Tuesday, January 19, 2010

Hidden Meanings Behind Maori Tattoo

By Jennifer Jackson

Choosing Maori Tattoo Designs

The love of the ta moko tattoo.

The word "tattoo" was believed to have come from the Tahitian word "tatau". Captain James Cook used the word "tattow" when he witnessed tattooing for the first time in Tahiti, in the early 1769.

See Tattoo Maori Designs Here

Mataora and Niwareka

Tattooing started as a love story between a young man named Mataora (which means "Face of Vitality") and with Niwareka, a young princess of the underworld, this is according to Maori mythology.

Click here for tattoo maori designs

However, Niwareka ran back to "Uetonga", her father's realm, when Mataora beat her one day.

Mataora, filled with guilt and heartbreak followed after his princess. After many trials, and after overcoming numerous obstacles, Mataora eventually arrived at the realm of "Uetonga", but with his face paint messed and dirty after his voyage. Niwareka's family taunted and mocked Mataora for his bedraggled appearance. In his very humbled state, Mataora begged Niwareka for forgiveness, which she eventually accepted. Niwareka's father then offered to teach Mataora the art of tattooing, and at the same time Mataora also leant the art of Taniko - the plaiting of cloak borders in many colors.

Mataora and Niwareka thus returned together to the human world, bringing with them the arts of ta moko and taniko.

The process is called Ta, and the product is called Moko.

Basing on archaeological evidence, tattooing arrived to New Zealand from Eastern Polynesia.

Tattooing bone chisels were found in archaeological sites of different ages in New Zealand and some early Eastern Polynesian sites. There is no evidence that the Moriori people practice tattooing, but the Maori people did.

Some Maori can still trace their families using these tattoos There are some leaders of maoris that are still alive today that would be able to look at certain designs and tell you who or from which tribe these tattoo`s belong too Some of these tattoos go back 2000 years, yes that right all through just looking at the design and finishing of the tattoo they will be able to tell certain maoris families origins. There is a story in each maori tattoo that you see, each one tells a little bit about this maoris tribe and is unique like a finger print to each tribe

About the Author:

No comments:

Post a Comment