The Dying Tradition of Amazigh Tattoos
Algeria is the home to the Mozabite tribe; some of the people who make up my matrilineal side. And although this video above focuses on Algeria's Amazigh population, Tamazgha spans across all of North Africa, including Morocco. My own grandmother has had her tattoos removed. These dying traditions break my heart to see, and is but one subject that I'm eager to continue learning about, documenting, and sharing.
Years ago, while I was still living in Los Angeles, my friend Chantal and I decided to get tattoos. It was to be her first one, and she asked me to join in. Chantal is one of those spur-of-the-moment people that keep me on my toes in the best way. The timing couldn’t have been better for me, since I’d been spending time searching for information about the fading tradition of Amazigh/Berber tattooing. These designs on the outer rounding of my hands are snake skeletons. They symbolize rebirth, and healing. I decided my hands would be an appropriate home for them, to honor and remember my background in massage and hands-on healing modalities- another aspect of myself that I’m ready to explore through the light of ancestry. It’s a system passed down by the matriarchs, and the tattoos themselves are said to be magic. The ink is often made from wood ash and saliva. They’re becoming increasingly rare to see, due to Islamic law which forbids tattooing. There is no mention of the practice in the Qur’an, but according to the hadith Sahih al-Bukhari, “The Prophet cursed the one who does tattoos and the one who has a tattoo done.,” because the process of tattooing changes the body, thus altering God’s creation. Despite Islam being the main reason for this traditions rapid decline, tattooing has been traced to the time of the Prophet Muhammad, when most women were tattooed.
Since the mid-1980s, the tradition of tattooing has ceased in most of Algeria, Morocco and the rest of North Africa. This disappearance is not only linked to the role of Islam, but also to the French occupation of Morocco and to urbanization and modernization of Moroccan society. Traditional tattoos, such as those of Amazigh people are now seen as unbecoming and non-modern.
The handcraft of tattooing connects the people of Tamazgha to countless communities and tribes of indigenous people around the world who use tattooing as a form of expression, identity, protection and healing. Traditions of indigenous groups face the growth of globalization and modernization, which has in turn led to the disappearance of many indigenous tribes and practices. This goes for Morocco and North Africa, as well.
This is an illustration from one of my most cherished books, entitled simply Berber Tattooing, sent to me by the couple that created it. It can be a difficult book to find (though they’ve just released a limited run of new copies!! click here for details), and Felix & Loretta Leu were kind enough to offer one of their own. They spent a great deal of time with the Amazigh people, documenting the symbolism and traditional means of creating these tattoos. Many of the people they met were uncomfortable with their photo being taken, so their daughter made the effort to draft several beautiful illustrations. I’ve poured over this book time and time again, hoping that someday I might be able to receive one by the People themselves. ⵣ