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3400 BCE
Oldest Record of Henna
The oldest proof of henna is mummified bodies in Egypt. These bodies were found to have their hair dyed with henna (Henna History Timeline, n.d.). -
Period: 1500 BCE to 500 BCE
Statues
Along the Mediterranean coastline, statues were discovered depicting young women with raised hands with designs very similar to henna. This is the earliest connection between young women and henna, which may be the origin of the Night of the Henna (Mehndi, n.d.). -
1300 BCE
Fertility
The earliest text mentioning henna in relation to marriage and fertility celebrations is the Ugaritic legend of Baal and Anath, which references women marking themselves with henna in preparation for meeting their husbands, and Anath covering herself in henna in celebration of her victory over the enemies of Baal (Mehndi, n.d.). -
1200 BCE
Henna in Egypt
At this point in time, mummified bodies were being buried with hennaed fingertips in Egypt (Henna History Timeline, n.d.). -
Period: 27 BCE to 476
Henna as Beauty Products
Roman women used henna as an all-around beauty product. Women would decorate their bodies, hands, hair, and face with henna to look more attractive, in the same way women use makeup in today's society (Henna History Timeline, n.d.). -
750
The Cooling Properties of Henna
Mehndi was used as a method to cool down one's body during hot weather. People of the desert would cover their bodies in hennaDue to its intense sensation of cooling. This led people to notice how it would stain the skin. This discovery lead to idea of using henna to make semi-permanent designs on the skin (Mehndi, n.d.). -
1100
India
The Mughals introduced mendhi to India for the first time. This period showed royalty and the rich using henna to decorate themselves. The patterns were made by artists or beauticians, not by the person that was getting the henna. Originally, these patterns were small in size and simple in design, usually only one symbol. However, through time the designs became a more complex and it slowly grew into its own art form with large patterns (Parmar, 2013). -
Henna Culture in India
During the 17th century, in India, women would get henna designs form the barber's wife, as this was the most skilled person at the time. Indian women of that time are depicted with their hands and feet hennaed, regardless of social class or marital status (Das, n.d.). -
Henna and Weddings
During this time henna tattoos became more popular within Indian culture. Over time, the tradition of the bride getting her hands and feet tattooed for the wedding ceremony become norm in Indian culture. This tradition was preformed days sometimes a week prior to the wedding, allowing the henna time to darken. The reddish-brown colour of henna symbolizes the prosperity that a new bride is expected to bring to her new family (Das, n.d.). -
Present Day
Today henna has become a world-wide form of body art. Henna has continued to be used in Indian culture for wedding, religious and cultural purposes. However, many use it now without a cultural purpose. People get henna tattoos for pleasure now as well. In addition, henna has become a social media fad, with people constantly posting photos of henna tattoos that hold no cultural significance. Other cultures have begun to appropriate henna (Mehndi, n.d.).
