by Te Ora

Created on: May 25, 2010   Last Updated: May 27, 2010

The Mark of a Warrior

My great grandmother was bestowed with the traditional Maori tattoo or moko for her dedication to a great Maori chief and her tribe. Great Mana or honor was granted with such a gift and it was worn with great pride and a constant reminder of her status and loyalty for her entire world to see and know of her achievement.

The Maori, one of many Polynesian cultures of the pacific, had a tradition of rewarding outstanding feats and exceptional displays of loyalty with the ceremony of tattoo.

Rituals of blessings were practiced with everything associated with the tattoo process, from the chant, tools, days, right down to the food eaten; no stone was left unturned in this important ceremony. It was of great importance and tradition had to be followed to the letter. Every attention to detail had to be followed least the Mana or life force that accompanies it be broken and impending disaster befall the whole tribe

The tattooist would have been of great standing in the tribe and a faithful servant of the Chief and have a long history with the Chieftain and his forefathers. The art of tattoo is past down from generation to generation and a long period of apprenticeship precedes the act of tattoo.

Traditional tattoo tools were used, each made by the best craftsmen and from the finest raw materials available in New Zealand, and again passed down from generation to generation.
A period of fasting was practiced by the recipient and the whole tradition performed in temple like surroundings to uphold stature and divinity.

In the traditional form of Maori tattoo, the ink was not just applied under the surface of the skin, but carved into the skin. This process conveying maximum effect and emphasis to the strength of will in the recipient, with each tattoo stroke storytelling the tribal and family history of the recipient.

 The move into Modern day sees the contemporary use of the tattoo applied to all who wish to display their tribal roots in a symbol of unique Maori design.

Nowadays because of the global movement of populations and their interconnectedness, symbols of many tribes are now incorporated into contemporary Maori tattoo design. The use of modern day equipment and the physical movement away from tribal lands has made the tattoo process faster and readily available to all people without the complicated intense traditional ceremonies earned in the past.

Only in certain parts of New Zealand are these traditional tattoo practices staunchly performed today, those few traditional tattooists who remain today are a rare breed and must be respected for their dedication to the fine art of ancient tribal tattoo practices.

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