THE HANNYA MASK HISTORY
You might have seen our killer Hannya Print Shirt and Shorts co-ord that we released this summer (oh and the matching backpack!). This print was a first time for us and we love it, it features an all over Hannya mask with a chrysanthemum floral design on a navy blue background. This statement combo isn’t for the shy but you certainly won’t get lost in the crowd wearing it!
So where did the Hannya mask originate from? We’ve done a little digging to get some more info on the history of the Hannya mask and what it means…
The Hannya mask dates back to the 14th century where it first appeared in traditional Japanese theatres. The masks commonly represent a female anger which would arise when the character had been betrayed. Actors would wear the masks to help tell their stories because the expression of a Hannya mask would change from anger to sadness depending on the angle the mask is held at – pretty sweet right.
In Japanese, the word Hannya means ‘wisdom’ so the masks are also considered a symbol of good luck! And in traditional Japanese culture the Hannya symbol is used to scare and ward off evil spirits, bring protection and good luck to those that carry one.
Hannya in the tattoo world
It is from here that their popularity has grown within the tattoo world. Having a Hannya mask as a tattoo is a permanent and convenient way to bring luck and ward off the evil spirits (hopefully wearing it counts too!). It can also represent previous trauma that the owner has overcome, protecting them from further similar struggles. Getting a Hannya mask tattoo gives you the freedom to choose its expression, colours and background elements which further deepen the meaning.
The Hannya mask has become an incredibly popular design within all styles of tattooing due to its deep and meaningful history. They are an incredibly versatile design, working well in a range of styles, colours and placements and look pretty bloody awesome.
BAD MONDAY BATTLE OF THE BANDS
We’re massive music lovers in the Bad Monday office and always have a playlist on the go, sometimes we’re singing along to Miley Cyrus and other times we’re taking it old school with some Metallica – there’s no judgement either way. We also love discovering new bands, DJs, artists etc and have been lucky to have some awesome ones as our customers along the way.
We decided July would be the perfect month to discover some new music and celebrate some of our talented customers, so we launched the Bad Monday Battle of The Bands! We asked our social media following to send in a video clip of them performing (this could include bands, DJ’s, singers, trumpet players you name it). Once we received all entries, we had a pretty damn good day listening to them all, regretfully we could only pick 8 to take through to the next round!
Our favourite 8 battled it out head-to-head on our Instagram stories, with our followers voting for their fav to make the next round. It was a close call for all the battles as the competition was so tough (you are a talented bunch). But the eventual winner was declared as Distance Between Us, these guys are a Communal Metal Covers Project band who formed over Lockdown (remotely!). You can check them out via their Facebook page here or head over to their Instagram.
We loved the Bad Monday Battle of The Bands and want to give a massive shoutout to our final 8 so you can check them out with their relevant social handles below – give them a listen!