Tribal Marks: An African Traditional Practice Fading In Our Era

They look more painful than they are artistically beautiful. Unlike tattoos with ink, tribal marks are specific incisions usually made on the face or the body of an African child, often at childbirth  as a way of identifying the family lineage or ethnic group.

In the olden days, the traditional African people believed that, the best way of identifying people of the same ethnic group is the similarity of their marks, thus the marks usually seen on the face.Aside the face, the bodily tribal marks are for medical purposes especially in children. The indigenous medicine-man makes small incisions to treat ailments like pneumonia, measles, convulsion etc. They are also used for beautification purposes.

It’s rare seeing people with tribal or facial marks today, only traditional aged people, and a few adults. Gradually, the practice is drifting away.

Civilization has changed and enhanced a lot of things, and this is no exception. The modern African would rather have a tattoo done rather than a beautification mark on her body, unless you’d do otherwise?

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