Traditional Igorot Tattooing

High up in the terraced rice fields of the Philippine Cordillera mountains, traditional tattooing (batek, Kalinga) among the former headhunters of northwestern Luzon is nearly extinct.

Today, you can only see traces of the indelible art in all of its splendor among the Kalinga and maybe one or two other groups living in the area. But back in 1900, just before American authorities outlawed headhunting, tattoo was to be seen everywhere, especially among the Bontoc Igorot, Kalinga, and Ifugao peoples.

Bontoc is derived from two local words.

"bun" (heap) + "tuk" (top) =  "mountains"

As they have for centuries, most Igorots live in Bontoc municipality near the upper Chico River basin and in the capitol city of the municipality, Bontoc. The region is bounded to the north by the Kalinga-Apayao province and to the south by the Ifugao and Benguet provinces. Although there is a common language, several villages in the Bontoc region have their own distinct dialect.

Generally speaking, the Bontoc Igorots recognized several kinds of tattoos and very often the amount of designs worn by a man was directly related to the proportion of human heads he had taken in the headhunt. The chaklag, usually running upward from each nipple, curving out on the shoulders and ending on the upper arms, indicated that the man had taken a head or, as one writer put it in 1905,

"The indelible tattoo emblem proclaims them takers of human heads, nine-tenths of the men in the pueblos of Bontoc and Samoki wear them."

Among the neighboring Kalinga to the north, successful warriors (maingor) had tattoos placed at the back of their hands and wrists after their first kill. These striped designs were called "gulot", meaning "cutter of the head."

Kalinga men who killed two or more men had elaborate patterns applied to their arms and chests called bikking, comprised of khaman (head-axes), ufug (centipede or snake scales) and bodies of the centipede (gayaman), which were protective and spiritually charged symbols.

The khaman design also covered portions of the torso, back, and thighs and centipede scales crossed the cheeks of the most successful warriors. Sometimes, a human anthropomorph was tattooed just above the navel and small crosses adorned the face, indicating a warrior of the highest rank. Other more simple markings had therapeutic value and were placed on goiters, tumors and varicose veins.

Among the Kalinga particular arrangements of centipede scales were believed to ward off cholera.

Tattoos are indeed an ancient art that weaves to the very fabric of life in every culture.

sources: nightskylie , Caloy Galang

Dennis Keliag: Mister Republic of the Philippines 2015

Dennis Keliag garnered 3rd runner up for the RUNWAY MODEL OF THE WORLD and social media award (Mr Popularity) during the Mister Republic of the Philippines 2015 pageant.

Back to work.
Good morning.
Thanks fellow Cordillerans, family and friends.
All I can say is thank you and God bless. You guys are amazing.
To God be the glory.
# God is good. - Dennis Keliag

Post by Dennis Keliag New.

History of Filipino Tattoos: Tattooed Mummies, Rites of Passage

Filipino tattoos have a rich history, dating back to before the Philippine Islands were colonized by Spaniards. When Spanish ships first arrived there, they were greeted by the heavily tattooed Visayas tribe and they called the islands "La Isla De Los Pintados" which meant the "Islands of the Painted Ones."

In the Philippines, tattoos were seen as a source of accomplishment and rank. Men bore ink on their chests and heads as signs of their strength as warriors. Women wore detailed lines on their arms and wrists (Visays and Mindanao tribes) or full chest and arm tattoos (Luzon mountain tribes) and they were seen as marks of beauty. Most tattoos were earned through the passage of rites ceremonies, or for accomplishing tasks. The styles varied depending on the region and tribe that the people came from.

In the early 1900s, before headhunting was outlawed by American authorities, tattoos were commonly seen among the Bontoc Igorot and Kalinga tribes.
Tattoos worn by the Bontoc Igorots men symbolized the number of human heads he took during a headhunt.

The Kalinga tribe would tattoo their warriors on their hands and wrists after their first kill and the designs and placement would get more elaborate and more broad the more heads they acquired

Tattooing instruments during this time were usually made from wood or animal horn, carved about 10 cm long and 2 mm thick. Needles were then affixed to the tool and the tattoo was applied by tapping with a wooden hammer. The pigment ink came from tree resin and soot and was rubbed into the wound as the tattoo was applied. Most tribes had an appointed tattooist for those worthy of receiving the tattoos.

After World War II, around the late 1940s, teachers at missionary schools discouraged the practice of tattooing, so nowadays, most people under the age of sixty are not tattooed, while those older than sixty often are.

Today, tattoos are experiencing a beautiful revival amongst Filipinos and continue to gain acceptance, with traditional Polynesian themes and striking designs often adorning the collectors.

History of Filipino Tattoos: Tattooed Mummies, Rites of Passage by jinxiboo under CC NC-SA 3.0

Cordilleran who joins the Mister Republic of the Philippines 2015 Pageant

Let us give our utmost support to a fellow Cordilleran who joins the Mister Republic of the Philippines 2015 Pageant. He is Dennis Keliag, 22 years old who hails from Buguias, Benguet and Baguio City. He is one of the 22 chosen Finalists for the said Pageant and he represents the Cordillera Region.The Coronation will be on March 6, 2015 at the Manila Hotel, Manila, Metro Manila.

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