What is tribal?

What Does tribal Mean

Tribal or tribal is an adjective that indicates that or that belonging to or related to a tribe . A tribe, on the other hand, is a grouping of an ancient people or a social group of the same origin, whether real or supposed .

The ancient tribes arose from the association of different families that lived together in the same village or geographical territory. These groups were led by the chiefs or patriarchs, who used to be the elders. The members of the tribe shared the same customs and beliefs.
At present, the notion of tribe is associated with what is known as an urban tribe . These are subcultures that, due to their behaviors, appearances and / or beliefs, differ from the dominant culture of which they are part.

The urban tribe develops in cities and is usually made up of teenagers or young people who seek a sense of belonging. Common clothing, hairstyle, and even language make members of an urban tribe feel like peers and forge a shared identity. Often times, this means that the different urban tribes confront each other, since they perceive each other as rivals.
The notion of tribal is used to refer to a certain tattoo design . Tribals are not figures, but symbols that are tattooed either for their meaning or for their aesthetic appeal. These tattoos usually respect a defined geometric pattern and, due to their appearance, are reminiscent of the symbols that the ancient tribes painted for religious or ceremonial reasons.
A statistical study of searches for strings containing the word "tattoo" in the major engines has revealed that about 30% of them included the term "tribal", which says a lot about popularity. of this type of tattoos. It should be mentioned that not all tribal designs come from indigenous creations : there are also drawings whose inspiration is based on modern life.
Furthermore, the instruments traditionally used to make tattoos on the skin, such as needles made of bone material, bamboo sticks and dyes of vegetable origin , have been far behind. Instead of such ancient tools, modernity has adopted a series of machines that have eliminated the mysticism of this peculiar and ancient art form.
Some believe that the first tattoo was made accidentally, probably as a result of a burn that, to the surprise of the victim , left a mark under his skin that he could not erase. More precisely, it is said that the first symbols represented through tattoos were fire and the sun, as a way of honoring the gods.

There are three elements typical of the tribal tattoo that distinguished it from an expression of common art and stained it with mysticism and spirituality: they produced pain, they were permanent and they carried bloodshed. This explains that the realization of a tattoo strengthened the bond between a person and their beliefs , given the intensity of the practice. In addition, they were also used as a means to provoke hallucinatory states, associated with shamanism.
For those who claim that the body and the soul share the same shape, that they are strongly connected to each other, tattoos have a presence in two different planes: on the one hand, they are part of the world that we see and touch, and they are shown as designs under the skin; on the other, they exist in the spirit world .
Various tribes considered tattoos as a guide or a key to the spiritual world after death , as well as a mark that assured them a better destiny in the afterlife. It is known that many of the primitive tribes practiced some variation of body art, which may reinforce the idea that they lived in full contact with their inner side.

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