Origin of the tangle pattern name

The oldest living Filipino tattoo master lives in the northern Luzon province of Kalinga.  Her name is Whang-Od.  You can read about her on my Thorns tangle pattern step-outs page.  The province name means “enemy”, “fighter” or “headtaker”.

A 1908 photo of a Bontoc warrior bearing a head hunter’s chaklag tattoo

1896 illustration of Igorot tribe’s tattoo patterns which are records of war exploits and status

 

Although Filipinos are classified as Asians, Filipinos are sometimes referred to as Pacific Islanders which is not entirely incorrect as the peoples share many traits and traditions.

There are many similarities between Filipino traditional tattoos and Polynesian designs.  Firstly, the tattoos were a reflection of their rank in society and also as a record of their achievements.  Secondly, the designs are similar.  Thirdly, the tools used to hand-tap them include a thorn attached to a stick and a hammer to tap it into the skin.  Lastly, in ancient Tagalog, the word for tattoos is “tatak” which is  extremely similar to the Samoan word “tatau”.

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About Apo Whang-Od Oggay

Filipinos used tattoos to express themselves and to tell their story.  Pre-Spanish colonial and Christianization era, both men and women had tattoos that covered much of their bodies.  The tattoos symbolized nobility and bravery.  The oldest living “mamababatok” (Tattoo Master) is Apo Whang-Od Oggay.  She is 103 years old as of February 2020.  Her ancestors were Butbut tribesmen in the northern mountainous regions of the island of Luzon.

Whang-Od, the last of the Mambabatok, is a living legend.  She practices the Kalinga tattoo art form using thorns from a lemon tree, charcoal (soot) and a small bamboo hammer.  Those who have been lucky to have this kind of hand-tattoo done have said it is painless!

Origin of the tangle pattern name

Lemon tree thorn

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Here’s what it looks like when combined with Squid, another Zentangle® official pattern, my pattern Nibs, and Tipple.

Moleskine sketchbook tangle, Sakura Micron 01 Pen.  This tangle was simply drawn with a single pen.  No starting string and no shading were used.  This is my favourite tangle pattern combo when I want to calm my mind.  Hence, this is why one would find this combination of tangle patterns on the backpage in each of my office notebooks.

Origin of the tangle pattern name

This tangle pattern I call “Noches”, meaning “nights” in Spanish, since it is such a dark, dramatic and romantic pattern.

In tangle drawings and illustrations, Noches looks great in underwater or coral scenes.  In addition, Noches has a modern and science fiction look about it.  It pairs well with edge, straight-lines tangles because it’s dramatic circular self provides so much contrasts.

Sakura Micron Pen 01, Graphite pencil for shading.  Tangle patterns:  Nibs, Noches, Tipple, Fescu, Flux, and _______I forgot! Please help me identify the last one.____

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Here’s what it looks like when combined with Tipple, another Zentangle® official pattern, one of my own creations that I call “Noches“, and Cruffle.

Sakura Micron Pen 01. No shading.

Origin of the tangle pattern

I’ve named this tangle pattern “Nibs” as a reminder to not push too hard on my Sakura Micron pen as nothing can be worse than having a pen, still full of ink — with a pushed-in nib. Ugh!

Nibs is pretty cool when added to a coral or underwater tangle drawing or illustration.  To me, it reminds me of sea urchins or coral… round and a little spiky.  Funny enough, since this pattern comes so easily to mind, each one of my old work notebooks has this Nibs/Squid/Noches tangle on the back page.

Moleskine sketchbook tangle illustration using Sakura Micron pen

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