Just when I think Bosnia can't surprise me anymore, something wild pops up.

For centuries, Bosnian Croat Catholics practiced sicanje. It's a tradition of tattooing protective symbols on girls, and sometimes boys. The roots go back to pre-Christian times and originally tattooing wasn't just a Croat thing. Over time, the practice stuck mainly with them and the Albanians, but it was slowly dying out. The Ottomans gave it new life: Turkish soldiers wouldn't take tattooed girls to harems. After World War II, the practice basically disappeared and was nearly forgotten.

Back then, people made tattoos with whatever they had on hand: a needle, honey, and soot. Sometimes they'd add milk. Classic story: girls around 10-12 would be herding sheep and just casually tattoo each other. Sounds super safe, right?

In 2019, Cleveland University conducted a major study of the tradition. Interviews with elderly tattooed women are available on the university website: videos, transcripts, and even English translations (perfect for language learners). The first three photos here are from that collection. I gotta say, looking at these pictures, some of the women almost look like they just got out of prison :)

These days, young people seem to have rediscovered this history: Instagram's full of posts and even people offering the service (search for sicanje). That said, tattoos in the Balkans aren't exactly mainstream to begin with, and this is a pretty niche community. Don't expect it to blow up anytime soon.

PS. Here's more photos.