Christian tattooing in Bosnia and Herzegovina was a very common widespread custom among members of the Croatian Roman Catholic community during the Turkish occupation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (1463–1878) and up until the 20th century.
Croats would tattoo their children in order to save them from Turks who kidnapped them during Ottoman occupation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, while Croatian women were tattooed in hopes of protecting themselves from being taken away by Turkish men into captivity. Tattooing became widespread after the Ottomans would take children into captivity and send them to Turkey where theywere trained to be soldiers or servants.
(Source: blleeaauugghh, via cercleproudhon)
