What makes Whang OD of the Kalinga unique?
What makes Whang OD of the Kalinga unique?
These head hunters were the warriors of their tribe, who protect their villages, to the extent of killing their enemies. For them, it is a symbol of bravery and courage. She also inked the skin of women from the tribe, the tattoos are considered as a sign of beauty and elegance.
What is Kalinga tattooing?
Traditional Kalinga Tattoo, Pattern, and Design Inside a coconut shell is charcoal mixed with water inside pierced into the skin with a sharp thorn needle from a calamansi tree. The first bamboo stick is used for holding the thorn in place, the other is used to tap the first to pierce the skin.
How much tattoo does Whang OD have?
You can choose to have Whang Od select the design and placement of the tattoo, as is traditional in Kalinga culture, or you can choose it yourself from a board of designs in the village. Once you have been tattooed, Whang Od will then tell you how much your tattoo costs – it will probably be between 400 and 1000 pesos.
What is batok Kalinga?
Tattoos among the Kalinga peoples are known as batok or batek (whatok in Butbut Kalinga). They are among the best known Cordilleran tattoos due to the efforts of Apo Whang-od. She was once known as the “last mambabatok (tattoo artist)”, though she is currently teaching younger artists to continue the tradition.
What is the first thing that Whang-od do before using the thorns as a needle in tattooing?
Before she tattoos her guests, Whang-Od’s begins by removing her tattooing tools, which includes a bamboo stick, orange thorn needle, a short stick, and a coconut mixing bowl. Afterwards, she gets soot from her fireplace, which she mixes with water to create ink inside the coconut mixing bowl.
What symbolizes the tattoo art in Kalinga?
For the men of the tribe, tattoos represent courage and the stages of being a Kalinga warrior, while for women they symbolise maturity, fertility and beauty.
What is the meaning of batek tattoo?
Before Spain conquered the Philippines, the numerous indigenous tribes distinguished themselves from each other by marking their bodies with tattoos, or batek. The tattoos reflected bravery in warfare, status in their tribe and, for the women, a symbol of beauty.