Illyrian Tattoos
The question I get asked the most often is if I design tattoos. The short answer is yes! I've done my share in the past and am now revisiting tattoo design, this time with a focus on Illyrian motifs.
Illyrians, an ancient Balkan tribe (6th century BC) that Albanians attribute their ancestry to, had many cultural practices that reflected their spiritual beliefs. One of those was ritual tattooing, which is still very much alive and in practice to this day!
As a culture changes and evolves to reflect its surroundings and events, the behaviors and practices of that culture change as well. We’ve managed to retain some of these cultural markers (names, clothing, tattooing, etc) through the centuries but they have altered a bit over time. During the Ottoman invasion and the subsequent spread of Islam throughout the Balkans from the 14th to the 20th century, many people fought to retain their individual beliefs. Some fought outright and violently, while others protected themselves in their own way. This is where tattooing developed in a very specific manner. Traditionally used as a form of protection and identification, Christians now tattooed themselves in the hopes that it would deter Ottomans from kidnapping them and forcing them into marriage.
The idea being that a Muslim invader would not want a tattooed Christian woman for a wife. Talismanic symbols and motifs quickly came to prominence and spread. One of the most notable Albanographers Edith Durham painstakingly detailed these symbols and their meanings in her book, “High Albania,” which she wrote in 1909 after her travels through the Balkans. These protective symbols were carved above doors, into graves as well as inked onto skin. There are still elderly women in the Albanian highlands with tattooed hands and chests, the blue ink a faded remnant of a time long forgotten.
While these may seem like an antiquated practice that has no place in modern society, with the freedom of religion, especially in such a secular society like Albania where people of all faiths seamlessly live together, these tattoos have once again resurfaced. Now, Albanian men and women are inking themselves with these Illyrian symbols as a means to reconnect with their ancestors, rather than to avoid capture by enemy forces. This resurgence of ancient Albanian cultural practices was the inspiration behind my “Illyrian Tattoo Series.”
Incorporating traditional symbols with modern illustrations and color, I combine the two to form a new variation, thus breathing new life into an old practice. Celestial bodies, landscapes and animistic beliefs were all prominent features of the ancient tattoo designs and I’ve retained that aspect of them. The Balkans have fascinating geography: snowcapped mountains, sunny beaches, caves, rivers, valleys, etc
It is easy to see how our ancestors were in awe of their surroundings and created an entire pantheon of goddesses, fairy tales and symbols to represent all the natural beauty around them. Fun Fact: the red poppy (lulekuqe) is Albania's national flower! For this particular piece, I incorporated poppies with the pagan symbols for the sun, moon phases, vegetation, etc.
For this particular piece, I focused on the breathtaking beauty of Montenegro’s blue mountains, an endless expanse of sky, lush greenery, etc. The national flower of Montenegro is the mimosa, so to represent this incredible landscape, I incorporated mimosa flowers with the pagan symbols for mountains, forests, as well as celestial bodies.
Animals also play an important role in Albanian folklore and customs. Deer for example are popular creatures in Albanian mythology, and many stories and superstitions exist about them. They were associated with the sun and were believed to have been human once upon a time, therefore it was considered a sin to kill a deer that looked you in the eyes.
If you were out hunting, and happened to make eye contact with a deer, you were not to kill it, lest you curse yourself in doing so. According to folk legend, when deer are killed, they shed tears like humans.
Note: There are different names attributed to different types of deer in the Albanian language, which generally vary from region to region. Some are loan words, like “sorkadhja” which comes from the Greek “zarkadi” and “kaproll” which comes from the Italian “capriolo.”
Bees were also thought to have significance in Albanian culture. Considered exceptionally hard workers with magical properties, they were animals worthy of worship. According to Albanian mythology, bees were considered very special and their lasting effect on our culture can be seen even to this day; in our clothing, e.g. the xhuBLETA, as well as in our language.
The xhubleta is one of the oldest articles of clothing in Europe and still worn today by Albanians in Montenegro and Northern Albania, and currently being submitted for inclusion as a UNESCO cultural item! It is believed that this particular article of ancient clothing is a throwback to a foregone Mediterranean pagan cult that worshipped the honeybee. The xhubleta’s distinctive long, bell-shaped skirt with horizontal black stripes is reminiscent of a bee, or “bleta” in its design, hence the name, xhu-bleta. This is not the only linguistic example of bees, however.
In the Albanian language, the verb “to die” varies when used in ref to animals (“ngordhi”) and people (“vdiq”), except when it comes to bees. The bee is the only animal that we use “vdiq” for, as ancient Albanians considered bees to have human qualities. It’s worth noting that some people use “vdiq” for other animals, such as horses, but this is linguistically incorrect. As majestic as horses are, “vdiq” is only used for people and bees.
I also wanted to incorporate some notable Albanian icons into this series. The first being the famous “hyjnesha ne fron” or Goddess on The Throne tattoo.
This design is based on the terracotta figurine found in Prishtina, Kosova. It dates back to the Neolithic period, 5700-4500 BC. Since its discovery in 1956, the Hyjnesha has become one of the most recognizable modern Albanian symbols.
But she’s not the only Albanian goddess to be dug up some ancient ruins! “Dea e Butrintit” or the The Goddess of Butrinit was discovered in 1928 in Butrint, Southern Albania. This statue was one of many artifacts located in the area. Subsequently, Butrint was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1992 and later a National Park in 2000.
This particular statue dates back to the 4th century BC! The historical site Butrint contains sculptures, villas, a pagan altar, an early Christian church, and even a theatre. It is a priceless part of history that is fortunately open to the public all year round.