Chin Tattoos. Why?

[claycle]

In a lot of recent(?) artwork, I have noticed a preponderance of elaborate chin tattoos being represented, for example:

 

and the images of Leika and the Chan sisters in the GM Adventure Book.

 

What is the significance/purpose/reason for the elaborate chin tattoos? I am just curious.

[Thaz]

Its not just chins it lots more of MOAR INK EVERYWHAR (which btw I think is cool)

 

Edited June 9, 2020 by Thaz

[Leingod]

It's just a good place to put them from a design perspective, I think.

[David Scott]

@Jan Pospisilis on this board, I suspect it was part of the art direction.

[Ian Absentia]

It's an established practice among the Maori, not that there's a 1-to-1 correlation between the Maori and the Orlanthi.  Generally, they're worn to draw attention to, and to accentuate a feature of one's body.  Women especially among the Maori wear them on their chins and lips, but again, not necessarily for the same reasons they appear in Glorantha among the Orlanthi (apparently regardless of gender).

Are we going to let the mustachios slide, though?

!i!

[Edit: I realise that my reply didn't address why the Orlanthi want to accentuate and draw attention to their chins.  Perhaps as the most forward focal point of facial communication?]

Edited June 9, 2020 by Ian Absentia

[Borygon]

39 minutes ago, Ian Absentia said:

[Edit: I realise that my reply didn't address why the Orlanthi want to accentuate and draw attention to their chins.  Perhaps as the most forward focal point of facial communication?]

Iirc that particular tribe in op might be made from westerner migrants that brought Issaries with them, so having tatoos pointing at the primary communication organ seems reasonable.

[Sir_Godspeed]

2 hours ago, Borygon said:

Iirc that particular tribe in op might be made from westerner migrants that brought Issaries with them, so having tatoos pointing at the primary communication organ seems reasonable.

Zzabur's book of inked skin, anyone? Oof.
 

3 hours ago, Ian Absentia said:

Are we going to let the mustachios slide, though?

India has a long-standing love-affair with the moustache, and given the Indic/Dharmic inspirations found in Orlanthi culture and visual design, I suspect it's from there.

[Sir_Godspeed]

It does look good with regards to symmetry and drawing attention to the face. Plus, it might be a particular choice made my people with no beard-growth (whether men or women), or in Orlanthi groups that traditionally shave their chins. Heck, it might even be a kind of metaphorical beard, albeit imbued with the properties of the tattoo in question, a bit like how the necktie is actually a massively derived handkerchief (if that makes any kind of sense).

[Leingod]

3 hours ago, Ian Absentia said:

Are we going to let the mustachios slide, though?

Well, this is in what will later become Saird, and the descriptions of Tarshites seems to imply to me that this just tends to be a thing with northern Orlanthi groups.

Although, given that, IIRC, all the Vingkotling groups you can meet shave their chins (or maybe can't grow beards) and grow long mustaches like this, it might be that the practice (or even ability) to grow beards might actually be something the Orlanthi got from foreign groups like the Riders.

2 hours ago, Borygon said:

Iirc that particular tribe in op might be made from westerner migrants that brought Issaries with them, so having tatoos pointing at the primary communication organ seems reasonable.

I don't think it's ever implied they come from the west. The Ram clans who've settled around the Black Eel River have some kind of unspecified bad blood with the Infithtelli to the southeast, so I always thought they either migrated from that direction or are a splinter group (though in actual appearance they seem most similar to the Vestantes, now that I think about it. And actually, the Vestantes also have prominent chin tattoos).

Incidentally, I love what the Infithtelli do with their hair. Though their whiskers aren't nearly so fine (perhaps that's why they hate the "Kestaytelli" so much? Mad envy at their flowing mustachios? 😉).

Edited June 10, 2020 by Leingod

[Ian Absentia]

12 minutes ago, Sir_Godspeed said:

Heck, it might even be a kind of metaphorical beard, albeit imbued with the properties of the tattoo in question, a bit like how the necktie is actually a massively derived handkerchief (if that makes any kind of sense).

Or a stylised extended tongue, looking back to the Maori again, to express fierceness among the more militant members of society.

!i!

[Shiningbrow]

Perhaps so they can say, "not by the rune on my chinny-chin-chin".

[Guest Vile Traveller]

17 hours ago, claycle said:

What is the significance/purpose/reason for the elaborate chin tattoos? I am just curious.

Have you ever tried using a biro on your face? Smudges something terrible.

[Jeff]

11 hours ago, Leingod said:

Well, this is in what will later become Saird, and the descriptions of Tarshites seems to imply to me that this just tends to be a thing with northern Orlanthi groups.

Although, given that, IIRC, all the Vingkotling groups you can meet shave their chins (or maybe can't grow beards) and grow long mustaches like this, it might be that the practice (or even ability) to grow beards might actually be something the Orlanthi got from foreign groups like the Riders.

I don't think it's ever implied they come from the west. The Ram clans who've settled around the Black Eel River have some kind of unspecified bad blood with the Infithtelli to the southeast, so I always thought they either migrated from that direction or are a splinter group (though in actual appearance they seem most similar to the Vestantes, now that I think about it. And actually, the Vestantes also have prominent chin tattoos).

Incidentally, I love what the Infithtelli do with their hair. Though their whiskers aren't nearly so fine (perhaps that's why they hate the "Kestaytelli" so much? Mad envy at their flowing mustachios? 😉).

One thing to keep in mind - this is set more than 2000 years before the present. 

[JanPospisil]

We knew we wanted the Vingkotlings look distinct from the Riders. So it was moustaches vs. beards.

And because of that, the chin became a good place to show off tattoos. (cheeks were another, but it can get messy at smaller sizes)

And yes, Maori tattoos were definitely an inspiration, though most Ram tattoos are much more directly inspired by the Taiwanese Seediq people. (as were some bits of the clothing)

(I watched "Warriors of the Rainbow" at the time, which I seriously recommend. A very Gloranthan story. Trailer:

Note that the trailer makes it look super action packed. If you watch the two part long version, which I recommend, it's much more of a slow burn, with some horrifying war sequences.)

The woman's tattoo as well as Ainu women's tattoos are what I thought female Issaries worshippers would have, rather than fake beards or moustaches:

(the Ainu were a second big inspiration for the Rams, especially their clothing patterns.)

 

 

Edited June 11, 2020 by JanPospisil

[JanPospisil]

And since you mentioned the Infithtelli, this was my original concept for them. The ruff top of the helmet, with tusks on the side was to resemble their mammoths

The spear is inspired by large bronze spears from the Yayoi culture, and the broad dagger by very old iron age scandinavian ones. (Peter Johnsson wrote a wonderful article about them, and made a cool fantasy replica troll knife, which had a human face leather scabbard.)

IIRC the tattoos were made to resemble Tarshite ones in KoDP. 

(the potential cannibal angle was much less subtle here, with scalped hair pendants and a cape made of stitched human faces.)