"TRIBAL" Mark

Sacrifications are scars left by an accident, penance or purnishments even surgery. Marks whose intent is not the mark it self but it been a resulting consequence of an action intended for other purpose are scarifications. Marks left on the skin by boiling water or hot rod; whips and slashes of knives are scarifications. Traditional African incisions are made to achieve various valid purposes which may include historical, cultural, medical, religious and aesthetic reasons. Tribal incisions have been widely used by many West African ethnic groups to mark milestones in both men and women's lives, such as puberty, marriage, status. Besides being a means for beautification and identity, traditional incision marks have very strong medicinal and spiritual ties

There is evidence of the healing or curative role that this incisions play in our diverse ethnic groups. Various Marks come with thier own names and purpose, we have the Kalunga markings of the Fulani people, we have the various Abaja markings of the Oyo tribe, etc. In Yoruba it is known as "Gbere" and the process of making one of such incisions is "gbere sin sin" They vary in depth, length and strikes. 

The WHO. defines traditional medicine or health care as the total combination of knowledge and practice, whether explicable or not, used in diagnosing, preventing or eliminating physical, mental and social diseases. This practice exclusively relies on past experience and observation handed down from generation to generation verbally or in written form.

Withregards, Our shared knowledge of medicine played a vital role in our health care before colonization and foreign religions invaded our way of life and castigsted against everything foreign to them. With our vast knowledge of herbs we were able to heal the sick, cure numerous diseases including malaria, diabetes, sterility and barrenness; mental and spiritual ailments were also cured using herbs. Across Africa, every language and ethnic kingdoms have a diety to whom they pay reverence to in terms of medicine and health care. Among the Yorubas, the secrets of traditional medicine lies in the bossom of Osanyin who is the patron deity of herbs and health care, his priest are said to have vast knowledge of plants and their health benefits. It is this great men and women that know how to administer a large number of medicines into the bloodstream via incisions on the body. The incision maybe made on the face, neck, arm and abdomen down to the legs and private parts dependant on the purpose of the incisions.  In some cases, short vertical incisions are made under the eyes and other body region of some children with special spiritual connections to prevent the child from sicknesses clike pneumonia and measles. Also to stop them from reacting to elements that triggers epilepsy or convulsion; uncontrolled anger and other ADHD related illnesses. It is also used to protect the child against the sicklecell causing Abiku  by making incisions on their face and body, in Ghana, one of such marks is called Donko Markings done on a Kosanma. According to Wiki, among the ethnic groups in sub-Saharan Africa that traditionally practice scarification are the Gonja, Dagomba, Frafra, Mamprusi, Nanumba, Bali, Tɔfin, Bobo, Montol, Kofyar, Yoruba, and Tiv people of West Africa, and the Dinka, Nuer, Surma, Shilluk, Toposa, Moru, Bondei, Shambaa, Barabaig, and Maasai people of East Africa

Please share your personal experience with African medical insicions and knowledge of it. if you have one to share.

Photo credit 4toscenethesis

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