Pintados

Pintados is a historical term used by early Spanish chroniclers to refer to tattooed inhabitants of the Philippines, especially among the Visayas and parts of Mindanao. The word comes from the Spanish pintado, meaning painted or tattooed, and it highlights the prominent body markings that characterized these communities before and during early colonial contact.

Tattooing in Pintados societies served social, symbolic, and ritual functions. Designs were often extensive and placed on the arms, chest, back, legs, and sometimes the face. Motifs could indicate status, tribal affiliation, personal achievements, rites of passage, or protective beliefs. The practice varied among groups and reflected local aesthetics, symbolism, and tattooing traditions.

Historical accounts from the 16th century describe Pintados as warriors and people with elaborate geometric and figurative tattoo patterns. The most well-known references come from Spanish explorers and chroniclers who encountered tattooed individuals during early voyages, such as those that followed Magellan’s expedition. These descriptions contributed to the enduring image of the Philippines as a land of tattooed peoples in the popular imagination of the time.

With European colonization and the spread of Christianity, traditional tattoo practices declined in many areas, affected by social, religious, and cultural shifts. In the modern period, interest in Pintados and their tattooing heritage has revived in some communities through cultural revival programs, museums, and contemporary art. The term continues to be used in historical and cultural contexts to describe these early tattoo traditions and their role in Philippine precolonial society.