Portrait of an Elder (Dixon)

The Warrior

The picture I chose was of an an African man with facial scars from the tradition of scarification. I'd like to think that he got them from being a high-ranking member of his village, particularly, a warrior. I imagine he started going on hunts when he was 11 or 12 with the older men so that they would be able to provide food for their people. Each boy must undergo an official first hunt as a rite of passage into manhood. After the successful hunt, they undergo the ceremony which includes scarification where the skin is cut with the intent of creating scars. These can be lines, dots, drawings, etc. I picture each person having different scars as a way of showing that they are unique, like names or fingerprints. Some get scars on just their torso or arms, and others get them in multiple places. This warrior chose scars just on his face to show that he endured a great injury, but also played a significant role in the hunt he participated in.
I would indeed like to hang out with him to hear stories about all the different hunts he's gone on and what his life and culture are like.