I came across two fellow Bidayuhs during the recent gathering who are into body art as well. In this two chapters posting, I’ll introduce you to James a.k.a Bidayuh Nigeria (B.N) – on my left and Debrone – on my right.

Los amigos de Tres Tatuaje! at the Tattoo Convention
(Picture courtesy of Shutterbug)

Both guys had something in common about their tattoo. They are home-made tattoos! Engineered by either friends or relatives using a DIY machine and Chinese ink.

We know that some people tattooed their body with images or designs that carry a special meaning in their life. There’s also some who picked a design merely because they appreciate the beauty in it. For James and Debrone, there seems to be no specific reason behind the selection of their pieces of art hence I’ll try to interpret the tattoos for them.

Before I proceed further with my posting, I’d like to shout out my credits to James and Debrone for willing to pose as the ink-model and for allowing me to cover stories about their tattoo.

James a.k.a Bidayuh Nigeria has a tattoo of a scorpion on his right arm. Scorpion is the eighth astrological sign (Scorpio) of the Zodiac. Astrologically, it hints that he was born in between October 23 to November 22. I did a quick check on his profile and my guess was right!

Scorpio is associated with regeneration, occult studies, hidden issues, mysticism, death and sex. No wonder he’s attracting the ladies like a magnet (Mrs. B.N … just kidding!). If you don’t believe me, then look carefully. His scorpion is on a bed of flower.

On his left arm is Koi or carp fish which carries ancient, deep symbolic meaning. And of course we can’t forget the astrological symbol of Pisces but I discount the latter as I’ve proven he’s a Scorpio.

Koi is a very popular tattoo symbol in both Chinese and Japanese myths. Legend has it that Koi persevered to climb the waterfall in order to transform into a dragon. Thus, the Koi is a symbol of perseverance in the face of adversity and strength of character or purpose. This is proven as James had survived living in conflicting Nigeria as the only Bidayuh (hence the nickname). He is also a favourite among fellow members of Bidayuh.Info which is a show of a strong character.

Another hidden interpretation from the Koi is that, James likes to eat fish. Be it steamed fish with ginger and soy sauce or deep-fried in sweet-sour sauce … hahaha.

That’s my interpretation from James’ tattoo. It’s quite easy to read and interpret the meaning from animal symbol. To get to know more about James, click here. To read about his company, click here. In chapter two, I’ll try to decipher Debrone’s tattoo. This is a tough job as the design is rather abstract although it looks like tribal. As mysterious as Debrone himself, indeed.