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In stead of preface
No matter if he practice of tattooing
among the Eurasian prehistoric nomads can be proved by ancient
artifacts or not, many aspects of it will still remain obscure. This is
mainly due to the fact that the nomadic tribes of Scythian times had no
written language of their own. In order to further investigate the
question of tattooing among the Eurasian prehistoric nomads, it is
necessary to further explain the concept “Scythians”. According to
various written sources of classical antiquity, ex. Herodotos,
Scythians were almost all nomadic tribes originating from the steppes
and forest-steppes around the river Dnepr and eastwards. Modern
research has narrowed down the geographical distinction of the
Scythians, but bearing in mind that the different nomadic tribes had a
similar culture, social hierarchy, and conception of the world, it is
sufficient to distinguish Scythians as principally Persian-lingual
European tribes employing dug-out burial mounds. All of these tribes
practiced tattooing for the same purposes, with the same magical
rituals and cult significances.
However, it is important to
make a distinction between two different groups of nomadic tribes - the
nomads of the European steppes known from Greco-roman sources as
Scythians and Sarmatians are not identical with the historic Asian
nomadic tribes known as “Suki”, “Massaget” and “Alan”. This
distinction is made here, because despite cultural similarities and a
largely shared culture, the Asian and the European nomadic tribes
experienced absolutely different cultural influences. Scythians and
Sarmatians were influenced by Greco-roman, Tracian and the Near East
cultures, while Sacki, Massaget and Alan were influenced by Persian,
Chinese, and Siberian cultures. The influences from their neighbors
aided the nomadic tribes in their development. The isolation of the
Asian nomads living together with neighboring nomadic tribes in the
mountains of Altai, has been the most important condition for the
preservation of the art of tattooing without any essential influences
from the outer world during the actual period. Luckily, this region has
also provided us with substantial records of tattooing in the Scythian
era in the form of preserved bodies, heavily tattooed with local
patterns and designs. We must however bear in mind that the ethnic term
“suk”, or more precisely “sugh” is a name used by the nomadic tribes
themselves in the Scythian era, but for convenience we will use the
reasonable and general term Scythians.
List of points for investigation of the question of tattooing among the Scythians:
1. Facts on the Scythian tattoos
2. Reasons for tattooing and discussion of reasons
3. Further aspects of practise of tattooing
4. Conclusion
1. Facts on the Scythian tattoos
Due
to the lack of records, we do not know very much about ancient Scythian
tattoos. At present there are only three known Scythian mummies (two
males, one female) with well preserved tattoos, and the scarce written
sources of the Classic Antiquity can only give us a few hints of a few
aspects of tattooing among the Scythians.
2. Reasons for tattooing and discussion of reasons
Historians
cannot provide us with information on weather the Scythian tattoos were
reserved for the upper class or not, but they can prove that tattooing
held a distinct significance. Ancient Greco-roman authors like
Herodotus, Pliny, Ammian, Martsellin and Pompony Mela tell that the
nomads cut and burnt themselves, as well as applied pictures on
themselves, to show that they did not care about pain, thus elevating
themselves to nobility. In this context, tattoos were a symbol of
heroism and spiritual strength, and we can therefore make the
conclusion that tattooing at least was practiced among warriors and
nobility. Unfortunately, we do not know anything about the practice of
tattooing among the Sarmatians. If we had known more about Sarmatian
tattoos, we would probably also have known more about the tattoos of
the female mummy – the Sarmatians were matriarchal, and the legendary
Amazons were probably Sarmatians. The tattoos of the mummies found in
the Altai-region of Siberia have a slightly different significance, as
only warriors and chiefs wore them. The explanation for these
circumstances can divide into three parts:
1 Origins of the local Pazyryk group
The
origins of this group are semi-legendary, but it can be proved that
certain tattoo-practicing groups were present from around 800 BC to 400
AD. From an anthropological point of view, it is interesting to note
that all male mummies show European features, while the female mummies
show Mongolian features, which leads to the following conclusions:
It is that the above-mentioned conditions are due to dynastic marriages between Scythian chiefs and local tribes.
It
is also possible that the entire group of Pazyryka tribes was not a
homogeneous tribe, but a military group of men arriving in this area
either intentionally or randomly.
These theories can be
questioned, but there are a few facts that make them plausible. First
of all, we can hardly explain the origin of a European people in this
area without either or both of the above-mentioned theories. This
European people was related to European Scythians which belonged to the
"andronians culture" and were surrounded by paleoasian tribes from the
North, the finnish-pomorian tribes from the West, the prototurkish
tribes from the South and the selkulpian tribes from the east. The same
phenomena occurs in the Tarim area, where Kirbi discovered European
mummies dating from the Bronze Age, but in this case there was not a
long presence of European tribes, and they had no significant influence
in this area.
Secondly, there are not enough finds of other female
graves in the Altai-region to prove the any greater presence of
European tribes and European women during the Pazyryk-era. DNA-analyzes
of preserved mummies have however proved that there is a genetic
connection between European mummies and neighboring tribes, which
indicates extensive contacts and assimilation between local tribes and
European tribes arriving in the area. Finally, we can also point to
the fact that the succession of the Tashtyk culture by the Pazyryk
culture took a fairly long time. It is however possible that these
assumptions are not true, and in time will be replaced by new theories,
especially if China would give us a free entry to their burial mounds.
3. Further aspects of practice of tattooing
A
last point in the discussion of the question of the Scythians is to
properly investigate the actual motifs of the tattoos and their
underlying meanings. The motifs of the Scythian tattoos consist of
animal ornaments (unlike the art of the neighbouring tribes), and this
kind of ornaments, where animals and parts of animals, sometimes
“revived” by extra eyes, are used as decorative elements are common to
all aspects of Scythian art. This kind of ornaments gives unique
opportunities to produce intricate patterns of intertwined animals.
Regarding the motifs of the tattoos, one can say that the central and
common motifs of all the hitherto known mummies is a vulture wearing
reindeer horns with small bird’s heads at the points.
THE VULTURE MOTIF
The
vulture motif can be explained by Scythian myths and the Hyperborean
theory. According to this theory, the vultures watched over an
enchanted mountain far away, where the wealth of the wise Hyperborean
people was kept. At the same time, the vultures were seen as guardians
and keepers of secrets and treasures, as well as guardians of the
passage between this world and the other world. If we compare
Indo-European and Indo-Persian myths, we become aware that the notion
of the vulture as guardian and keeper is the key-motif for Pazyryk
tattoos. The vulture motif has obviously also conveyed status – on all
the preserved mummies, despite their anthropological background, as it
is always placed on the most visible parts of the body like hands and
shoulders, particularly on the female mummy. For example: the latest
found mummy, “the red-haired warrior”, had the vulture as a central
motif, “the ice lady” several vulture motifs, and “the old chief” also
had some different versions of the vulture as central motifs of his
tattoos.
In the Indo-European culture, the vulture was
originally associated with the power of the sky, sun worship and
fire-worship. In the Indo-Persian epics vultures as well as
vulture-like creatures are mentioned, for example Senmurv-Simurg in the
guise of a bird, and Rah-Ruh who acted as a protector and intermediary
between the human world and the divine realms. Similar creatures are
also found in southern Slavonic mythology, as the vulture-dog Semargla
and the bird Strarah, and similar creatures can also be found in
Turkish mythology. In Greek mythology, the vulture is associated with
the cult of the sun, and vultures are often depicted as coaches
steering Apollo’s chariot. Greek myths reveal the symbolism of the
vulture more clearly; the wings symbolize the power of the sky, the
claws, like the tiger’s claws, symbolize the power over the earth. The
eagle gradually replaced the vulture as intermediary between the Olympe
and the Earth. Among Scythian tribes that were known to him by the
tales and legends of local inhabitants, the Greek historian Herodotus
mentions a legendary tribe, whose name he translates as “vulture
watching over gold”. This tribe is believed to watch over a mysterious
territory rich in gold. Although this mysterious territory sometimes
has been identified with the Ural-mountains, it can also be identified
with the Altai-region. Furthermore, there are also gold-deposits in the
Altai-mountains. Herodotus also writes about a secret territory where
all Scythian chiefs were buried.
Consequently, we have both legends
and information on an Indo-European world-view, distinct Indo-European
vulture-motifs, the names of certain Scythian tribes, and finally also
records of Scythian chiefs and warriors being buried.
REINDEER'S AND REINDEER-LIKE VULTURE-MOTIFS
An
essential difference between the Scythic vulture and all other
vultures, is that the Scythian vulture of the Pazyryska tattoos is
depicted as a reindeer with a bird’s beak and sometimes also wings.
This allows us to claim that the tattoos of the Pazyryska tribes not
only had a mystical meaning, but also bore a totemic significance – the
word for reindeer is the base for the word “suk”, or more exactly
“sugh”; the name that the nomadic tribes described themselves by, which
also explains the origin of the Russian words “soha” (the horns) and
“sohatyi” (horn-shaped). This theory is proved by Scythian (this word
is of Greek origin, and was originally pronounced as “scythoi”) legends
as well as large amounts of reindeer- and moose-motifs in scythian art.
Horses have also been found in Pazyryk burial mounds equipped with
headgears that could make them into “an imitation” of a mythic reindeer
that was associated with the sun in many Indo-European cultures.
RAM MOTIFS
The
ram is another significant motif of the Scythian tattoos. The ram was
important for the stock farming, and its mythological meaning symbol of
abundance, as a source of life and fertility. In Persian culture, the
ram was for example adopted as a totem (personification of a god) for
Ahemenids and a symbol of “farna” , i.e. for a divine halo and royal
power. Alexander the great conquered Persia and hence won himself a
“horn”, and he was therefore depicted on coins wearing a horn. Mongolic
tribes who had gotten to know Alexander the Great through coins of the
Middle East and legends also called him “Alexander with two horns”.
From the above-mentioned facts, we can draw the conclusion that the ram
motif of the Pazyryk tattoos intimated that the wearer belonged to the
royal family, as well as the ram could be the symbol of a patriarch.
EXTRA TATTOO MOTIFS
The
two latest found mummies feature a great variety of motifs, but the
first mummy had quite a lot of motifs. Aside from vulture and ram,
feline beasts of prey and a fish were depicted on the body of the
chief. We cannot reveal the original meanings of the motifs, but an
interesting coincidence can be pointed out; the feline beasts of prey,
with as well as without wings, also occupy a place in later Scythian
art showing similarities to the art of Hakassian and Hunnu (Ordoss)
peoples. Therefore we can gather more information from that art to
answer the question of the original meaning of the motifs. In that
particular art, lions and tigers without wings guard graves, while
winged tigers guard the entrance to the underworld. We can also find
the fish motif among the Hun tribes, particularly on carpets, and from
this we can draw the conclusion that there is a succession of the
motifs all the way from the Pazyryk era, nevertheless bearing in mind
that the motifs did not originate from the Pazyryk tribes, but came as
a result of Pazyryk tribes interacting with neighboring tribes like
avtohtonian tribes and nomads of Turkish origin. The question of the
identification of the motifs is serious and complicated due to the lack
of written sources, but at the same time there are some data from
Chinese written records speaking of tribes in the early Pazyryk era as
well as the tribes called “di” (red-haired nomads thus differing from
other nomads). We do also have information on later Pazyryk and early
tashtykian eras from Chinese sources, speaking of a tribe called
“uedji” founding the wealth of Kushanian. This tribe seems to have
migrated eastwards from Middle Asia and southern Siberia. It is also
possible that some of the tribes fighting Usun and Suk left traces
behind in the art of the mountain-nomads dwelling in Altai during the
Tashtyk era.
Aspects of tattooing
Thus we do not
have much material, and we cannot for sure claim that all theories are
correct, but at least we can summarize the main aspects of tattooing
among the Pazyryk nomadic tribes:
Totemistic motifs (reindeer's and reindeer-like vultures) were used as symbols of tribal identification.
Tattooing
marked the rank and social affiliation, ex. warriors and chiefs. The
tattoos of the female mummy, the so-called “ice lady” are important,
and does probably either indicate a dynastic marriage or that the
woman received her tattoos because she belonged to a royal family.
There
is a religious and mystical aspect of the practicing of tattooing, i.e.
the tattoos could act as signs of heroism and nobility, as well as
symbols of fertility and abundance.
There is also a medical aspect
of tattooing, where tattooing is used in conjunction with acupuncture,
ex. the tattoos on the back of the male mummy called “the old chief”
Closing words
As
a conclusion, one can say that the vulture of the Pazyryska has
successfully fulfilled its duty to protect the secrets of the Scythians
for more than a thousand years, and still protects graves and old
knowledge from the uninitiated. It is however possible that further
investigations will contribute to unveil the answers to the question of
the nomadic European- Asian tribes, and explain their bravery and bold
warrior-cults, and make us understand all this in the old, genuine
senses. That is all that can be said at the moment.
 
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