I looked at my grandmother’s face one evening and I must have stared for so long because she shouted “What?!” at me. But I was just intrigued at the marks that lined her face. And so I asked, “Did your parents not love you? Is that why they cut your face?” The room became silent. No one had ever asked her about the several black marks against her fair skin, or the blackness of her lower lip. She was the most marked person I knew, with long lines and swirls running down her arms and down her legs.
I had met other people with scars and was told that the man with three long slashes across his face was not loved by his parents. Or that he was an Ajala, a warrior that fought a lion and those were victory marks from the sharp claws of a beast. Some people even said they were scars from playing too rough as a child.
“I guess it’s okay for you to know the real deal with these marks, these scars” my grandmother said. She said that people were marked based on their hometown, for recognition. It was most helpful during wars, a person could always find their way back home after possible displacement. Her marks were for beautification, and identification. Her parents marked her to enhance her natural beauty, with the black standing out against the yellowness of her skin.
It was an African thing, different cultures used them. The lines were different, the tools used were different, and most importantly the meanings were different. Tribal marks or marks in general are gotten by piercing the face or other parts of a person, usually infants and toddlers. After these cuts have been made on the skin with a razor blade or other sharp object, a black paste usually made from charcoal is applied to stop the bleeding and give the mark some pigmentation.
I became very intrigued about these body markings in different sizes and shapes, and came across a Netflix documentary titled Marked. Marked focused on three uses of body markings in Nigeria. Spirituality, beauty, and health. Marks were used to heal certain illnesses, used for spiritual protection from evil spirits, and used to beautify a child. These marks got intertwined with a person’s identity.
The Yoruba tribe of Nigeria call them “Ila”, and they vary by tribe. These marks could either be horizontal, vertical, or diagonal. The Abaja consists of a set of three or four horizontal lines on the cheek of a person. The Abaja is done in about eight different styles.
The Keke or Gombo is three vertical lines over four or five horizontal lines.
The Pele is an inch long mark done on the cheek.
Other African tribes have their different mark styles and designs peculiar to them. Algeria, Egypt, Sudan, Benin, Ghana, Mali, Ethiopia, South Africa all have their different marks and what they mean.
Body modification in general is part of African culture and aesthetics. Other modification types are tattoos, body piercings, teeth sharpening, stretching, and lots more. The next time you see someone beautifully designed, appreciate it and appreciate them for preserving African culture and for looking beautiful. Maybe even get a piercing or two.
