or is a
Serbo-Croatian
Serbo-Croatian () – also called Serbo-Croat (), Serbo-Croat-Bosnian (SCB), Bosnian-Croatian-Serbian (BCS), and Bosnian-Croatian-Montenegrin-Serbian (BCMS) – is a South Slavic language and the primary language of Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia an ...
name for a widespread custom mostly among
Roman Catholic
Roman or Romans most often refers to:
*Rome, the capital city of Italy
* Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD
* Roman people, the people of ancient Rome
*'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a let ...
Croat
The Croats (; hr, Hrvati ) are a South Slavic ethnic group who share a common Croatian ancestry, culture, history and language. They are also a recognized minority in a number of neighboring countries, namely Austria, the Czech Republic, Ge ...
women and girls of the central regions of
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina ( sh, / , ), abbreviated BiH () or B&H, sometimes called Bosnia–Herzegovina and often known informally as Bosnia, is a country at the crossroads of south and southeast Europe, located in the Balkans. Bosnia and H ...
, as well as the
Dalmatia region of
Croatia
, image_flag = Flag of Croatia.svg
, image_coat = Coat of arms of Croatia.svg
, anthem = "Lijepa naša domovino"("Our Beautiful Homeland")
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, capit ...
. The phenomenon predates the
Slavic migration to the Balkans, and consequently
Christianity
Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth. It is the world's largest and most widespread religion with roughly 2.38 billion followers representing one-third of the global pop ...
itself, but it was possible to trace its appearance until the middle of the 20th century.
History
Tattooing of women and girls in Bosnia and Herzegovina is colloquially called or , and it was a widespread custom mostly among Roman Catholic Croats in the central regions.
The custom is thought to predate the
Slavic migration
Slavic, Slav or Slavonic may refer to:
Peoples
* Slavic peoples, an ethno-linguistic group living in Europe and Asia
** East Slavic peoples, eastern group of Slavic peoples
** South Slavic peoples, southern group of Slavic peoples
** West Sla ...
to the
Balkans
The Balkans ( ), also known as the Balkan Peninsula, is a geographical area in southeastern Europe with various geographical and historical definitions. The region takes its name from the Balkan Mountains that stretch throughout the who ...
and even Christianity.
In the 1st century BC, the Greek historian
Strabo wrote of tattooing among inhabitants of this area, namely
Illyrians
The Illyrians ( grc, Ἰλλυριοί, ''Illyrioi''; la, Illyrii) were a group of Indo-European-speaking peoples who inhabited the western Balkan Peninsula in ancient times. They constituted one of the three main Paleo-Balkan populations, a ...
and
Thracians
The Thracians (; grc, Θρᾷκες ''Thrāikes''; la, Thraci) were an Indo-European speaking people who inhabited large parts of Eastern and Southeastern Europe in ancient history.. "The Thracians were an Indo-European people who occupied t ...
, along with other customs.
Vlach
"Vlach" ( or ), also "Wallachian" (and many other variants), is a historical term and exonym used from the Middle Ages until the Modern Era to designate mainly Romanians but also Aromanians, Megleno-Romanians, Istro-Romanians and other Easter ...
women from
Greece
Greece,, or , romanized: ', officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the southern tip of the Balkans, and is located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Greece shares land borders ...
,
Macedonia and
Herzegovina also utilized tattoos. Archaeologist
Ćiro Truhelka
Ćiro Truhelka (2 February 1865 – 18 September 1942) was a Croatian archeologist, historian and art historian who devoted much of his professional life to the study of the history of Bosnia and Herzegovina. He wrote about prehistoric, Roman and ...
researched these types of tattoos in the late 19th century, becoming one of the first to write about them and to illustrate them. In 1894, a
Bosnia-based doctor named Leopold Glück published an article in
Vienna
en, Viennese
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, registration_plate = W
, postal_code_type = Postal code
, postal_code =
, timezone = CET
, utc_offset = +1
, timezone_DST ...
titled (''The Tattooing of Skin Among the Catholics of Bosnia and Herzegovina'') detailing the tattoos observed among the locals.
Women in some parts of the country tattooed their hands and other visible parts of the body (such as brow, cheeks, wrist, or below the neck) with
Christian symbols
Christian symbolism is the use of symbols, including archetypes, acts, artwork or events, by Christianity. It invests objects or actions with an inner meaning expressing Christian ideas.
The symbolism of the early Church was characterized by b ...
and
stećak ornaments. This can be seen today, not only in Bosnia and Herzegovina, but among ethnic Croats from Bosnia and Herzegovina living abroad.
Children (generally girls) were tattooed from as early as the age of six, usually during the period between the feast of
Saint Joseph in March to the feast of
Saint John the Baptist
John the Baptist or , , or , ;Wetterau, Bruce. ''World history''. New York: Henry Holt and Company. 1994. syc, ܝܘܿܚܲܢܵܢ ܡܲܥܡܕ݂ܵܢܵܐ, Yoḥanān Maʿmḏānā; he, יוחנן המטביל, Yohanān HaMatbil; la, Ioannes Bapti ...
in June.
Designs
The most common symbols tattooed were the cross (), bracelet (), fence (), and branches or twigs ().
The cross had numerous variations, with one of the most common ones included small branch-like lines called "" or "" (pine tree). Bracelet-like designs were sometimes tattooed around the women's wrists, either with crosses or a fence-like motif. There were many non-Christian, or
pagan symbols used, the most common consisting of circles believed to be connected to the traditional circle ("") dances of the villages.
The pagan and Christian symbols were mixed together indiscriminately, with the first originating from nature and family in Illyrian times, and the other with later adapted Christian meaning.
The most common areas to tattoo were the arms and hands (including fingers), and on the chest and forehead.
Modern
The custom of tattooing young girls died out after
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...
with the establishment of the
FPR Yugoslavia
The Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, commonly referred to as SFR Yugoslavia or simply as Yugoslavia, was a country in Central and Southeast Europe. It emerged in 1945, following World War II, and lasted until 1992, with the breakup of Yu ...
, and tattoos done by the traditional method are now only seen on old women.
Today, there is a growing trend of modern tattoo artists utilising the traditional designs with contemporary tattooing methods in Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina.
In media
In 2013, a documentary titled ''Sicanje, bocanje, tetoviranje'' aired on Croatian television channel
HRT 3
HRT 3 (HTV 3, ''"Treći program"'') is a Croatian free-to-air television channel from Hrvatska Radiotelevizija, that was launched on 13 September 2012.
History
HRT 3's original history began in 1989, when this channel was originally known as Z3 a ...
.
In 2011, ''
Vice
A vice is a practice, behaviour, or habit generally considered immoral, sinful, criminal, rude, taboo, depraved, degrading, deviant or perverted in the associated society. In more minor usage, vice can refer to a fault, a negative character t ...
'' published an article titled ''The Croatian Tattooed Grandma Cult'' about the phenomena.
Furthermore, ''Vice Serbia'' released a story and short film titled ''Tetovirane bake'' (''Tattooed Grandmas''), where they interview various Bosnian Croat women about their tattoos.
See also
*
Religious perspectives on tattooing
References
External links
Tradicionalno tetoviranje: Iščezli običaj katolika u BosniCleveland State University Engaged Scholardship: SICANJE{{tattoo
Bosnia and Herzegovina culture
History of the Croats of Bosnia and Herzegovina
Tattooing and religion
Catholic Church in the Ottoman Empire
Ottoman period in the history of Bosnia and Herzegovina
Religion in Bosnia and Herzegovina during Ottoman period