The first Europeans to encounter Filipinos were as shocked by the customs of the natives as Columbus had been on his first contacts with Native Americans. The men were tattooed over the whole body. Their sexual organs were pierced with wooden or metal pins, at the end of which hung rings of lead or, in the case of a chief, gold. Many Spanish soldiers admitted that this frightened them. Piercings, appearantly, increased the sexual pleasure of both men and women. A woman would show no interest in a man without a piercing, and even ridicule him. And a man without tattoos was a coward, for if he could not bear the pain of friendly needles, how would he endure the agony inflicted by enemy spears.

Men of the Bontoc, an Igorot tribe, could only be tattooed after having taken their first head. A warrior would display his trophy on a pole outside his hut. The whole village would then celebrate with a feast, worship their heroes and perform magical dances in resistance to the spirits of the vanquished enemy. During such festivities women could be tattooed on their arms and hands.

For the Kalinga killing men from enemy tribes was the best way for a warrior to succeed within the tribe, and the degree of success was indicated by tattoos. Ironically, on having killed enough enemies, a warrior became eligible for the function of peacemaker and intermediary.