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.

       

   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.

            Though it is rising in popularity among westerners, scarification is still primarily used in Africa. Africa's inhabitants consists of many different tribes and ethnic groups with differing virtues, which naturally make it essential for each tribe to mark their territory and to define themselves. Scarification identifies different tribes and ethnic groups, allowing them to be easily differentiated as well as uniting them as a people. These marks differ greatly among regions and ethnic groups, yet it is practiced throughout West Africa and even extends into the north with the Yoruba. The marks are made to differentiate between specific regions, tribes, clans and families so when they migrate within a country or to other countries they will be clearly identified. The marks that are used specifically for identifying different groups are often referred to as tribal marks. Through the use of marking it evident that one's identity is preserved, passed down, and never forgotten. Marking is also essential for groups living within close proximity of one another whereas there are often unwritten rules that forbid those of the same tribe or clan from inter-marrying (Alyssa Irving). Without the permanent markings made through scarification it would be nearly impossible to maintain boundaries between different groups. These groups vary from region to region and from tribe to tribe allowing each to remain unique yet diverse. The markings may appear similar in style, however each scar is specific to a group, clan, family, tribe or region.

      
    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”(www.trekearth.com). 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”(Alyssa Irving). 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 (www.travelblog.org).

            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 (Lauren Cullivan).

            While there are some groups who chose not to scarify themselves the majority see scarification as a way to unite and sustain the culture and rituals of their people. “Tribal” markings are often displayed on the face, however, there are other ways in which scarification is used to identify a group. Once a group is identified one can look closer at the markings and discover that individuals in the group also bear marks that emphasize their attributes.