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| The practice of piercing the flesh, then pulling on or hanging by pierced body parts is not a new custom. It has been a part of Hindu Culture in Southern India (Tamil Nadu) for thousands of years, nearly as long among the Sufi of the Middle East, and for hundreds of years as a part of religious ceremonies of Native Americans. It is, until recently, and alien and forbidden custom in the Western Cultures dominated by Judeo-Christian values. What useful purpose could this have? Why would anybody deliberately choose to "mutilate" their flesh and "suffer" thus? A huge conflict exists between Western Culture and those where such piercing rites are honored.
Core of this conflict centers around different cultural beliefs about THE BODY. Who does your body belong to? A far distant God who has strict rules about what you can do with it? Or to a Priest or other intermediary spokesperson of that real or imaginary divinity? Does it belong to your father or mother, or a husband or wife to whom you’ve been given? Do they have the right to decide what you can or cannot do with it? Does it belong to the State or Tribe of which you are a part, or an institution of that State or Tribe? Or does it simply BELONG TO YOU, the one who lives inside it? In those cultures where piercing ceremonies have developed, the attitude is universal: your body belongs to you, and in the appropriate ritual, it has been given to you to explore the full dimensions of your being. In Western Culture of the late 20th century, some of these alien beliefs have replaced old Judeo-Christian ones. Since the 1970’s, the widespread practice, acceptance and popularity of body modification definitely says, "MY BODY BELONGS TO ME"! However, like many customs and practices that originated in other cultures and were transplanted here, only part of the message seems to have been heard. For example, the art of tattooing was brought to Europe from the South Pacific by early sailors and explorers. In Samoa and the Marquesas, the custom of tattooing was a very sacred and special rite: MAKING A MAGIC MARK. It was an initiation, a rite of passage and meant to transform forever the one who bore it. These sailors brought back the tribal techniques to make the "MARK" - but did not bring back the "MAGIC"! And soon European tattooing became a mere novelty, a status symbol of sailors and outcasts, that replaced the symbolic, geometric designs of the originators with the only kind of graphic Europeans understood: crude representational pictures or words on the skin. The ritual, the magic and the purpose of the originators had been lost. In the 1990’s, I feel this same has happened to body piercing, especially the practice of pulling and hanging by piercings adopted from other cultures. The physical act and mechanics of the custom often overpower the intention and magic behind it. I feel very strongly that if one borrows a custom from another culture, it is MANDATORY to respect and understand, as best possible, the significance and mystery of the practice - otherwise it can easily fall into darkness or misuse and undesirable consequences or spiritual degradation can result. However, I still believe everyone has a right to do what they will with their body, even if it is for sheer exhibitionism, and they do not realize the full potential or magical significance of what they are doing.
A Spectacular Ceremony of Prayer and Sacrifice - story of the O-Kee-Pa suspension |
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