For hundreds of years, Thai Buddhist monks, using magical incantations and spells, have been covering people's bodies with indelible ink marks in the belief that they will attract luck, wealth, and blessings. Images of tattooed men appear in 18th century murals. In the past, people believed that these tattoos would provide protection against evil spirits and could render the bearer invulnerable to stab wounds and even bullets. Known in Thai as Sak Yant, these ancient tattoos are today undergoing a revival in popularity, both in Thailand and beyond. In addition, Thai tattoo masters are invited to practice their art abroad, thus increasing the popularity of Sak Yant worldwide. Drawing on research fields as diverse as anthropology, religion, history, medicine, and psychology, 'Thai Magic Tattoos - The Art and Influence of Sak Yant' also seeks to explain how tattoos can change the life of the bearer. With magnificent new photographs by Rene Drouyer, 'Thai Magic Tattoos' is an essential guide to this fascinating subject. 202 illustrations

Sak Yant, the Magical Tattoo Art of South East Asia, is part of the culture and the ancient animist cult of the spirits in the region. Now is back being popular among the younger generations. This photographic gallery explores the contemporary forms of this expression, but seeks also its roots in the remote regions of Burma where the Shan people live. Now with new layout, original Shan tattoo designs and a text by Massimo Morello

Unveiling the magic, power and mystery of Thailand's ancient tattoos. First English language title to explore Thailand' sacred tattoos. For both tattoo enthusiasts as well as Buddhists who want to learn more about the spiritual art form. Includes exclusive interviews with tattoo Masters located all across Thailand.

Sacred tattoos, called 'sak yant' in Thailand, have been around Southeast Asia for centuries and afford protection from accident, misfortune, and crime. Young women get tattooed with love charms in order to attract partners, while adolescent men use the protective power of their yants in fights with rival youth gangs. For most though, the tattoos serve as reminders to follow a moral code that endorses positive behavior. During the application of a sak yant, the tattoo master establishes a series of life 'rules' that need to be closely adhered to, starting with Buddhism's first five precepts. Failure to observe the master's instructions will cause the sak yant to lose their power. Beautifully photographed these are tattoos that are the essence and 'key' to individual identity, a philosophy for living, the translation of soul to skin, as complex as the leaves of an autobiography, the story of a life.

Text in English & German. This is a photographic masterwork in two parts exploring the secret world of magical tattooing and scarification across the tribal world. Based on one decade of tattoo anthropologist Dr Lars Krutak's fieldwork among animistic and shamanic societies of Asia, Africa, the Americas, and Melanesia, this book journeys into highly sacred territory to reveal how people utilise ritual body modification to enhance their access to the supernatural. The first part delves into the ancient art of Thai tattooing or sak yant that is administered by holy monks who harness the energy and power of the Buddha himself. Emblazoned with numerous images of dramatically tattooed bodies, this chapter provides tattoo enthusiasts with a passport into the esoteric world of sak yank symbols and their meanings. Also included is an in-depth study into the tattooing worlds of the Amerindians. From Woodlands warriors to Amazonian shamans, tattoos were worn as enchanted symbols embodied with tutelary and protective spirit power. The discussion of talismanic tattooing is concluded with a detailed look at the individuals who created magical tattoos and the various techniques they used. Krutak writes about many tribal tattoo designs permeated with various forms of power and explains what these marks mean for the people who wear them. Part two is an absolute must-read-and-see for anyone seeking knowledge about the religious meanings of tribal scarification. The rituals, techniques, and spiritual iconography of scarmasters in Benin (Bétamarribé), Papua New Guinea (Kaningara), and Ethiopia (Hamar) expose a relatively undocumented world of permanent body symbolism created through painful and bloody rites of self-sacrifice and restraint.

Discover the ancient tattoo practice born during the Khmer Empire to gain protection, good luck and mystical powers: Sak Yant. Sak Yant is a form of tattoing that consists of sacred geometrical and animal designs accompanied by Pali phrases. They are believed to offer power, protection, charisma, fortune and other benefits to the ones who wear them. Entire legends, stories and magical meanings are connected to Sak Yant tattoos. For example, "Jor Ra Kae" yantra, which is a representation of a crocodile, was believed to have been an animal that could continuously eat and never get full. Having this tattoo attracts money and wealth. Another famous and interesting example of Sak Yant tattoo is "Phaya Tao Ruean" yantra, which is represented as a king turtle. This yantra is believed to prevent all disasters from thieves to fire. These were only two examples yantra tattoos and the legends behind them. If you want to discover more, than you'll need a book like: "The Power of Sak Yant: 50 Designs & Meanings of Thai Tattoos" by Tik Bangpra. This book will show you 50 Sak Yant designs, meanings and legends. In addition, you'll be able to discover the history of this form of tattooing and how it got to our days. Here's a little preview of what you'll find inside: which people had originally had the permission to tattoo and why they were the only ones able to do that what kind of connection Lord Buddha had with Sak Yant how Sak Yant spread during the centuries The relationship between time and tattoos. How to empower them 50 designs and their meanings Scroll up and to cart now "The Power of Sak Yant" by Tik Bangpra!

This fascinating anthology presents a much wider scope than other books on Thai massage, and uncovers a wealth of previously unavailable information on the historical, spiritual, and cultural connections to this powerful healing art. Topics include ways to refine and maintain a healthy practice, breathwork and body mechanics, self-protection techniques, reading body language, acupressure concepts, and Thai herbal compress therapy. The spiritual and cultural section offers modern translations of ancient texts, Indian and Buddhist influences, magic amulets and sacred tattoos, and accessory modalities such as reusi dat ton (stretching) and tok sen (hammering therapy). Rounding out this thorough text, the final section features essays about actual practice with clients, written by therapists and teachers from around the world. The extensive experience and information provided in this reference book is invaluable to students or practitioners who wish to deepen their personal and professional understanding of traditional Thai healing arts.

This biographical study of an unusual southern policeman explores the relationship between religion and power in Thailand during the early twentieth century when parts of the country were remote and banditry was rife. Khun Phan (1898–2006), known as Lion Lawman, sometimes used rather too much lethal force in carrying out his orders. He was the most famous graduate of a monastic academy in the mid-south, whose senior teachers imparted occult knowledge favoured by fighters on both sides of the law. Khun Phan imbibed this knowledge to confront the risks and uncertainty that lay ahead and bolster his confidence and self-reliance for his struggle with adversaries. Against the background of national events, the story is rooted in the mid-south where the policeman was born and died. Based on a wide range of works in Thai language, on field trips to the region and on interviews with local and regional scholars as well as the policeman’s descendants, this generously illustrated book, accompanied by short video clips, brings to life the distinctive environment of the lakes district on the Malay Peninsula.

There is hidden, powerful wisdom in tattoos. Did you ever think of your tattoo as a charged body talisman or a portal into your spiritual self? Ancient cultures practicing shamanic tattooing laid the groundwork for our modern exploration of consciousness. Tattoos are both a revelation and a proclamation of your embodied archetypes, dreams, emotions, even a hint of past-life memories. Conscious Ink shows how this edgy skin art interfaces with our body’s subtle energy field and reveals how tattoo imagery ties into the potent energy of inner alchemy that expands our self-awareness. Are you prepared to: Find out how/why intention is the moving force behind your tattoo’s vibration? Do you bring on good luck or bad juju? Understand why the piercing of your skin and drawing of blood forms a symbolic link into the energy field of your tattooist? Explore how tattoos reveal past-life/current-life emotional memory? Discover how tattoos can shift the emotional energy stored in certain body areas? Mindful inking can be an amazing modality that awakens your spiritual self. Looking at tattoos beyond the lens of body art, Conscious Ink gives you a new perspective on tattoos and their undeniable roots in pure, magic and mysticism.

"Introduces manuscripts, textiles and talismans associated with the supernatural. Within the context of Tai cosmology and numerology, Theravada Buddhism and spirit religion, the book examines how good and bad spirits are represented in figurative illustrations and how mystical diagrams and spells are formulated to bring good luck and protection or cause bad luck."--Jacket.