Shan Tattoos

Most of the Shan men have blue-black writing in Shan; one line of writing with other lines of writing branching off like domino chicken foot. Many of them have explained these tattoos to us. They are a magic charm that will protect them from violence; knives and bullets. 


They admit the charms won't really make them invincible, but they make them a little braver when they need it. They get them up at the monastery when they're teenagers. The women and the other ethnicities don't have tattoo charms.