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Does You Maori Tattoo Make Maoris Mad? 

How the maoris arrived on the shores on New Zealand.

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

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

Tattoo maori Designs Found Here

In New Zealand, It is in the early sites that the widest chisel blades are found, and this lends evidence to the theory that there was possibly a preference towards rectilinear tattoo patterns in earlier times.

Tattoo craftsmen, or “tohunga-ta-oko”, are considered very tapu or sacred, the reason behind this was tattooing causes blood to run. Also, the head was deemed to be the most sacred part of the body. Persons who were not tattooed are considered unimportant people, while all Maori of high ranks were tattooed.

Tattooing commenced at puberty, accompanied by many rites and rituals.  Aside from making a warrior attractive to women, the process of having tattoos will imply the rites of passage and some other important events.

The tattooing process brings about many prohibitions, and particularly in facial tattoos, sexual intimacy and eating of solids are not allowed. In order to overcome this, liquid food and water was drained into a wooden funnel, to ensure that no contaminating product came into contact with the swollen skin. The only way that a tattooed person could eat until the wounds heal is this.

Maori Tribal Tattoos Found Here

The tattoo process was very time consuming especially if it is full faced, also, there is a need to review a person’s bone structure for safety – even with a good tattoo craftsman.

Swollen tattoo cuts were covered by leaves from the native Karaka tree so the healing process will hasten up since this is an extremely long and painful process. A common sight would be a war, and the warriors only have so little time to get well again. During the tattooing process, flute music and chant poems were performed to help soothe the pain.

Even though at that time the tattoos were mainly facial, swirling double spiral tattoos on both buttocks can be seen in North Auckland warriors, they often even lead down their legs until the knee.

If men had so many tattoos on them, women on the other hand only have a few. Their upper lips were outlined, usually in dark blue. The nostrils were also very finely incised. Chin moko, this is the most popular Maori woman tattoo that is practiced even into 1970s.

The Maori see maori tattoo designs that are not done right as weakening their spirituality, their culture, and see the west as thieves for not having their own originality when getting maori tattoo designs.

Maori Tattoo Designs Click here.