Medjai-Tattoos

The Medjai have not only strange tattoos in their faces but on more places of their bodies. In the two Mummy-films you can only see the tattoos in the faces and on the hands because of the long and veiling Medjai-clothes. Nevertheless, you will see the other tattoos very good, if you watch the scenes of Pharaoh Setis I. time closely, because his bodyguards who were called from Nerfertiti (Evy) are nothing else than Medjai. I have counted sixteen various tattoos: four in the faces (two on the cheeks, one on the forehead and one on the chin), one on each hand, three on each arm (the tattoo on the hands, wrists and under the ellbows are the same), one under the navel and one above the chest - paralleld by two on the back. The most striking one is that one above the chest because it looks like a tattoo ribbon made out of single old-egyptian pictures or/and hyroglyphs. There is parallel one on the top of the back.

If you want to apply these tattoos when wearing a ful costume you only need those which are fully visible: the tattoo markings in the face and on the back of the hands. You should use a black tattoo marker. I have got one from "edding" No. 45, which will remain visible up to five days. You can remove the markings easily with water.

One can also use a tattoo foil which can be easily be bought in a paper or computer shop. I have drawn a tattoo set for face and hands, then copied them, so I could place eight times a set on a A 4 tattoo foil. For more information please click on the foil picture on the right side.

It's fun to paint a genuine Henna - tattoo. There a different Henna possibilities. You can choose between those fasting for 1 day, 1 week or 1 month. If you choose a black Henna tattoo it should last for ca. 1 week. I tried it out in Morocco 2008. The women on the Fna-place made a Henna tattoo on my face and hands. The paste should last half an hour on the skin, then it should be washed away and there they are - the Henna tattoos. But in the face the paste should be washed away after five minutes. These tattoos lasted for really one week, when I was camel trakking in the Morocco desert. Brown Henna tattoos should last for one month. For more information please click on the foto on the left side.

The Medjai Tattoos and their meaning - please click on the body term left to the drawing for more information!

1) Forehead 2 und 3) Cheeks 4) Right upper arm 5) Left upper arm 6 bis 11) Arms and hands 12) Right chest 13) Left chest 14) Belly below 15) Left back 16) Right back

Tattoos as patches for shirts click here or on the pic Explanation for reading and the abbrevations/identification of hieroglyphics which were used on the Medjai body tattoos with indication of source please CLICK HERE!

Annotation: I have placed the tattoos in the face which are worn by Ardeth Bay. The Medjai of Old Egypt wear other hieroglyphics there, and moreover they have tattoos on the nose, the chin and below the chin on the neck. Ardeth doesn't wear them so I didn't place them here. The body tattoos can bee seen on the Old Egypt Medjai in the films.