In many of the dense forests along the river Amazon man still lives as he did in prehistoric times. Driven even farther into the interior by the inroads of modern civilization, the Indians of Brazil have a hard struggle to maintain their simple ways of life.

During times of war or at certain ceremonies and feasts, these Indians paint their bodies with juices obtained from certain aromatic plants. The predominant color is a bright red, obtained from the unucu and the onoto. The dark blue comes from the sap of the American juniper.

In some tribes the men cover their entire bodies in the most fantastic tattoos which are considered to have a magical power. In other tribes only the face is tattooed. The tattoos are done by methods and with ceremonies that vary from tribe to tribe.

There is a special tattoo given to young men they reach the end of their initiation period which marks them out as having been accepted by their tribe. The ceremony of the Camayura Indians is called omaruru and consists of two dark blue rings under the eyes.

The Jivaro, who have a blind faith in the magical powers of tattoos, have invented a method carrying out the operation simply. This consists of a tattoo ‘stamp’ made of a piece of wood or clay on which the tattoo design has been carved or cut out.