SICANJE

Sicanje, bocanje or crucificaje is a centuries-old tattooing tradition among Catholics of Bosnia and Herzegovina, created during the Ottoman conquests with the aim of preserving Christian identity.

THE ORIGIN OF SICANJE

The Ottoman conquest brought about major social and religious changes. During Ottoman rule, the process of Islamization began, and the Christian population, exposed to religious, political, legal, and tax restrictions, found itself in a less favorable social position. In such circumstances, part of the Catholic population emigrated from Bosnia, while others gradually integrated into the new social order by accepting Islam.

Women were particularly pressured, and according to tradition, they were sometimes forcibly married or taken to harems. In such circumstances, Catholics began to tattoo ornaments with a cross in the center – a practice known as sicanje. The tattoos were placed on visible places such as the hands, forearms, foreheads or chests to be a permanent and indelible sign of Christian identity. According to folk tradition, a marked woman was less likely to be taken away.

Sicanje was practiced by Catholics in Bosnia and Herzegovina who, by language, religion and cultural tradition, belong to the Croatian identity, which is why this traditional practice is today also called traditional Croatian tattooing. It was most prevalent in central Bosnia (Jajce, Rama, Uskoplje, Kupres and Kraljeva Sutjeska) and in Turopolje. To a lesser extent, it also appears in Croatia, between Sinj and Šibenik and in Dubrovnik-Neretva County.

SYMBOLS OF SICANJE

The most common motif of sicanje was the cross – a recognizable symbol of the Catholic faith. It was often surrounded by geometric and plant ornaments that created various compositions called: “wheel”, “fence”, “bracelet”, “branch”, “twig”, “fir”, “fir cross” and “ear”.

TECHNIQUE AND RITUAL OF SICANJE

The tattooing was done using a simple technique of pricking the skin with a needle. The motif was first drawn on the skin, then the skin was pricked, after which a mixture made from natural ingredients such as pine soot, honey, or other organic substances was rubbed into the wound. After the mixture was washed off, a permanent ornament was left on the skin.

Girls between the ages of 12 and 16 were most commonly tattooed, and tattooing was usually done by older women in the family. Men were tattooed less frequently and most often wore simple crosses on their arms or foreheads.

Sicanje was most often performed on the feast of St. Joseph (March 19), who has been considered the patron saint of the Croatian people since the 17th century. The date coincides with the beginning of spring and old spring rituals associated with the renewal of life. In some regions, sicanje was also performed on the Annunciation or Good Friday.

ORIGIN OF SYMBOLS

Crosses, and many other motifs alongside them, the same ones found on stećak tombstones, on distaffs, and on embroidery, are part of the enigmatic pre-Slavic, pre-Christian, and pre-Ancient Balkan tradition, at least two or three thousand years old.

- (Lovrenović,2002)

The geometric symbols that appear in sicanje have deep historical roots. They originate from motifs associated with the Sun and celestial bodies that appear in prehistoric times. One of the oldest is the sun wheel – a circular symbol with four, six or eight spokes – which appears in the Bronze Age on cult petroglyphs around the world. The circle often symbolizes the Sun, while the cross can denote the four cardinal points or the seasons. Similar solar signs have been found in archaeological finds throughout Europe, Asia and Africa.

In the Bronze Age, the western Balkans were inhabited by the Illyrians, an Indo-European tribe whose religion was linked to the cults of natural forces. Solar symbols such as the sun wheel are common in their symbolism and have been found at numerous archaeological sites in Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is assumed that the Illyrians themselves tattooed themselves, as confirmed by archaeological findings of tattoo needles found in the area.

Over the centuries, the territory of Bosnia and Herzegovina was inhabited by various peoples – Illyrians, Romans, Celts, Slavs – who used similar geometric and solar symbols in their beliefs. These motifs have been preserved on Celtic coins, Roman mithraeums and medieval stećak tombstones. Due to this continuity, the symbols have survived in this area and gradually acquired new meanings, and during the Ottoman conquests they became part of the sicanje ornamentation.

WOMEN'S TATTOO

In many ancient cultures, tattoos played an important ritual and social role. Women wore them as a sign of protection, fertility, status, or belonging to a community.

Similar motifs and tattoo techniques appear in women's tattoos all over the world - from Europe and the Mediterranean to Asia, Africa and America.

SICANJE AFTER THE 20TH CENTURY

After the end of Ottoman rule, the tradition of tattooing continued until World War II. Tattoos served as a sign of recognition, preservation of the faith, customs and ethnic identity of Catholics in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Girls often competed to see who would have the most beautiful and numerous motifs.
After the end of World War II, the tradition gradually disappeared. In the new social circumstances, religious symbols were no longer encouraged, so the practice of sicing eventually disappeared from everyday practice.

SICANJE TODAY

Today, the original meaning of the sicanje symbols has been lost, but the ornaments of sicanje are being rediscovered and used in new ways: as a remembrance of ancestors, an aesthetic expression, or a symbol to which individuals assign their own meaning. In this way, the symbols of sicanje continue to live on and are increasingly seen in tattoos, fashion, design, and pop culture.