Henna An Art of Tattoo History and Information

1. Henna An Art of Tattoo History and Information

2. Henna likely originated in the Middle East, possibly in Egypt. Archaeological evidence shows mummies dating back 5,000 years with henna-covered toenails. For the Egyptians, henna was part of the ritual preparation for the afterlife—body art supposedly smoothed the journey ahead. Henna was not limited to burial practices but was used throught the culture.

3. During the New Kingdom, the nails of royal mummies and other high-status individuals were often hennaed. Though the nails of Ramesses I have not been analyzed for traces of henna, they are a distinct deep orange color.

4. During life and in death henna was used by the Egyptians to color their hair as it is still used today. Ramses II used it to color his white hair to a more youthful auburn. The L’Oreal institute plucked out one of hairs to examine the roots, and found it to be naturally auburn when he was younger (even grey hair retains pigment in the roots). It was hennaed in his old age to match the color of his youth. http://mathildasanthropologyblog.wordpress.com/2008/07/21/mummies-and-mummy-hair-from-ancient-egypt/

5. The Mughals brought henna to India in the 12th Century A.D. It evidently caught on, because by the time the 1600s rolled around, henna-covered hands were commonplace in India. http://www.indianbridesa.co.za/meaning_of_mehndi.htm

6. Henna body art is traditionally used in the Indian culture in ceremonies related to marriage. In the Middle East it customary for Arabs not to present their hands for henna if they are lying about something, and like in India, it is usually body paint for brides. In countries like Turkey, Iraq, and Saudi Arabia henna is a symbol of good luck. People in Morocco use henna body painting for many different things – pregnant women use henna designs on their ankles to protect them through childbirth; these designs remain family specific and are passed down through generations. http://www.hennapage.com/henna/what/freebooks/HPJpp2.pdf

7. The henna night traditionally marks the official beginning of the wedding festivities. In times past Arab brides would be covered from head to toe in henna patterns and somewhere on her body the henna artist would include the initials of the husband. The husband's task on the wedding night was to find those initials. These days, the bride and her guests usually have patterns applied to just their hands, feet and ankles. Professional henna artists are always hired and you’ll find each henna salon and each area of the Gulf has its own specific patterns. The henna patterns in Oman often involve large areas of very dark brown/black geometric patterns (African influence) and in Bahrain the colour is lighter and the patterns are smaller and more delicate, often using flowers (Indian influence).

8. Name Game A bride's wedding designs usually includes a hidden inscription of the groom's name on her palm. It's believed, if the groom fails to find his name within the intricate patterns, the bride will be more dominant in conjugal life. Sometimes the wedding night is not allowed to commence until the groom has found the names. This is also seen as a subterfuge to let the groom touch the bride's hands in order to find his name, thus initiating a physical relationship. Another superstition regarding Mehendi is that if an unmarried girl receives scrapings of Mehendi leaves from a bride, she will soon find a suitable match. http://theweddingguide.com.my/tag/andy-lim/ http://hinduism.about.com/b/2009/08/07/the-beauty-of-mehendi.htm

10. Henna is the Persian name for the plant with the Latin name, 'Lawson inermis' which is found in many hot, dry countries. The leaves from the plant are picked, dried, crushed and then made into a paste which is then applied to the body in patterns or shapes and as it dries stains the skin underneath. Once the henna is dry, which takes anything up to a couple of hours, the flakes are rubbed off and the pattern can be seen. http://wgaw.blogspot.com/2008/12/henna-night-12o2.html

13. Temporary Black Henna tattoos can cause permanent scarring. Warning! Henna tattooing is not automatically safe to have done. While the pure henna has a small rate of allergic reactions there have been some that have not. Henna tattooing can have other ingredients that can cause severe allergic reactions, scarring, and health complications. Make sure to discuss any serious thoughts of having this procedure done with a dermatologist prior to the actual application process. LPS does not endorse this practice in any manner what-so-ever. See the listed web site for further information. http://www.snopes.com/horrors/vanities/henna.asp

14. Questions?