A tatuagem como expressão cultural: influências da religiosidade no contexto de Mariana, Minas Gerais

Abstract

This study aims to investigate how religiosity influences and shapes the practice of tattooing as a cultural expression in the city of Mariana (MG). In a context historically marked by the strong presence of Catholicism and expressive religious manifestations, the relationship between tattooing and faith constitutes a relevant field of investigation. It starts from the understanding of the body as a symbolic and culturally constructed space, engaging with Lima (2017), who considers the body as an object of social inclusion, and with Eliade (1992), regarding the understanding of the sacred in everyday life. Tattooing is analyzed as a form of cultural expression associated with identity, resistance, and religious beliefs. Methodologically, this is a qualitative, exploratory, and descriptive study, conducted through semi-structured interviews with residents, priests, and tattoo artists, as well as the analysis of photographic records of tattoos with religious themes. The results show that local religiosity exerts a significant influence on choices related to tattooing, affecting symbols, dimensions, visibility, and attributed meanings. It is concluded, therefore, that tattooing in Mariana cannot be analyzed in isolation from its religious and cultural context. Local religiosity influences practices, meanings, and choices, while at the same time being reinterpreted by individuals based on their experiences, trajectories, and social relationships.