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Brief Introductory Thread on Oucham/Washim,
North African Tattoos
North African Tattoos
Oucham is a type of traditional tattooing that was common practice in both the Middle East and North Africa, amongst all sorts of tribes and peoples. 1/
In North Africa, both Arab Bedouins and Indigenous North Africans bore these facial markings, though how and why they were applied differed between cultures and tribes. 2/
Note: Iâve also read that, during the Ottoman Era, they were more common in remote mountain villages and settlements in the desert than in the big cities along the coast. But I canât confirm that. Iâd love to learn more about that.
They werenât applied in paisley designs like henna. Rather, they took the form of sharp, geometric lines, dots, diamonds, and on the rare occasion, even circles. 3/
They were placed on the chin, the place between the brows, on both cheeks, and down the neck. Some women even had them on the rest of their bodies, including the sternum and along their arms. (See below: an elaborate, more modern take on these tattoos). 4/
They were often, but not always, applied with carbon black (lampblack) and broad-beam pigment, and using an iron needle. Yes, it was quite painful. I can remember wincing the first time my grandmother told me about them. 5/
Most young girls got them done during puberty or directly after. These were meant to carry her into womanhood. Native North African communities were traditionally matriarchal, and every women had a significant role in the health and safety of her people. 6/
Every tattoos once had meaning. Each was supposed to either indicate a womanâs heritageâher family, her tribe, and her social statusâas well as bestow blessings or offer protections. 7/
Certain tattoos were said to be protection against the Evil Eye 
a common enough nuisance along the Mediterranean and beyond. 8/
a common enough nuisance along the Mediterranean and beyond. 8/
Centuries ago and amongst many different kind of people, from the Iceman Mummy to Ancient Imazighen, these types of tattoos were very heavily used to heal peopleâs ailments as a sort of therapy. 9/
Again, the meaning for every tattoo was different amongst tribes. They were rarely coordinated or agreed upon. However, a dozen or so motifs were derived from Tifinagh, the native North African alphabet. Symbols like the Yaz (┣) were very common amongst Imazighen. 10/
The Yaz symbol, together with the name âAmazighâ loosely translates to âFree Menâ or âFree Peopleâ 11/
Sadly, due to reasons linked to religious beliefs, modernisation, and colonialism, itâs become a taboo. But most of our elders still bear it, like a relic of a time long past. The new generation has developed more culture-friendly ways to keep the tradition alive. 12/
These days, our grandmothers canât remember the meanings of their tattoos. Many got them very young, so itâs unsurprising. Some are ashamed of them. We also hear of them being used to repel colonial soldiers and protect them from sexual harassment. 13/
Itâs clear that no matter the significance of these tattoos in the 20th century, the art was already fading out quickly. And by the 50s, most, if not all, young women refrained from getting them done. My younger grandmother, born around the mid-20th c, never got them done. 14/14
Okay, look at this adorable model.
