Buddhist Tattoos (Sak Yant), their Sacred Tradition and Meaning | History, Culture in Southeast Asia

Hello historians. In today's video, we will explore the ancient tradition of yantra tattoos, or Sak Yant, native to mainland Southeast Asia (Thailand, Cambodia, Myanmar, and Laos). Please join on this exciting journey through history! For more information about the history and significance of yantra tattoos in Southeast Asian history (from an anthropological perspective) see: Joanna Cook, “Tattoos, Corporeality and the Self: Dissolving Borders in a Thai Monastery,” The Cambridge Journal of Anthropology 27, 2 (2007/2008): 20-35. Nicola Tannenbaum, “Tattoos: Invulnerability and Power in Shan Cosmology,” American Ethnologist 14, 4 (Nov 1987): 693-711. B.J. Terwiel, “Tattooing in Thailand’s History,” The Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland 2 (1979): 156-166.