Borneo Flower

i was wondering the meaning of the borneo rose ?

I forgot where I read it, but I do remember reading that way back when, the headhunters had these tattoos for protection and as proof of their achievements, and that these achievements were how they got the spiral inside the flower on the front of their shoulders. I'm definitely open to any corrections on this topic as my knowledge is incredibly vague.

I could be totally wrong as well but i'm open to corrections. From what i've read the flowers were a symbol of acceptance into the tribe. The number of petals around the ouside indicated levels of patience and the spiral in the middle was for the persons lifeline or family.

The first response was correct, not a symbol of initiation or acceptance, but a symbol of protection against evil and danger.

hello! I love borneo's flower image and I want to have a tattoo done on the back of my neck with it, the first thing is that I have read that this type of design is always done on the shoulders, does someone know if it's necessary to have it done there or could it be anywhere?Second of all, as I've seen many of those pictures with 8 leaves I wanted to know if there's any particular reason for that number, or it could be any number I like,such as seven. Thanks!!!

hey could you please answer our cuestion about the significate of the number of leaves and the location of the borneo`s flowers i really apretiate any information about it. tanks

Borneo roses where used to distinguish the friends from the enemies in the polynisean war. The Borneo tribe tattoo the rose on their shoulders because its a visible spot.

A lot of what has been said is WRONG! I actually come from borneo, and i have the bunga teruong on my shoulders. I hate to see it bastardised by people who don't understand the meaning or significance of it. For starters, there is no "Borneo tribe"!!!! There are many different tribes, some of which practice tattooing, and some that don't. Among many, there are the kayan, kenyah, kelabit, murut, berawan, penan, iban etc etc...The tribe that are the most prominent at tattooing are the Iban. This is where the bunga teruong, or "borneo rose" comes from. The spirals in the middle are meant to symbolise the life cycle. Some villages say that it originally came from the spirals on the belly of tadpoles, and when you actually go find a tadpole as i have done, you can see this pattern. The bunga teruong is supposed to guard the wearer from evil spirits. Some of the other tattoos on different parts of the body are for different purposes. They used to tattoo the hands if they were headhunters. The bunga teruong should always be done in pairs. They can be on the back, buttocks, shoulders and/or chest. NEVER, should they be done singularly. They are supposed to protect both sides of the body from evil. Just getting one would be silly. As to the number of petals; whilst they are all from the Iban or Dayak tribe, different villages would have slightly different designs. To the guy that said something about the polynesian war... i don't know what the hell you're talking about. Borneo is not in polynesia, and we have never had polynesians invade our land. In fact polynesians mostly originated from borneo and the surrounding islands, and travelled the seas to reach polynesia. Please don't get this tattoo unless you truly understand the symbolism behind them. I and my fellow countrymen get furious when we see silly westerners with these ancestral designs who know nothing about the way we live, nor our culture. If you truly respect our culture, and have some proper reason behind wanting to get the bunga teruong, then please do the required research and get it done properly. I know there are good westerners out there who take things seriously and respect us, but there are many who know nothing, and destroy the meaning behind our culture because they respect nothing. Stop ruining that which you don't own. PLEASE SHOW US SOME RESPECT!!!!

made me think twice, thank you

Hi, The following I've found on the internet: "The Bunga Terung, which translates to the eggplant flower, is the first tattoo a Borneo male would receive. The Bunga Terung is a coming of age tattoo which marks the passage of a boy into manhood. The Bunga Terung has a spiral at the center of the eggplant flower the Tali Nyawa, which means the rope of life and is identical to the underside of a tadpole which symbolizes the beginning of a new life." And: "Borneo Tattooing Today Many of the designs no longer exist. In the 1950s and 1960s many people in Borneo converted to Christianity and a lot of the traditional tattooing stopped. The tattooing and designs almost died away. About 10 years ago there was a resurgence when a lot of journalists and researchers came and asked questions about the old ways. This caused a lot of the younger people to look back and now many of them are getting these traditional tattoos done again. Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Borneo_traditional_tattooing" I'm supporting Madman with his statement NOT to have any tattoos which have a specific meaning when the wearer doesn't understand this meaning. But, when somebody can relate to the meaning and design of the tattoo he should be able to wear this tattoo !! Even when he doesn't belong to the original tribes !! I think to wear these tattoos nowadays it definitely shows respect to these people (again...when understanding and respecting the meaning of the tattoo and not only because they look good !!!!). Regards, Bernd

Wow.....what a topic....how glad i am for the ones who were able to assist the curious.....and indeed this information will cause people to think twice. As for the madman commnet......indeed your words are very true...and if we are speaking of the same Madman which by the sounds of his glorification for the love of ink...it is....indeed it is a true thing. tattooing is an eternity not just a phase...we all have a right as long as we can understand the culture itself...culture as in our lovely tattoo people.....cheers all. thanks for sharing.

Thanks heaps for the info. My uncle fought in Borneo during WWII in a guerilla campaign and had those tattoos "given" to him by the tribe with whom he fought. He would tell me all sorts of stories (often contradictory depending on how many beers he'd had!!) about what they meant & how he got them, so it's good to hear the real deal.

hi..i agreee with wat mad man said about this tattoo..i jus got mine done but took me bout a year over..to really be sure if to do it..and also ask my felloow sarawakians if it wud be an inuslt or disrespect to do it on me as i m sri lankan. wud agree with madman to his statements and we should research and respect other cultures just as we want others to do to us..cheers.. btw,,got mine done at borneo inks in kl..loooks good and they are ibanese...so who better..!!!

"The spirals in the middle are meant to symbolise the life cycle. Some villages say that it originally came from the spirals on the belly of tadpoles, and when you actually go find a tadpole as i have done, you can see this pattern. The bunga teruong (borneo rose) is supposed to guard the wearer from evil spirits. Some of the other tattoos on different parts of the body are for different purposes. They used to tattoo the hands if they were headhunters. The bunga teruong should always be done in pairs. They can be on the back, buttocks, shoulders and/or chest. NEVER, should they be done singularly. They are supposed to protect both sides of the body from evil. Just getting one would be silly. As to the number of petals; whilst they are all from the Iban or Dayak tribe, different villages would have slightly different designs. "

Hi i love this topic about the borneo rose...because i have both my shoulders tattooed with it...because i respect and i pay tribute to my roots because we all know that Filipinos too have the same culture back then as borneans and most of my tattoos are traditional tattoos tahitian, hawaiian, bornean and filipino...because i love the art and as i have said i respect...and that's right i have sported that tattoo not just it looks good but it has a meaning to me, because i believe it like the way of life its a cycle and also to protect me from evil spirits...thanks guys and RESPECT to all borneans, polynesians, hawaiians and filipinos out there!

you said that the borneo rose on different parts of the body mean different things. would it be disrespectful to get this tattoo on your feet? or would it just mean something different?

The Borneo Rose. On the deltoid region of the shoulders and on the breasts, a rosette or star design is found. It seems in the highest degree probable that the rosette is derived from the eye in the dog pattern, and it is consequently of some interest to find that the name now given to the rosette pattern is that of the fruit of a plant which was introduced into Borneo certainly within the last fifty or sixty years... its Kayan name is jalaut. We have here a good example of the gradual degradation of a design leading to a loss of its original significance and even of its name, another name, which originated probably from some fancied resemblance between pattern and object, being applied at a subsequent date..."

I am so glad with the madman' s meaning of borneo rose. I' ve been searching for that kind of meaning, I'm close to be 18 and my life is going too change very soon, I'm going to move to the capital to start a great new life. Thank you very much madman, because of you about 2 months ago I started thinking in get the bunga teruongs on my shoulders. Now I´m completly sure I'm going to do it. I have one question, it sounds like i dont care about this art but it is important to me to know how much it will be, it is just to be prepared to save the money and get the tattoo the same day of my birthday. thank you, man. I' ll be waiting for someone's response. (sorry about my english)

I was tattooed in Malaysia by Lina David, sister to Simon and Eddie. Buaga Terong, I believe is the original spelling, is in fact an eggplant flower and the swirling inside actually refer to a tadpole's distinctive markings. If you are serious about this subject, I HIGHLY recommend "Vanishing Tattoo" a documentary about traditional Iban tattooing. Here is a link to short videos on youtube, they explain it in one of the videos. http://www.youtube.com/profile_videos?user=1tattootribe&p=r The tattoo is the first tattoo that a pubescent Iban child/adult would receive, marking a journey into manhood. Most of their tattooing is meant to symbolize a spiritual journey or physical. Check it out.

I responded last.... Every placement of their tattoos have specific meaning.

Directed at those who know the true custom to the Bunga Terung. 2 questions that I want to ask. I have done research on the tattoo and know the true meaning behind it, but I am not sure if : 1)Is it disrespectful if you have the tattoo done by machine instead of the traditional hand tap method. 2)Is it alrite if you are not from Iban, and still get the tattoo? P.s, I am a Singaporean

Fair enough understanding the meanings of tattoos,but to many people, getting inked is an art form. i get a tattoo because it makes me more attractive, i feel sexier and love showing them off. i agree everyone should research a specific symbol/design before getting it done, but even if if doesnt apply to the individual,if you like it enough and can deal with questions, then just get it. nobody is being offended, it should be seen as a compliment. people get a lot worse tattooed on their bodies.

The more petals the more experience a male has and the spirals either mean how much knowledge or how much patience one has and they are worn on the shoulders to indicate friend or foe.

Quote: "On the deltoid region of the shoulders and on the breasts, a rosette or star design is found. It seems in the highest degree probable that the rosette is derived from the eye in the dog pattern, and it is consequently of some interest to find that the name now given to the rosette pattern is that of the fruit of a plant which was introduced into Borneo certainly within the last fifty or sixty years... its Kayan name is jalaut. We have here a good example of the gradual degradation of a design leading to a loss of its original significance and even of its name, another name, which originated probably from some fancied resemblance between pattern and object, being applied at a subsequent date..." I have done a bit of checking, the plant being talked about: Buah Terung/Terung Dayak/Assam Terung is a native to east Malaysia only (ie. Borneo), the above text is therefore wrong at least in assuming it was imported to Borneo recently. Doesn't necessarily discount the origin theory. I was also told by a local tattoo artist it is worn on the shoulders because that is where straps from your basket pass and the design lends you extra strength to carry the weight in your bejalai (journey undertaken by most young iban men traditionally, probably similar for some of the other tribes)

i've research about the borneo flower cause i want one done. what i've learned is that the borneo flower is done for protection and it reflects the persons patience. but when the headhunters are succesful in their head hunting, they mark their hands like those done on women during indian wedding and not the flower itself.

alright peeps theres some good info on here, i love the these tat's. does anyboby know the name of the other design which is a star shape instead of the rose? and why cant i find pics of people that have had the stars done?

boo hoo, just slap it on, oh you'll hurt my feelings. ha fuck you

hello people, I have asked this question to a close friend in 1996 who has them since he is from the Iban tribe where he still lives. It is a symbol to ward off black magic. It is attached to the story that in the jungle a thorny creeper plant with flowers will sometimes find its way to grow around trees and plants and with its thorns protect the plant from animals. wearing the symbol becomes protection against people that ( the Iban believe ) are re-incarnated from animals. it's not a fashion thing and is still used for its animistic apotropaic meaning. -also my Iban friend got treated badly by immigration so it's not nice to see people freely pasting this on their body with no respect or knowledge of its cultural background, at least now youve read this you will have a start. I am also interested in other tattoo symbols from other cultures which are used to ward off Black magic, please email me if you hear of anything. Luke

MADMAM Knows whats up ppl!you dont need anymore info than the ones straight from the source.. i had mine done when i was turning 18.. i only knew then that the flowers are tattood when the borneo boy's turned into manhood. Respect to the culture of borneo ofcourse !! wish i lived a life in the ancient borneo times

I am sooo fascinated by ancient and indigenous tribes and history and I love tattoos. I don't have any yet though, mostly because I'm flat broke and also because I just find it weird to get a tattoo like a Bunga Terung or any kind of ancient or Polynesian design done by just any random tattoo artist. Does anyone know of anyone from Borneo that does tattoos in the states? Preferably close to or in Texas. Thanks.

Hey guys, from those knowledge I get from this thread I finally got my self to get this tattoo. I've been thinking for one year if a yes or no to this kind of design. It's more of a respect to the culture and getting the true essence of the flower. Now thinking is finally over. Cycle of life..

is the borneo rose strictly for men, or can a woman have it also..