Vinh Dao | Magic as Armor

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Magic As Armor

In the late 1970’s and early 1980’s, Cambodian guerillas fighting the Vietnamese army believed that a combination of magical items and tattoos would give them an edge against their opponents. Square shapes of cloth scrawled with spells and mystical Sak Yant tattoos contained powers such as protection against land-mines, stronger punches, powers of persuasion and even invisibility. Over thirty years on, these soldiers still carry these talismans as a reminder of their past.