ancient rituals in Australia as well as Papua New Guinea. Although it is not as prominent today as it once was, many Europeans as well as the North, South and Central Americans have adopted the practice of scarification. Scarification has a wide variety of uses ranging from aesthetic to medical. The methods of scarification vary also, depending on their purpose. These methods include, but are not limited to branding, cutting, and skin removal. Branding is more or less an intentional burning of the skin. Cutting can be defined as slicing desired designs into the skin. Skin removal is self-explanatory; it is simply a method of removing thin lines of skin to create larger areas of scar tissue.  Regardless of the method of scarification, each scar is unique to its bearer because the body creates the scar, not the artist (www.poundedink.com).

            During its lifetime, scarification has fluctuated in popularity. It has been portrayed on historic figures such as the Hun in China who practiced facial scarring.  It has also been banned in areas in Africa and across the globe. Some procedures were seen as too brutal or inhumane to be permitted to continue. However, most practices and rituals remain an important aspect of cultures and societies worldwide.

What Is Scarification?

Scarifying involves scratching, etching, or cutting designs, pictures, or words into the skin as a permanent body modification. Branding, cutting, and abrasions are just a few of the common methods used to scarify flesh. Though it it perceivably painful, many suggest that it is actually less painful than most tattoos.

Why Is Scarification Important?

Tattoos were once a method of self-expression that separated individuals from the norm; however, they have become part of the mainstream and are as common as colored contacts. Scarification, though it is an ancient practice, is a modern way of expressing one’s identity. People throughout history have found reasons to separate themselves from the group, and scarification has always been a popular choice. Once people are more aware o the options that they have, they will be able to find an adequate outlet for their self-expression needs.  

There is no civilization now, nor has there ever been, that was completely without body modification tactics.  For this reason, it is abundantly clear that scarification, among other forms of modification, are simply a necessary form of self-expression and self-worth.