During his stay in Hainan, the great writer Su Dongpo of the Northern Song Dynasty had close contacts with the Li people, so there is a poem of "Long An, Dang Er Huo, Day and Diao Ti". The "carving inscription" here refers to the tattoo custom of the Li nationality.
The Li nationality tattoo custom has existed since ancient times, and it is as old as it is. The long-length creation epic "Tun De Chi", which describes the origin of the Li nationality, mentioned that the ancestors of the Li nationality were a pair of brothers and sisters born in the mortal world through the combination of a tengu and a female star. The Emperor of Heaven wanted the brothers and sisters to return to the mortal world and be married. He embroidered the face tattoo for his sister so that his brother would not recognize it. This statement tells us that Li tattoos are almost racially innate. The earliest book that records the tattoo custom of the Li people can be traced back to the ancient book "Shan Hai Jing" in the pre-Qin Dynasty. The essay said: "The country of Bolu, the country of Lier, the country of Diaoti, and the Kingdom of Beiqu are all in Yushuinan. Yushui flows out of the South China Sea of Xiangling." In the article, "the country of carvings" refers to the tribe with tattoo custom. According to textual research, it is located in Hainan Island. The book records the tattoo custom of the ancestors of the Li nationality.
The Li people believe that tattoos can protect the body from evil spirits, and at the same time have aesthetic and identity connotations, especially for women. There are also tattoos for men, but they are rare. For the Li tribes who admire tattoos, women who do not have tattoos will be regarded as irrespective of gender, appearance, lack of education, and violating clan. In this way, they have no status in society, and it is difficult to marry them. Even if they are married, they cannot be housewives and are discriminated against. When a woman without a tattoo dies, she must use ink at the funeral to draw the deceased's face in accordance with the traditional tattoo pattern, which is equivalent to re-tattooing the deceased. After this treatment, they are buried in the tomb of the family. Only women with tattoos can be recognized and accepted by their deceased ancestors after death.
Li tattoos reflect the legacy of totem worship. Each dong has its own pattern, which is passed down from generation to generation, and the inheritance remains unchanged. In this way, the tattoo pattern naturally becomes the symbol of the family. Ancient books have different views on Li tattoos. The Song Dynasty geography masterpiece "Ling Wai Dai Da" believes that Li women’s tattoos have the meaning of "coming-of-age ceremony": "Hainan Li women are decorated with embroidered faces. Gai Li women are beautiful, and they were stolen by outsiders in the past. , Nirvana has been used for vulgarity, and it has been admired so far. the wine will be old-fashioned. The female companion is in the shape of extremely fine flowers and moths, gorgeous There are pale millet patterns all over the place, with white and white embroidered texts, green patterns, and excellent workmanship. However, the maidservant does not embroider." Qing Dynasty notes "Li Qi Ji Wen" believes that tattoos have signs of marriage: "(Li ) When a female general is married, the face is pierced with indigo on the face. The flowers are straight or curved, each according to the custom. The Gefu family will give it in a pattern, and still pierce the face as a mark to show that there is a match and not two." "Taiping Huanyu Ji", the general geographer of the Song Dynasty, believes that tattoos are also a sign of wealth and identity: "(Li people) still have tattoos. There are many rich and rich writings, but few poor and low writings. But depending on the amount of writing, it is not expensive or low."
Girls from the Li family have to receive tattoos when they are twelve to sixteen years old. The mother or the tattoo artist first preached the girl who received the text so that she could understand the meaning of the tattoo and actively cooperate with the tattoo artist. Sometimes girls do not want to be literate, and their family members will also take coercive measures to make them submit.
