A few months ago I covered up my jesus fish tattoo with a tattoo of a sankofa bird. I did not do this becuase I wanted to cover up jesus-which would not have worked anyways since you can still see the jesus fish underneath the sankofa bird tattoo but that is a different image for a different post- but instead, because in an act of vanity I did not want to have the same tattoo as many of my friends.
Now when people see the tattoo on my foot instead of saying "Oh, a jesus fish huh?" they say "why do you have a chicken tattoo on your foot?" This second question sparks conversation and that is something I cherish. After this question I would fly through the Wikipedia definition of a sankofa bird.
"The concept of SANKOFA is derived from King Adinkera of the Akan people of West Afrika. SANKOFA is expressed in the Akan language as "se wo were fi na wosan kofa a yenki."
Literally translated it means "it is not taboo to go back and fetch what you forgot".
"Sankofa" teaches us that we must go back to our roots in order to move forward. That is, we should reach back and gather the best of what our past has to teach us, so that we can achieve our full potential as we move forward. Whatever we have lost, forgotten, forgone or been stripped of, can be reclaimed, revived, preserved and perpetuated.
Visually and symbolically "Sankofa" is expressed as a mythic bird that flies forward while looking backward with an egg (symbolizing the future) in its mouth."
Literally translated it means "it is not taboo to go back and fetch what you forgot".
"Sankofa" teaches us that we must go back to our roots in order to move forward. That is, we should reach back and gather the best of what our past has to teach us, so that we can achieve our full potential as we move forward. Whatever we have lost, forgotten, forgone or been stripped of, can be reclaimed, revived, preserved and perpetuated.
Visually and symbolically "Sankofa" is expressed as a mythic bird that flies forward while looking backward with an egg (symbolizing the future) in its mouth."
Then I would finish with "See! It is NOT a chicken!"
Recently an important person in my life introduced me to a great Ben Harper song called "How many miles must we march" As I was listening to the song this morning I realized that it describes the exact reasoning for my tattoo. From now on I am going to keep copies of the song in my purse so that when people ask me about my chicken tattoo I can hand them the song.
What a blessing it is to be able to view Christianity in so many ways! peace.
Ben Harper - How Many Miles Must We March Lyrics
Exactly how much will have to burn
before we will look to the past to learn.
We walk along this endless path which has led us in a circle.
So here we are right back we can't let the future become our past.
If we are to change the world,
won't you tell me, tell me please,
how many miles must we march?
How many miles must we march?
When I was a baby,
I was not prejudiced,
hey how about you?
This was something that I learned in school,
something they taught us to do.
We can't let the future become our past.
If we are to change the world,
won't you tell me, tell me please,
how many miles must we march?
How many miles must we march?
There must come a day
when a box is not somebody's home.
The unfinished work of our heroes must truly be our own.
We can't let the future become our past.
If we are to change the world,
won't you tell me, tell me please,
how many miles must we march?
How many miles must we march?
How many miles must we march?
How many miles must we march?
How many miles must we march?
How many miles must we march?
1 comment:
That is the coolest tattoo ever!
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