Deq (tattoo)

Deq (Kurdish: deq, دەق; Syriac: ܕܰܩܩܶܐ, romanized: Daqqe or Dyoqo), also known as xał (خاڵ) and in Assyrian as rushma (ܪܘܼܫܡܵܐ, “sign”), is a traditional and unique form of tattooing that is most prominent in Mardin, Diyarbakır, and Şanlıurfa Province in southeastern Turkey.^[1] Although it is primarily a practice observed by Kurdish women, deq is also observed among men.

The tradition of Deq is primarily observed among Kurds and Yazidis, however other groups such as Arabs and Assyrians also partake in similar customs. Due to religious, cultural, and economic influences, the practice has declined and has often been replaced by henna, which is temporary, unlike the permanent nature of deq. However, recent efforts have been made to revive deq as a means of reasserting Kurdish identity.^[1]

The term deq is derived from the Syriac word Dyoqo (Syriac: ܕܝܘܩܐ), which means "puncturing". This etymology reflects the process of applying the tattoos, which involves puncturing the skin to create permanent marks. The practice of Deq is thus closely linked to this concept of puncturing as a form of body art and cultural expression.^[2]

The word "Deq" is also broadly used to describe tattoos or people who apply them onto the body. In Arabic, the word is used in two variations, vesm and veshm (veșm). A male tattooer is called deqqak (dekkak), while a female tattooer is called deqqake (dekkake). A tattooed male is called medquk (medkuk), while a tattooed female is called medquke (medkuke).^[3]

The origins of deq are unknown, but they are traced back to ancient Mesopotamia before the advent of Islam^[1] and may be associated with Zoroastrianism.^[4] In the early 6th century, Aëtius of Amida wrote about the deq and how it was prepared which he published in his work Medicae Artis Principes. In this work, he explained that the deq material was prepared by crushing and mixing pine wood (preferably its bark), some corroded bronze, gum and oil from trees. Beside this mixture, corroded bronze was also mixed with vinegar to create a second mixture. Then, leek juice and water is mixed together. The place for the tattoo is then cleaned by this leek juice mixture, a design is drawn by piercing and the combined mixture is then put on the skin.^[5] Other discussions of deq are also seen in article 226 of the Code of Hammurabi.

Jacques de Morgan observed the tattooing of Kurdish women in 1895, and mentioned that old women had most tattoos and were sometimes tattooed all over the body. When men were tattooed, it was predominantly on their hands and rarely on the face. Henry Field also observed this phenomenon when he visited the provinces of Kurdistan and Kermanshah in Iran in the 1950s.^[6] It was rarer for upper classmen to receive tattoos compared to villagers and nomads.

The practice of deq predates Christianity, Yezidism and Islam and is associated with local traditions. They can have different significations depending on placement, including pure adornment, spiritual protection and tribal affiliation. On women, they are usually found on faces, necks, feet, hands and to a lesser degree breasts and near the genitals. Facial deq is believed to ward off evil spirits, provide good health and fertility. In the past, it was also possible to identify the tribal affiliation of a Kurd by their deq, often marked as a "V" shape.^[4] There are rules to the usage of deq and women who are divorced or who have given birth to stillborn children cannot be tattooed.^[7]

In inking women, the tattooist first draws the design on the skin with a needle dipped in ink and pricked into the skin. The ink is made from milk (usually breast milk), but it can also be made using herbs, animal intestines, and lamp soot.^[8] designs are usually lines, stars, swastikas, suns, semicircles, rectangles, diamonds and crosses. In some cases, women who converted to Islam from Yazidism would have a moon symbol tattooed.^[9] It is circles that are particularly associated with fertility,^[10] while crosses are believed to ward off evil spirits and diamonds bring strength.^[7] The deq can be seen as a diary for the particular woman.^[11] Usually, for women under the age of 60, deq designs are minimalistic, and are often as small as a simple dot on the cheek or chin.^[9] The process of applying deq is regarded as painful, and the tattoo is permanent once applied.^[12]

Although much less common than women, men usually get tattooed on the hands, legs, neck, chest and face (temporal tattoos are common^[13]). The primary significations among men are medicinal and protective.^[7]

Recent efforts have been made by Kurds to preserve the tradition of Deq, as the tradition is currently at threat of being lost.^[14] Though being more common in the 1960s, the tradition is currently mostly practiced by older women, who have deq on their faces or bodies.^[15] Newer generations typically regard deq as being sacrilegious or old-fashioned, although some are now using it to express Kurdish identity and Kurdish nationalist sentiments.^[16][8]

Assyrians use deq and similar types of tattoos to display Christian symbols, with common motifs such as the cross often being tattooed.^[2] Assyrians in the Nineveh Plains still continue this practice, although dwindling, and refer to it as “rushma” (an Aramaic word meaning “sign”). The rushma is done by using a needle to poke the design on the skin deep enough to cause blood, and once completed, by applying a mixture of ashes and cow milk over it. Common motifs for men are the cross on the either side of the wrist, between the thumb and pointer finger, and on the back of the hand, as well as dots on the ends of the fingers. For women are the cross on the forehead and the chin, and on the chin may also be formed by four simple dots.

Assyrians who lived in Mardin developed cultural ties with nearby Kurds and adopted deq tattooing, often showing religious or cultural symbolism.^[1][17] Arabs and Yezidis also experienced a share of culture from being in and around the same area, and a number of Arab villages in Turkey have at least one tattooed woman.^[13]

Patterns among the Yazidis include a comb, a cross, a gazelle, an animal called daqqayeh, a sandgrouse foot, a moon (both full or crescent), a doll, a spindle, an inverted 'v' called res daqq and a dimlich (figure which looks like a bag with two strings).^[18]

• Dukehart, Coburn (21 January 2015), The Last Tattooed Women of Kobane, National Geographic, archived from the original on February 24, 2021
• Video explaining Deq (Turkish subtitles)
• Magazine article