Tattoed Women from Chin State

In the remote hills of Rakhine State in Myanmar, tribeswomen from neighbouring Chin State can be found living in small villages. Most of the older women in these villages have their faces tattooed with wonderful designs. There are different theories as to why the women have these remarkable tattoos. One legend has it that when a Burmese king travelled to the region, he was so taken by the women’s beauty that he kidnapped one to take as his wife. Because of this, Chin families began to tattoo their daughters to ensure they would not be taken away. Another story tells that during times of war the women were tattooed to destroy their good looks, in the hope of deterring soldiers from raping and abusing them. Another explanation might be for religious reasons. Many Chin converted to Christianity and some remember being taught by their local pastors that only those who had tattoos would be deemed fit to go to heaven …