Amber Wong's and Signe Opheim's Term Paper on Mehndi (Henna) Tattoos

    Many of you have probably seen a henna (mehndi) tattoo, but you may not know that these tattoos have been around for thousands of years, they are not just the latest fad.
    Henna tattoos have been found on mummified pharaohs from Egypt.  Back then it was considered a luxury to have a henna tattoos because this mean you weren't working all the time and you had the free time to get a tattoo.
found in a fourteenth century Egyptian tomb
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From Egypt the henna tattoo became popular all over East Asia and India around the sixteenth century.  The tattoos were and still are used to decorate the hands and feet for celebrations and ritual ceremonies.  Nowadays people are wearing henna tattoos all the time, from California to Morocco.  Movie stars like Madonna have popularized the art of mehndi turning it into a fad rather than a ceremonial decoration.
    Henna tattoos are found throughout the world.  The people of India see the art of mehndi as much more than an intricate design on the hands and feet.  It reflects a person's spiritual, emotional and sexual self.  In India the people believe that the body is something so important.  Your body is like your house.  What you do to it is a reflection of the kind of person you are.  It is sacred and decorating it is a way of celebrating it's beauty and all the work that your hands and feet do for you.  The people of India do not believe that mehndi tattooing is a way to draw negative attention to yourself or make you look vain or conceited like we might in Western society.  They see it as having pride in your body and showing your spirituality through your own creativity.
    Another ceremonial use for henna (mehndi) tattoos is the tattooing of the bride's hands before the wedding.  The groom's parents provide the henna for the bride and a special tattoo artist is hired to
tattoo the bride.  Sometimes the groom's name is written in a hidden place on the bride and if he does not find it it is said to mean that the bride will have the control in the relationship.  This ceremony is a way for the bride and groom's families to get to know one another before the wedding ceremony.  The color that appears after the tattoo is done is said to have meaning as well.  A darker reddish color means the the bride and groom's love will be deep and last a long time.
    Henna tattoos are usually worn by women, however some men do wear them.  Designs of the tattoos as well as henna powder recipes have been passed down through oral tradition for thousands of years from mother to daughter.  Specific patterns and shapes are used depending on what type of ritual or drawing is taking place and is necessary.
    Traditional tattoos vary depending on the country.  Henna has become very popular in the countries from Sudan to India.  There are four main traditional styles that are from the Middle East, India and Pakistan, North Africa and Indonesia.  In the Middle East most of the tattoos are floral prints on the hands and feet and are reserved for special occasions like a wedding.
These designs were found in pictures from Persian plates. The designs were used around the 900-1600's
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Other patterns are worn everyday by women but in countries like Pakistan and India they are only for special occasions.  In India and Pakistan the tattoos are usually intricate paisley designs and they can extend up to the elbow and the calf.
This henna tattoo was made recently but is similar to those that were
                                                                                    for ceremonies such as weddings.  In this the artist may hide the
                                                                                    groom's name and he must find it in order to maintain control in
                                                                                    the relationship between him and his bride-to-be.
In Indonesia they created a mixture of the Middle Easter and Indian design.  The tattoos are floral and paisley but they are less intricate in India.  Also in India they used peacocks because the peacock is a symbol of fertility and for the longing of one's lost love. (www.tapdancinglizard.com/mehandi/history)

adapted from eighteenth century art in India a recent work by a henna tattoo artist
 want to see more?                  Do you see the peacock?
more hands available

In North Africa the tattoos are also on the hands and feet but they have more of a geometrical floral design compared to Middle Eastern floral patterns.

floral designs of North Africa
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    The Indian name mehndi designates the process, dye, and the stain of the mehndi. (geocities.com, mehndi tutorial page).  Henna (mehndi) powder is made from the crushed leaves of the henna plant.  Many people in the countries we've mentioned grow their own henna so they can use it whenever they need or what to.  The plant is very easy to grow in these countries.  It grows well in a hot, dry climate.  The leaves are first dried and ground.  The result of the crushing is a fine powder that is filtered two or three times through a fine nylon cloth.  This fine powder is then mixed with some type of oil such as eucalyptus or mehndi oil and a second liquid, either water or tea, is added.  The paste that is made from all this, our mehndi ink, is painted onto the hands and feet or desired area.  After the drawing and painting is done a mixture of sugar and lemon juice is applied to help the tattoo adhere to the skin and help it to dry faster.  It takes anywhere from two to twelve hours for the paste to dry.  The paste is then scraped off when it dries.  The color of your mehndi tattoo may vary from a light orange-brown to a dark almost black shade.  The difference in color on every person is different.  Mehndi adhere to places on the body that have alot of heat.  This is why most mehndis are done on the palms and the soles of feet.  The more heat the better the tattoo will stay on.  Also a person with oilier skin will not take to the dye as well as someone with less oily, less smooth skin.  Ethnicity really has nothing to do with the length of time the tattoo will stay on the body but it has been known that darker-skinned people end up with dark-colored mehndi designs.
    Henna or Mehndi tattooing has been around as early as the 600's.  It is not just a body decoration it is a form of self-expression.  People getting mehndi tattoos today may not realize the meaning behind such a powerful plant and art.  I hope we gave you a little insight into the world of mehndi tattoos and henna and helped you see the power and different aspects of the art of mehndi.  Maybe after reading this you will go out and get a great looking henna tattoo.

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