Devotee's sacred tattoos fail the axe testListen to this articleA sak yant master uses a needle to tattoo a man during a festival at Wat Bang Phra monastery, where devotees believe their tattoos have mystical powers, in Nakhon Pathom province. (Photo: Reuters)SAMUT PRAKAN - A 37‑year‑old man who set out to “test the power” of his sacred tattoos ended the evening in a far less mystical fashion, lying in a pool of blood with axe wounds to his back. According to the girlfriend, the man had earlier visited a samnak sak yant (sacred tattooing shrine) in Bangkok to “test” the protective power of his tattoos. The tattoos are traditionally applied with a sharpened needle while a sak yant master quietly recites sacred mantras throughout the ritual. Historically, Thai warriors often bore these markings as a source of morale, magical protection and spiritual power in battle.
