“Niskat, an age-old practice in Ethiopia, should be thought of as a kind of body art like tattooing.
Young girls, particularly in the northern regions of Ethiopia such as Tigray, Gondar, and Gojjam, get Niksat drawn on their faces, necks, gums, and hands.”
–Getahun Asnake
When I encountered this woman in Amhara, I couldn’t resist complimenting her ink. You know how I am with tattoos in other cultural contexts. I love how so many different people around the world practice tattooing and have such diverse rituals and meanings around them.
For the most part, tattoos are religious in nature. Crosses are prominently featured. Necks are often decorated with intricate chain-like patterns.
It tends to be a more feminine tradition, as the most traditional tattoo artists were often older female. In the late 2000s, there was even a legendary tattoo artist in her mid-80s, who was something like the Apo Whang-Od of Ethiopia. In some regions, its mostly women who get tattooed, while in others both men and women are decorated.