Common Maori Tattoo Mistakes

How the maoris arrived on the shores on New Zealand.

Tattooing came from Eastern Polynesian culture to New Zealand according to archaeological evidence.

In archaeological sites in New Zealand and Eastern Polynesia, the bone chisels used for tattooing can be found. Although the Maori practiced tattooing, there is no evidence that the Moriori people did.

Maori Tribal Tattoos

In the earlier times of New Zealand, the early sites can showcase the widest chisel blades, leading to proving the theory that there might be a preference towards rectilinear tattoo patterns.

The head was considered the most sacred part of the body, and because tattooing caused blood to run the tattoo craftsmen, or “tohunga-ta-oko”, were very tapu persons. Persons who were not tattooed are considered unimportant people, while all Maori of high ranks were tattooed.

Many rites and rituals occur at puberty, including tattooing. In addition to making a warrior attractive to women, the tattoo practice marked both rites of passage and important events in a person’s life.

During the tattooing process, there are a lot of prohibitions - sexual intimacy and eating of solid foods are forbidden when facial tattooing is taking place. Due to swollen skin, liquid food and water was drained through a wooden funnel to be sure that there will not be contact with any contaminating product. There is just no choice; until the wounds heal, this is the sole solution if a tattooed person would want to eat.

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A careful study of a person’s bone structure is done by good tattoo craftsmen, it also must be known that a full faced tattoo was very time consuming.

Often, leaves from the native Karaka tree were to be placed over the inflamed tattoo cuts to fasten the healing process, because this is extremely long and painful. Warriors only had so much time to recover, since wars are numerous. During the tattooing process, flute music and chant poems were performed to help soothe the pain.

Tattoos of swirling double spirals on both buttocks are what warriors from the North Auckland have, even though tattoos were mainly facial.

Unlike the men, women are not as comprehensively tattooed. Usually, their lips were outlined dark blue. Very finely carved nostrils are also noticeable. Chin moko, this is the most popular Maori woman tattoo that is practiced even into 1970s.

From the maoris point of view taking from their culture without asking them or having a design on you that is a replica is a weakening of their identity in terms of their culture, westernising them further through the stealing of their heritage and also they feel that they will eventually have nothing left that is sacred and original for them to hold onto in the future.

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