#indian culture tattoos

[chroniclesofnadia111]

🤍 cloudy days ☁️

[g0j0s]

[vipermenace]

Beatrice will soon appear in her first MasksRPG session in the Spiderweb! Hopefully, this Janus can handle herself!

[lifesutrasket]

The Science Behind Indian Culture

We all love to follow the Culture of India like, Traditional Makeup, traditional dress, traditional food of Indian, Some Indian traditional Practices, etc. Have you ever thought why do we Indians follow our cultural & traditional practices like a crown on our head? Let’s discover few important facts we are not yet aware about Indian Practices and philosophy behind it. Diversity of India Before…

[dangerouspeanuttidalwave]

WAKE UP..

ENJOY THE MOMENT..

PASS THE EXAM OF LIFE..

BUT FOR NOW,SEE THIS POST... TUMBLERS..

WARM HUGS FROM ME TO THOSE WHO ESPECIALLY LIKES THIS AND WANTS A HUG FROM ♀️..

[miss-conjayniality]

y’know……being gay is a blessing tbh. it’s honestly crazy how much power butch women have over me…..natural mood boosters for me.

[hamerred49]

Amby Tee design Commissioned by @viinkwear . . . . . . #teedesign #culture #indian #mma #indian #indianculture #indiantradition #tattoo #tattooart #tattoodesign #men #macho #ambassador #hindustanmotors #amby #indianclassic #indianclassiccar #vintagecar #vintageautomobile https://www.instagram.com/p/CmWYyr1hrCH/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[telomeke]

THE SIGN – CULTURAL REFERENCES, MYTHOLOGY AND META

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This post comes on the heels of the one by @respectthepetty about mythology and meta of The Sign, linked here. 😍👍 If you've not read it yet, I recommend you do before watching any more of this series, because it will help things make more sense (especially if you're not familiar with some of the cultural references thrumming in the background).

Anyway, I'd previously done some research on the legend(s) of the Garuda and the Naga in Southeast Asia, and so I'm writing this post to share what I've found because it does have relevance to at least some of what we're seeing onscreen in The Sign, and elaborates on @respectthepetty's post.

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The Garuda and the Naga are mythical beings with origins in Indian mythology that have been transposed into cultures across Southeast Asia.

In Hinduism, Garuda is a single deity, depicted in either full-bird form or part-bird and part-human, and is the king of birds and also a divine sun-bird (with physical attributes similar to an eagle's). His elder brother, Aruna, is the chariot driver for Surya the sun-god, while Garuda himself is the mount of Vishnu.

In Buddhist mythology, the garudas (sometimes also spelt garulas) are a society and race of gigantic predatory birds, sometimes also depicted as part-human in form. The garudas are intelligent, social and blessed with might and magical powers.

Thailand may be predominantly Buddhist, but it has also been strongly influenced by ancient Indian culture and Hinduism, and thus both the concept of a single deity Garuda and the race of garudas co-exist in Thai mythological beliefs.

The nagas on the other hand, are snake-like or dragon-like creatures, whose realm is the water world. (The word naga is derived from Sanskrit and is also etymologically related to the English word snake.)

In mythology nagas and garudas are perpetual enemies, although neither side is actually identified with good or evil – they are simply two groups eternally at war with each other (so occidental-leaning minds should dispel any preconception that the water serpents are necessarily the bad guys in The Sign, even though the narrative seems to be tilting in that direction).

When borrowed into popular culture (as has been done for The Sign) you may sometimes see influences of Chinese dragon and phoenix mythology (as Chinese cultural influence is also present in Thailand, and the dragon/phoenix motif of Sinitic culture nicely parallels the naga/garuda conflict pairing). And because of Garuda's association with the sun in Hinduism, and a parallel with the fiery phoenix of Western mythology, you may sometimes see garudas portrayed as aligned with the sun and/or flame as well.

There are some hints of these in The Sign. The naga that Phaya encounters while struggling underwater during the open sea training challenge in Ep.1 is very Thai in appearance (especially with the curved, forward-pointing crest, making it look much like the nagas that adorn Thai temple architecture). But the array of pronged, backward-pointing horns and trailing antennae appear to be a design nod at Chinese or Japanese dragons (East Asian dragons are also strongly identified with the watery realm, by the way). And in the graphics of the series (e.g., in the poster at the start of this post), the sky (the realm of Garuda) is suffused with sunlight and speckled with what look like drifting sparks, referencing sun and flame.

Because of the wings tattooed on his back and his time in the air force, Phaya is most likely the reincarnation of a garuda in human form (and this is why he struggled with the water challenge, as he was completely out of his element).

This is also possibly why we see him smoking early on in the series (because of the alignment of Garuda with the element of fire), and significantly he does this while Naga Tharn (irked by Yai's teasing at the dining table) seeks refuge in the washroom (which is ห้องน้ำ/hong naam in Thai, literally water room):

‌Billy also describes Phaya's character in the promo video for the series (linked here) as being "like fire, always hot and burning... quite hot-headed." 👍

Elsewhere in the same promo video (linked here), Tharn's good friend Chalothon is explicitly identified as the reincarnation of an important naga, which immediately signals that he and Phaya will be at odds in the series:

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The water deity that saves Phaya during the open sea challenge – Wansarat, whom he drew in his sketchbook – is not just Freen Sarocha in a fancy scuba suit. 😂

If you look at her arm and hand when she reaches out to save Phaya (before she turns into Tharn) the green scales meld into the skin of her human wrist – they're part of her natural covering, and she's really a nakhee/nagin/nagini, a female naga, appearing in human form to save Phaya.

The narrative has made it strongly obvious that Phaya is a reincarnated garuda, while Tharn is the reincarnation of Wansarat, from the lineage of the nagas. And the teaser-trailer (linked here) tells us that Phaya and Tharn/Wansarat are lovers bound to each other through time:

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However, the special promo video (released 24 November 2023) also tells us (in Heng's interview linked here) that Chalothon and Wansarat were lovers in past lives, even while it is Phaya and Wansarat (reincarnated as Tharn) who are paired by fate in The Sign.

And as the nagas and garudas are bitter enemies, the love story between Phaya and Tharn/Wansarat that transcends time and reincarnation cycles is also one that must have been (and will continue to be) forbidden by their respective naga and garuda tribes (especially since Tharn/Wansarat also used to be naga Chalothon's lover), and will undoubtedly be a source of conflict in the series. This is way beyond the Montagues and Capulets! 😍

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So with this as the base, I took a look at the characters' names, and those belonging to Phaya, Chalothon, Tharn and Wansarat especially also reflect their garuda/naga origins. 🤩

Phaya's name (พญา) means lord, king or leader. While it can be applied to the nagas (พญานาค/phaya naak refers to the King of the Nagas) it is also used for Garuda (the Thai national symbol) – พญาครุฑ/phaya khroot, or Lord Garuda (and is what his name references in The Sign).

(above) Billy Patchanon as Phaya

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Chalothon's name (ชโลทร) is rare, but it is derived from Pali/Sanskrit and means river, sea or body of water, reflecting the watery homeland of his naga persona.

(above) Heng Asavarid as Chalothon

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Tharn's name (ธาร) also has a connection to his water-dwelling naga roots. Tharn/ธาร is short for ลำธาร/lam thaan and means stream, brook or creek (and he is thus a naga nong to Chalothon's phi).

(above) Babe Tanatat as Tharn/Wansa

However, Tharn is his chue len. His formal name is Wansa, and is the same Wansa in Wansarat (which the narrative lets us know at Ep.1 [3‌/4] 9.35).

(above) Freen Sarocha as Wansarat

Now Wansarat is spelt วรรณษารัตน์ in the subtitles (at Ep.1 [3‌/4] 9.02), and I can't find any translation of it that makes sense in the context of The Sign's world-building.

But Wansarat's name is spelt differently elsewhere on the Internet (on Thai drama websites, and movie databases, etc. like thaimovie.org), and I assume they've all based it on official releases from Idol Factory because the spelling is consistent across these other sources – it's วรรษารัตน์ there.

And Wansa/Wansarat spelt this way also reflects the nagas' dominion over water, because วรรษา/wansa (an archaic word, referenced in an older dictionary but not newer ones) means rain or rainy season (from the Sanskrit varsha) – in Thailand the nagas are also associated with rain control, and prayers are offered to them for timely and abundant rainfall when it is needed. (The -rat part of Wansarat is a feminine ending meaning jewel or gemstone, and may echo with meaning for speakers of Indian and Sri Lankan languages, since it's derived from the Pali/Sanskrit ratna).

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Just out of interest (because nobody asked 😂) some of these naga/garuda elements were also present in the early episodes of KinnPorsche – the den of the Theerapanyakuls (nagas, wealthy beings of the underworld) was full of watery elements (e.g., the waterfall, the various pools, and Tankhun's carp – which in Chinese belief are the original, natal form of dragons). The -nak in Kinn's formal first name Anakin (which is not a traditional Thai name) is also a nod at the word naga. Porsche had the tattoo of a fiery phoenix on his back, and was out of his element whenever water was concerned (e.g., his failed pool challenge, the mermaid costume punishment, his misadventure with the sprinkler when he tried to smoke in the store room – water vanquishing the flame). Kinn was unable to make fire when they were trapped in the forest, despite claiming to be friends with the flame, while Porsche could immediately do it.

But I didn't see the KinnPorsche narrative taking the naga/garuda themes much further than these random nods in the earlier episodes. Maybe it did (like Kinn and Porsche could be seen acclimatizing to each other's realms more), but I just couldn't be bothered to look at the show more closely since it didn't really stand up to deeper scrutiny, and after the first few episodes I just went along for the exhilaration of the ride instead. 👍

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Anyway, I'm totally bedazzled by the level of world-building going on in The Sign and look forward to more from the series. If the first episode is anything to go by, I think Executive Producer Saint Suppapong may be on to something! 😍

[atlaculture]

Cultural Practice: Movie Aang’s Tattoos

Judging by some of the fanart I’ve seen, Aang’s elaborate Air Nomad tattoos are probably the only aspect of The Last Airbender movie that was positively received by the fandom.

The design of these tattoos were inspired by yantra tattoos from Southeast Asia. Yantra (यन्त्र) are sacred geometric designs utilized in many Indian religions. In Southeast Asia, yantra designs are paired with lines of Buddhist psalms, as the markings are believed to grant protection and good fortune to the recipient. These tattoos are traditionally done by monks with metal needles.

As a design concept, I think the decision to give Aang yantra-like tattoos was a clever touch. It’s a subtle way of telling the audience that the Air Nomads are similar to Buddhist monks. However, I must say that I’m not a big fan of the back tattoo. The design at the center of it looks more like a European alchemical sigil than a yantra and the cross imagery feels very out of place. But I will admit that the overall design still looks pretty cool.

If you’re interested in learning more about Yantra tattoos, known as Sak Yant (สักยันต์) in Thai, click here. If you ever wanted to write a scene or draw a comic detailing the process and cultural beliefs behind Air Nomad tattooing, Sak Yant tradition would be a good source of inspiration.

Like what I’m doing? Tips always appreciated, never expected. ^_^

https://ko-fi.com/atlaculture

[yarpharp]

The one thing I have a lot of personal, PERSONAL beef with about the entire Solas/Elvhen vs. City Elves/Dalish thing is simple: a lot of people in this fandom keep ignoring that this is one huge allegory for generational trauma and colonialism. Including Solas.

Maybe it hits home harder with me, especially because the real world inspirations the writers admit to using are Natives. And boy, I see the bones that make up the Dalish are absolutely Native-coded.

Constantly hunted? Constantly looked down upon for trying to keep to their traditions, even if the memories aren't as complete as they once were? Their very positive views on magic and the spiritual that run counter to common belief? Their religion is outlawed by the DA equivalent of the Christian church? The illegal verses of the Chant speaking about Chartan? The facial tattoos, the traveling camps, their attention to raising wild breeds of painted horses (the famed Dalish All-Bred in DA:I), the harts, following the migrations of the halla?

And then factor in the City Elf vs. Dalish experience. It reflects a lot of the same issues we have now. "City Indians" vs. "Rez Indians." The arguments about blood-quantum parallel a lot with the "elf-blooded" shit in DA. They don't have the ears, but they were raised like an elf! It reminds me of a very small dialogue in The Masked Empire between Fiona and Michel de Chevin, where Fiona immediately clocked him as half-elf because he never treated her poorly or called her slurs and subconsciously ducked his head slightly in doorways like he expected to bump his head in an alienage shack. Michel clings to his Chevalier code desperately, because if anyone found out he was half-elf, he'd be tossed back into the Alienages. It's peak "You're mixed but you can pass as white" coding in my eyes.

So then Solas rolls up, shitting on all the existing elves, calling them "children" and decrying them as idiots clinging to barely-remembered bits of history.... Good God, you ass. Like, I get it. I'm sure if one of my ancestors appeared before me and saw what has become of our people, they'd be horrified. But idk, there is also pride to be had in resisting and enduring and outlasting every government's attempt to erase what they see as a subpar culture.

When he asks "Did I judge the Dalish too harshly?" I always wanna just reach through the screen and go "YEAH ACTUALLY"

[sonics-atelier]

Mehendi Misappropriation: Unveiling Cultural Erasure in SJM's Fiction

Masterlist ( stop stealing my culture sjm ) part 1 of the Cultural Appropriation in Fiction: Examining the Erasure of Indian Heritage in SJM's Novels analysis.

1. Lack of Acknowledgment : Sarah J. Maas (SJM) fails to acknowledge the cultural origins of the motifs used in her novels, particularly the Night Court tattoos inspired by mehendi, a traditional form of body art practiced in Indian culture. By reframing mehendi as "tattoos" without crediting its cultural significance, SJM erases the rich heritage and history behind the art form.

2. Appropriation of Aesthetic : The incorporation of mehendi-inspired designs into SJM's fictional world without proper acknowledgment appropriates elements of Indian culture for aesthetic purposes, without respecting the cultural context from which they originate.

3. Simplification of Tradition : By reducing mehendi to mere "tattoos," SJM oversimplifies and commodifies a sacred tradition that holds deep cultural and religious significance in Indian society. This trivialization diminishes the cultural importance of mehendi and perpetuates harmful stereotypes.

4. Failure to Consult : SJM's portrayal of mehendi-inspired tattoos demonstrates a lack of consultation or engagement with Indian cultural experts or practitioners. Without consulting those directly connected to the tradition, SJM risks misrepresentation and distortion of cultural practices.

5. Impact on Representation : The misrepresentation of Indian culture in SJM's novels contributes to a broader pattern of erasure and marginalization of South Asian voices in mainstream media. By appropriating elements of Indian culture without proper acknowledgment or understanding, SJM reinforces harmful stereotypes and perpetuates cultural appropriation.

6. Missed Opportunity for Authentic Representation : Rather than appropriating elements of Indian culture for aesthetic purposes, SJM could have taken the opportunity to authentically represent South Asian characters and cultures in her novels. By centering diverse voices and experiences, SJM could have contributed to a more inclusive and representative literary landscape.

Overall, SJM's appropriation of Indian cultural motifs, such as mehendi-inspired tattoos, reflects a broader pattern of erasure and misrepresentation of marginalized voices in mainstream media. It underscores the importance of respecting cultural traditions and consulting with communities whose heritage is being depicted in literature and other forms of media.

[daenystheedreamer]

what are your asoiaf culture/race headcanons?

ooo im siberian starks truther forever, or just general indigenous arctic circle north. general aesthetics of slav/kievan rus. like kokoshnik ushanka and ryasna are canon to me. harsh, stilted syllables like in russian.

the riverlands is the balkans + ireland to me for sure, cat is so irish to me. i think of like south slav folk costume for them :) lots of ribbons and embroidery and intricate braiding. lilting accent

i like east asian targs :) but also like, they just arent any earthen race to me. hate when people are like "erm they cant be coloured cos they have purple eyes and silver hair?" and its like do white people have purple eyes and silver hair??????

the dornish are a mix of indian subcontinent+west asia+sephardic/mizrahi jewish+palestine+turkish+arab. the melting pot of westeros! like the daynes are jewish to me, and the rhoynar are arab/turk/'moorish'. yronwoods are white latines. sea of dorne/narrow sea evokes the mediterannean :) dornish is described as melodic and drawling, def lots of rolled Rs

stormlands is very german+eastern europe. maybe im jsut thinking of oktoberfest but i always think of them bundled up. lots of headdresses. harsh accent.

vale of arryn is very anglo to me. french/english/swiss/etc. yodelling on the mountains. sweet and sing-song accent.

westerlands is italy to me cos i like thinking of the borgias and lannisters. lannisport gives off SUCH florence/venice vibes.

the reach is again quite meditteranean to me. maybe its the wine? but i hc the tyrells as black, i think the dynamic of "upjumped stewards" compared to the "blue-blooded" hightowers, florents, etc is interesting. its why i also hc the manderlys as black, since they're from the reach :)

iron islands... obviously norse/viking, but i like pasifika headcanons too. i like asha with moko kauae and i just love if the ironborn have cultural tattooing practices. this is lessened by how they do not at all have a pacific climate lol.

[youremyheaven]

butterfly motif 🦋& vedic astrology

ive wanted to exclusively dedicate a post towards the use of the butterfly motif in pop culture, so here it is!! i think butterflies have had a re-emergence in fashion in the last few years and im here for it!!

🦋 as i've mentioned in many other posts, the nakshatras closely tied to using this motif repeatedly are the pisces rashi nakshatras of ubp and revati along with punarvasu nakshatra.

Revati moon, Rihanna wearing butterfly eye lashes.

Venus exalts in Pisces and ive noticed that these natives are often drawn to Venusian aesthetics and imagery.

Rihanna at a Savage x Fenty show. You cannot tell me this isn't reminiscent of the Birth of Venus and the colour scheme is super Venus coded as well.

UBP sun Lady Gaga wearing butterfly face paint. she has often gravitated towards this motif over the years.

here she is in a blue butterfly dress

idk about you but when i see wings, i think butterfly 🦋. hence why this look is here 🤭😌

yet another lady gaga butterfly lewk

2. bella hadid for Swarovski. bella has ketu in ubp and girlie is obsessed with butterflies 😍

3. kendall jenner, ubp moon wearing a butterfly print dress

4. emrata, also ubp moon wearing a butterfly print dress

5. urfi javed, an indian entertainer who has ubp ketu wearing an outfit with a butterfly motif

6. dua lipa, punarvasu moon and known for her butterfly obsession wearing a blumarine butterfly head to toe lewk

7.brie larson ubp asc wearing a winged dress

8. sarah jessica parker is ubp sun & venus with revati mercury atmakaraka and this is a vvv iconic look from sex and the city

9.bella hadid had an nft thingie and the teaser(?) for it depicted her as a cyborg in a pool of water with butterflies. couldn't get more pisces coded than that tbh

10. queen latifah, ubp sun with those butterfly tats. ive noticed a lot of pisces girlies specifically choosing blue butterflies over any other type👀

11. halsey, punarvasu moon and has a butterfly tattoo!!

12. mariah carey, i mean we all know the OG iconic butterfly top moment but here's an underrated lewk from this punarvasu queen who also has an album titled Butterfly

she also has a perfume line called Lollipop Bling that's packaged like this:

13. Kendrick Lamar's to pimp a butterfly

he has mercury and mars in punarvasu. jup in revati atmakaraka and ubp rahu. lamar has implied that the title alludes to the nature of celebrity and how something free spirited and beautiful can be so violently controlled. again, VERY pisces coded.

14. brand new eyes by paramore

hayley williams, who is the lead singer has revati mars amatyakaraka.

15. dolly parton has a very very famous song called love is like a butterfly, she has punarvasu mars conjunct saturn. look at the lyrics of the song, only a cancer girlie would go so soft like this 🥺

Love is like a butterfly

As soft and gentle as a sigh

The multicolored moods of love are like its satin wings

Love makes your heart feel strange inside

It flutters like soft wings in flight

Love is like a butterfly, a rare and gentle thing

Dolly also has a perfume called "Tennessee Sunset" and its packaged like this:

16. alexander mcqueen, the fashion designer had ubp sun and used lots of winged imagery in his work

17. vincent van gogh, revati sun ubp venus and mars and punarvasu rising has a series of paintings called butterflies. i personally associate whimsical art with both pisces rashi and punarvasu. ill make another post some day but the impressionist movement and even the surrealist movement were vvv influenced by these two placements.

18. Papillon 1973

its based on the true story of henri charriere, who is played by steve mcqueen in the movie. not only is the movie called papillon (french for butterfly) the character also has a butterfly chest tattoo and steve mqueen has ubp sun, revati venus atmakaraka and punarvasu rising

19. silence of the lambs<3

one of the most iconic movie posters of all time features a moth. this moth also plays a key role in the movie and is a major motif.

the book on which the movie was based was written by thomas harris, who has a revati stellium (sun, jupiter & ketu)

20. SPOILER ALERT!!

in the movie corpse bride, the titular character dissolves into a bunch of butterflies at the end of the movie

corpse bride is played by helena bonham carter who has ubp saturn and ketu in revati

21. Kali Uchis, punarvasu sun often uses butterfly imagery

This photoshoot was conceptualised and shot by the South Korean photographer Choi Gi Seok who has purvabhadrapada moon (0 degrees pisces)

His work heavily features butterfly imagery ;

XxxxxxX

my own take is that, since pisces is the final rashi and the point of "absolution" it represents the end of chrysalis, when all elements have come together to create transformation; in pisces there is nothing left to do, but seek liberation from these cycles (its purpose is moksha,after all) and dissolve entirely into the cosmic ocean.

a butterfly is a beautiful symbol, representing not only the death of the creature that inhabited the cocoon but also reminding us that that death is necessary because only then can something as beautiful as a butterfly emerge from within that womb. the womb is the source of creation but you're not meant to stay there forever, that's not just stagnancy, that's death. birth is a painful process because you're leaving behind the only place you've ever known but you have no other option so you must be brave enough to face it.

this brings us to the connection of punarvasu nakshatra to butterflies. punarvasu's deity is goddess Aditi who is creation itself; she is the cosmic mother, she created this universe. in pisces, you seek liberation from the cycles of life but in punarvasu, life, the universe, creation itself takes place. thus it represents the butterfly emerging from the cocoon to claim its identity as a butterfly because the life it led before that was a non-life, it wasn't yet a butterfly, it was a non-being. goddess Aditi embodies infinite space and primordial vastness. what better way to represent the cosmic abundance than with a symbol like a butterfly? 🦋you cannot ask who created you because you are your own creation

“Once upon a time, I dreamt I was a butterfly, fluttering hither and thither, to all intents and purposes a butterfly. I was conscious only of my happiness as a butterfly, unaware that I was myself. Soon I awaked, and there I was, veritably myself again. Now I do not know whether I was then a man dreaming I was a butterfly, or whether I am now a butterfly, dreaming I am a man.”- Zhuangzi

xxxxxxx

that's it for now but i'll keep updating as i find more examples💛i hope this was interesting<3

[midnigtartist]

Woah your spellbomb wedding pic looks inspired by (I think) some Indian traditions? Very curious about your thoughts and inspiration. The red dress and jewelry and henna-like tattooing is v cool to see. What parts of their wedding are from whose culture? Any traditions that one or the other would insist on, though the other hadn’t heard of it? Or do they share enough cultural background that they’re pretty much in agreement about how it looks/happens?

Yes! Long explanation bc Dotty is from a irl game of dnd i played a few years ago and the country shes from was inspired by India (specifically India during British occupation which is why she goes by Dotty instead of her given name Dipti) it was a really important part of her story to me to include. Her uncle stripped her of a lot of her culture to make her more appealing to “common” nations. I wanted to make sure i brought that over to her bg3 story too

So a lot of Dottys story is reconnecting with her culture (ie the saree in her regular design). Most of her and Gales wedding celebration is based off of her (Indian) traditions with probably one or two of the days being more influenced by Gale (i saw a few posts talking about Gale being culturally Greek and i LOVE that honestly)

[redpanther23]

I read that in some traditions, tattoos are used as a sort of permanent acupuncture. "Otzi the Iceman" a frozen iceage corpse they dug outta the alps, had a bunch of little tattoos over arthritis related accupuncture points, and several native american cultures currently practice this, and also an Indian lady told me in their culture they use piercings in a similar way.

Last night my skin was broken out really badly, itching as fuck. So I looked up some eczema acupuncture points, and tattooed these lines, aimed roughly across two of them:

You can see I went right over some pretty inflamed areas, including one spot that was actively infected last night. It felt amazing because it was so itchy, so I decided I didn't give a fuck if the whole thing got infected, cause the alternative was scratching it anyway (lol.) But today I woke up and the inflammation has been so much reduced it's actually blowing my mind. This whole area was rashy last night, now it's just scabs and a little redness. Even in other areas I'm less broken out.

[that-one-i-think]

So time for some more Tu'la lore, more specifically tattoo lore!

In Tu'la, tattoos are rather common and even have a cultural and religious significance to them. That is not to say that everyone has tattoos, but it is common enough for it to be normalized. Now, much like real life, there are a lot of reason to get tattoos but these are the main categories.

Cosmetic

Familial

Religious

Status

So, cosmetic tattoos simply put are just for cosmetics, much like how we will get moth man tramp stamps, they will get a wyvern on their fore arm. Common cosmetic tattoos are animals, clouds, and flowers with the art style depending on your region. (North Tu'la - Japanese styled, South Tu'la - Indian or henna like designs)

Familial Tattoos - With the majority of the population in Tu'la being Mei'fwa, it is safe to say that almost all of the human population is related to one in one way or another. A common practice for children of Mei'fwas who end up with human genes is to get their parents stripe or spot patterns tattooed on the shoulder and chest. That way they can look like their parent without having the need for ears and a tail.

Religious - The Temple of Menphia is very pro tattoos and a lot of initiations for being a priest or temple warrior requiring them. The first set of tattoos that a person receives (normally when they are six) is a large sun tattoo encompassing their back with two suns on their palms. Menphia's iconography involves a lot of the sun. As they progress in age, they get writings of protection on their imbs along with various lines to represent the flow of emotion and magic in the body. Another common tattoo is to get a very small symbol of menphia imbetween a persons pecs/breasts.

(Last picture for placement and vibe of Menphia symbol tat)

Status - Tattoos can also be a symbol of status as certain tattoos have certain meanings with some ink only being available to those in the royal family. The current king of Tu'la actually doesn't have his family's tattoo for he is actually a coward but he does have servants paint it on him every morning. Very much a tiger with false stripes

Status tattoos were not reserved for the upper class either and tattoos weren't all fine and dandy for one particular crowd and that is gladiators. When gladiators are indoctrinated the first thing that they are given is a tattoo of a snake eating itself (ouroboros) on their left ribs. It is both one of the most painful places to get a tattoo but one close to their heart without being on their chest. These tattoos are enchanted and used as a tool of submission. When the current benefactor of the gladiator activates the sigil, it causes a burning and sick feeling to course through the gladiators body. They needed to touched up every five years or every time the gladiator gets a new benefactor or else the magic fades.

Not only are gladiators tattooed with the snake tattoo, a lot of them are forced to under go any form of tattoo that their benefactor wants. Like a permanent form of dress up. Liochant got snake tattoos on his arm because his benefactor wanted to capitalize on his nickname "pit viper".