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Maori Tribes Tattoo

 
 

The Maori tribes in New Zealand have a Polynesian heritage. However, the tribe has given themselves a distinct identity by creating their own cultural heritage and has managed to separate themselves from the different tribes of Polynesia. In similar ways as their unique cultural differences, Maori tattoos have set their own identity separating from the ones we find with Polynesian tattoos. The very distinctive features of Maori tattoos are their curved shapes forming intricate patterns, and mythology says that a young warrior learnt the art of Mori tribal tattoos from the lord of the underworld, as he won the heart of the daughter of the lord's daughter.

The Maori tattoos are used by the tribes as a part of their special rituals which are held on particular occasions or special events. As a child is born, he would go through many stages in his or her life, and right from the stage of passing from childhood to adolescent, he or she would be marked with a tattoo. During the passage of life the person will be receiving more tattoos added to the first one for the different significant events that take place in his or her life. The celebrations are marked with music and chanting, and the tribesman would go into fast before being tattooed. The ceremony is joined not only by the concerned person and his or family, but the whole tribe.

 
 

The show of courage in a tribesman brings him or her appropriate tattoo, a kind of reward for bravery. This tattoo gives a special status to the person in the tribe. Particularly for men, the tattoos would cover the whole face, while the women would have tattoos on their lips and cheeks. At some instances, the women would have their neck covered with tattoos. In this way, the more tattoos a tribesman has, his status in the tribe increases, and on the other hand a person without any tattoo is considered to be worthless. The women in the tribe do not have many tattoos on their bodies since they do not need to be involved in activities which require courage, while most of such activities are left to men.

Maori have most of their tattoos on their faces. However, they also wear certain kinds of tattoos which are placed on their legs and buttocks. The difference between the body tattoos and what they have on their faces is that, the body tattoos are larger, with bigger curves and spirals and much sharper and distinct than those on their faces.

 
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