Exploring the Age-old Talismanic Tradition of Thailand’s Sak Yant
Considered sacred even today, the tattoo practice has deep-rooted spiritual and cultural significance.
In Thailand, tattooing is most likely one to two thousand years old, but the first evidence dates back to the time of King Naresuan Maharaj (1590–1605). “During the golden age of the Ayutthaya Kingdom (1351–1767 CE), warriors took to the battlefield clad in suea yant, or shirts covered in yant designs meant to protect them. Officials and civil servants from the period also wore sak yant to signal their status,” according to The Diplomat.
The art form, called ‘sak yant’, is considered sacred (even today) and has deep spiritual and cultural significance. Thai people are known for being extremely superstitious. “Yantra” is a sacred text that’s believed to protect people from evil, bad luck, illness and danger. It’s used on clothing and other materials to bless people, homes and businesses, and when it’s presented in the form of a tattoo, it’s called sak yant.
“Sak means to tap, whilst yant is derived from the Sanskrit word yantra, meaning scared geometrical design,” — visual artist, film maker and photographer Cedric Arnold.
“For centuries, Thai people have believed in the power of talismanic tattoos. The tradition was handed down by generations of tattoo masters who create the designs and empower them with prayers. Each year devotees pay respects to their tattoo masters at the Wai Khru (master day) ceremony. The devotees enter a state of trance known as Khong Khuen (animal spirit possession), when they are taken over by the spirit of their tattoos,” according to Cedric Arnold.
“It is an age-old tradition, with historical records as old as 200 BC, from the Chinese Qin Dynasty depicting tattooed men in the region. The spiritual yantra or sak yant tattoo tradition is practiced across southeast Asian countries, including Cambodia, Laos, and Thailand. The complex spiritual landscape in the region incorporates elements of Buddhist, Brahman, Hindu and Animist traditions,” he adds.
There are many amazing stories of sak yant since ancient times, particularly during the Ayutthaya period, when Thailand was fighting the Burmese. Their tattoos apparently forewarned them of danger (giving them the power of enhanced sixth sense) and protected them from death.
Journey through tattoo history at NAAMA’s Medium — our space to explore the ever-changing human relationship to tattoos, chronicle their complex history, and celebrate the empowering future of body art evolution.
