In the Surma tribe living in Ethiopia, scars on a woman's skin are considered a sign of beauty. That is why 12-year-old girls of the tribe are decorated with cuts from head to toe at a special ceremony. A girl's ability to endure pain for the sake of future beauty is considered a sign of emotional maturity and readiness for motherhood.
“Blood flows, flies land on wounds, the sun bakes,” - this is how photographer Eric Lafforgue described the ceremony of ritual scarification of a 12-year-old girl in the Ethiopian Surma tribe. Here, the girls' skin is slashed with knives and razor blades to create visible scars. It is considered very beautiful among the tribal cultures of Ethiopia. According to Laforgue, the girl demonstrated unprecedented stamina and courage while her mother cut her skin for 10 minutes. “She did not utter a sound and did not show in any way that she was in pain,” Laforgue said. “But when later I asked her if she was in pain, she admitted that she almost died of pain!”
As much as young girls are encouraged not to mutilate themselves, Laforgue says, the men of the tribe still regard smooth skin as "ugliness." In addition, a girl's willingness to endure pain is considered an indicator of her emotional maturity and readiness for motherhood. So the girls themselves strive to get scars and go through the appropriate ceremony. “Scars in these tribes are a symbol of beauty, including those of the surm. The girls endure the procedure silently, because if they show they are in pain, it will bring shame on the family."
Because scars are a sign of beauty, tribesmen often pick up their wounds over and over again to make the scars more visible. For the same purpose, they rub coal dust and plant sap into the wounds. Sometimes an infection gets into the wound, and then the scar becomes even larger, which only pleases its owner.
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For members of the Surma tribe, skin scars are an art form, a way to express themselves. In short, they play the same role for them that cosmetics play for their white-skinned peers.
Scars are not only an art form, but also a method of social communication. Thus, additional scars may be applied to the body of each member of the tribe, symbolizing certain events or achievements. Each tribe has its own traditions of drawing a pattern. Thus, in the Bodi tribe, women use pieces of metal to apply circular patterns around the shoulders.
Women of the Carraiu tribe scratch their faces in such a way that the remaining scars make them look like cats.
In the Ethiopian Karo tribe, both men and women inflict scars on themselves. Men mark the number of killed enemies with scars, and women simply strive to become beautiful and sexy in this way.
In the Menite tribe, women slash their skin with sharp stones to leave deeper scars. In the Dassanesh tribe, women only cut the shoulders. In the Mursi tribe, male scars are a sign of strength. In short, this tradition is widespread in different countries of the region.
In African tribes living in Ethiopia, scars are considered an adornment for both men and women. They make men formidable, women beautiful and sexy.
In the Topos tribe of Sudan, women apply a geometric pattern of scars to their belly when they get married. The men of the topos inflict scars on their chests - they symbolize slain enemies. Nuer Sudanese men apply parallel lines of scars to their breasts, while Tanzanian Datoga women scar around their eyes for beauty.
Recently, however, more and more Africans have learned that the tradition of scarring the body is dangerous to their health. In many tribes, the procedure is carried out using common knives and blades, which, of course, are not sterile. This has already led to a number of hepatitis outbreaks. There are also cases of HIV transmission through scarring devices.
So far, the danger of the procedure for health does not frighten the tribes living according to the precepts and traditions of their ancestors. Some especially advanced young people try to abandon this practice, but this incurs general condemnation.
Recently, the African art of scars on the body has been gaining popularity in the West. Many tattoo parlors, along with traditional ones, offer such services.
African beauties still believe that beauty requires sacrifice.
A girl who has endured the scarring procedure without a sound can be considered a bride - she has proven her resilience and ability to cope with the role of a mother.