Body Modification - Ritual, Religious, Tribal
Many tribes & religions have certain outlooks on body modifications. Some are traditional and tied to specific tribes or peoples, and in some cases are taboo practices. Some can be acceptable in one society or taboo in another. Some are tolerated, and at times & under certain conditions illegal.
History
Since early times many societies have practiced some type of body modification, and many are viewed as either a rite of passage or carried out under certain conditions. These also vary by race too, and region. Many Elves, Gnomes, Halflings, and Dragonborn do not practise any form of these, unless as a form of extreme punishment. Humans, Dwarves, and some Tieflings, as well as a few Orcs & Half-Orcs & Half-Elves do.
The type of body modification depends on the region, and usually tied specifically to the region they are found in. Scarification, tattooing, ear piercing, lip & earlobe expanding, cranial shaping, and neck rings are very common in many cultures going back to early times. A few practise branding as well as other bodily mutilation to mark a person who is outlawed or guilty of a crime. Some have been used for religious purposes since the beginning of a tribal group, usually with religious significance. This latter one usually has taboos on other forms of body modification.
Execution
The most common found to this day is some form of scarification and tattooing. The rest not so much. Scarification is done usually at certain points to denote adulthood, or specific life events. It can either involve specific individuals skilled in the art to administer them, or the whole community takes place. It is done using a specific cutting tool, and sometimes the remains of a specific fire. Tattooing involves someone skilled in applying the material into the skin. Some societies apply it to criminals, while some will use it to denote specific ranks or families. Scarification involves cutting the design in to the skin, and ash sometimes rubbed in to cause the design to rise & colour it. Tattoos have to prick the skin deep enough to trap the pigment in the lower levels of skin.
Circumcision is an important body modification to Jews and Muslims who practise it on babies. A rabbi or imam is at least present to read specific scriptures if not do the circumcision itself. This is done to show the person is a member of their specific ethno-religious group. A few other tribes will do this too, and a few sects or tribes carry out female circumcision as well, but generally frowned upon by the majority. The foreskin of the male child is cut off during the execution of this.
Piercings are common in some societies, with the ears being the most common. Done by someone trained in it, the technique can be carried out a good part of the body, though the ears are the usual body part done. Some times the nose and/or lips are done as well. Multiple parts of the earlobes can be done too. It usually involves heated needles and a small metal bar placed in to help keep it open when healing. This is more a way to beautify the body than anything. The area being pierced has the needle forced through, usually bringing the base of the jewellery through too.
Some tribes outside Europe will cut the lower lips or earlobes in a way to place circular discs, and done to beautify the tribal members. The person skilled in this technique to cut the body part with a knife and insert a small disc, which gets larger over time. Also, some tribes wear solid bands around the necks, usually for the women, to extend the neck over time. This is due to those tribes as making the woman more beautiful with the longer the neck the better. More bands are added over time by those skilled in working them. A knife is used to cut the initial incisions, and separate the lip from the rest of the mouth. A disc is inserted as early as possible. The bands are usually treated to allow for them to be placed round and then sealed afterwards.
Cranial shaping is carried out by some tribes, though not as common now. It is an ancient practise with different tribal groups using different techniques. Some tie the baby & toddlers heads into boards to help shape the cranium when it fully forms when the child grows. Others use bandages instead to get the same effect. Seen as marking a person out, it can be used so that the person belongs to a certain group or rank, to intimidate other tribal groups, or to attract the opposite sex. Wooden boards and cloths are used, and changed regularly to stop rot setting in.
Some tribes, and certainly common in Scandinavia is the filing of teeth, especial the front teeth. These have horizontal marks left behind, and sometimes coloured to that they are of a certain standing & wealth. It also acts as intimidation tactics against foes. A specific small file is regularly used for this.
In a few cases some of these body modifications are used to toughen up the young and thought to make them better at standing up for themselves later in life.
Components and tools
Scarification uses a sharp blade no bigger than a knife, and sometimes ash from a fire (usually a specially prepared fire). Tattoos regularly involve a pin or needle -like device, sometimes mounted on paddle that is tapped with a small hammer. It always takes some kind of colourant kept wet. Sometimes this is continually rubbed into the design. Circumcision needs a small pair of scissors or small sharp blade to carry out. Piercings usually need a needle attached to twine with the jewellery base attached at the other end. A small pincer or similar is used for the neck rings to seal them. A knife and different sizes of discs are used to make the earlobes and lip to cut them, and expand the size of them. Boards and bandages (cloth) is used to do the cranial shaping. As for teeth filing, some type of file or abrasive is used, usually with some type of colourant to enhance the feature afterwards.
Participants
In many cases the individual along with the family, and sometimes the community, attend a specific ceremony. This varies according to the tribal group. Many African tribes that practise scarification, circumcisions, and initial earlobe/lip cutting / expanding, are community events to welcome children of varying ages either into the tribe or into adulthood. Sometimes these are individual tastes, to make a permanent mark on the body of past achievements, bring the eyes of the gods or god, or as a form of identification. Sometimes used to 'beautify' the individual, they can be done at any time. Usually an elder, a priestly class or equivalent will be present, even leading the specific ceremony.
Observance
In many cases these are observed either shortly after birth, like in the case of circumcision, or later into adulthood. The latter happens at set points, such as when a male reaches a certain age or when a girl start menstruation. Sometimes specific scars or tattoos, or even specific jewellery pieces are used to denote a criminal or someone atoning for a past crime. Many organisations use them for marking out the person too, such as sailors & military organisations, hunters, or specific trades. In those cases, those who sport such modifications had better actually be affiliated with or an actual person of that group, or the consequences can be horrendous. A beating will happen if they are luck, or outright death on the spot. Sometimes this can result in the person being maimed quite severely such as burning off or flaying something like a tattoo.
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