Tribal marks : African Tattoo

A King named Sango(god of lightening and thunder) sent two slaves to a distant country on an important mission.

 In due course they returned, and he found that one slave had achieved successfully what he had been sent to do, while the other had accomplished nothing. The p. 3 King therefore rewarded the first with high honours, and commanded the second to receive a hundred and twenty-two razor cuts all over his body.

 This was a severe punishment, but when the scars healed, they gave to the slave a very remarkable appearance, which greatly took the fancy of the King’s wives.

 Sango therefore decided that cuts should in future be given, not as punishment, but as a sign of royalty, and he placed himself at once in the hands of the markers. However, he could only bear two cuts, and so from that day two cuts on the arm have been the sign of royalty, and various other cuts came to be the marks of different tribes.

Yoruba physical appearance which is fast disappearing because of the extant laws, and international campaign, is the tribal marks. Tribal or facial mark- is a specific mark, which comes in different shapes and sizes, commonly found on the face. There are various tribal marks, by different ethnic groups within Yoruba nation. The Ijeṣa people are known by “pele.”

Pele, is a-four-horizontal-line; a-quarter-of-an-inch-long made on the cheeks on both sides of the mouth. The Ondo natives of (Ondo State) are identified by half-an-inch-vertical lines on both sides of the nose down to the mouth (marks are thick and long). Other Yoruba ethnic groups have different types of facial marks; Ogbomoso natives of (Oyo State) are identified by multiple straight and curved lines (Gombo) on both sides of the face. Other sub-groups within Yoruba nation have only curved lines on both sides of their face. Even, a particular mark, may have varieties among neighbors; for instance, Pele has about three versions: Pele Ijesa (discussed) Pele Ekiti (quarter-of-an-inch-horizontal-line) and Pele Akoko (about the same length, but comes in either vertical or horizontal format); the style will depends on Akoko by Ekiti, Bini and Okun neighbors. The purpose of facial marks in the past was to identify each group within Yoruba nation, to beautify, and to identify slaves. Because of the health implications and several abuses, it has become an outlaw practice in Nigeria.

Y

oruba has the following tribal marks

• Abaja
• Kẹkẹ or Gọmbọ
• Ture
• Pele
• Mande
• Jamgbadi

Many of us who believed that tribal marks  are odd and should be sent to the ebb of pariah. what is your view