The Sumi [Tribe][note 1] (
Background[]
Among the traditions of the Sumi tribe, some specific tattoos on the arms and hands are composed of ancient symbols marked and signify a Sumi woman's betrothal to god and her vow of chastity.[1]
Plot[]
Hunter Exam arc[]
Following the tip given by the Quizzing Lady, Gon, Kurapika, and Leorio find a couple of navigators in the house under the Lone Pine Tree. Still, they are being attacked by a magical beast, the Kiriko. The beast runs off with the woman and leaves the wounded man behind. Kurapika saves the man's wife but also notices her tattoos. Leorio appears in the forest, but he is revealed to be a disguised Kiriko, and Kurapika immediately demands to know who the woman is. It's later revealed that all this was just a test and the navigators are the members of a Kiriko family; the man's wife was the daughter in the family. She discloses that Kurapika instantly recognized her Sumi tribe tattoo, indicating that her marriage to her "husband" was null and void as she took a marital vow toward god. For recognizing the Sumi symbols, the navigators pass Kurapika on the test.[1]
Trivia[]
A Sumi Tribe slab relic
- In Japanese, the word sumi can also mean "ink" when written in kanji (墨); maybe a play on their tattoo customs.
- Coincidentally or not, in real life there is an ethnic group called Sumi.
- In Episode 4 of the 1999 anime adaptation series, features a slab relic of the Sumi Tribe.[2]
References[]
Notes
- ↑ In the manga's translation the group is referred to only as "Sumi", omitting the "Tribe" part.