Animal Designs in Henna.

As with the rest of Indian art, henna is filled with animal symbolism. While I was there I got the chance to have a go, and I loved it!

'The use of mehndi and turmeric is described in the earliest Hindu Vedic ritual books. It was originally used for only women's palms and sometimes for men, but as time progressed, it was more common for women to wear it. Haldi (staining oneself with turmeric paste) as well as mehndi are Vedic customs, intended to be a symbolic representation of the outer and the inner sun. Vedic customs are centered on the idea of "awakening the inner light". Traditional Indian designs are representations of the sun on the palm, which, in this context, is intended to represent the hands and feet.'

www.hennapage.com/henna/encyclopedia/id/             Gives a good description of times when animals themselves are henna'd, not just part of the design. When goats are sacrificed they are painted like brides and covered in henna. I am not sure if this is suggesting that brides going into marriage is like sending a goat to be slaughtered or if, less depressingly, it is like giving away a member of the family to the gods. Comparing an animal to a bride evokes fear and unjustness which just goes to stress the point that we are so dominant over animals. If we thought animals were happy and free to do as they will then we would have no problem being compared to them. But they are instead 'slaves' to humans, and referring to a human as animal suggests that the human does not have their own mind and choices.