1) Mythology.
According to Maori mythology, tattooing commenced with a love affair between a young man by the name of Mataora (which means "Face of Vitality") and a young princess of the underworld by the name of Niwareka. One day however, Mataora beat Niwareka, and she left Mataroa, running back to her father's realm which was named "Uetonga". Mataora, filled with guilt and heartbreak followed after his princess Niwareka. 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 colours. Mataora and Niwareka thus returned together to the human world, bringing with them the arts of ta moko and taniko.
2) Archaeological evidence.
According to archaeological evidence, tattooing came to New Zealand from Eastern Polynesian culture. The bone chisels used for tattooing can be found in archaeological sites of various ages in New Zealand, as well as in some early Eastern Polynesian sites. Although the Maori practised tattooing, there is no evidence that the Moriori people did. 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. 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. All high-ranking Maori were tattooed, and those who went without tattoos were seen as persons of no social status. Tattooing commenced at puberty, accompanied by many rites and rituals. 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. There were certain prohibitions during the tattooing process, and for the facial tattoo in particular sexual intimacy and the eating of solid foods were prohibited. 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. This was also the only way the tattooed person could eat until his or her wounds healed. The full faced tattoo was very time consuming, and a good tattoo craftsman would carefully study a person's bone structure before commencing his art.
3) The Moko (tattoo) generally has the following significance :
Upper forehead = rank
a) The left and right areas, above the eyes = position
b) The left and right areas, just beneath the eyes = genealogy
c) The far left and right areas, leading to the ear = marriage(s)
d) Left and right areas, between the nose and lips = signature
e) The left and right areas, just under the ear = profession
f) The left and right areas of the chin = power and standing
g) The left and right areas leading onto the neck = position at birth
The tattoo instrument was a bone chisel, either with a serrated or an extremely sharp straight edge. The first stage of the tattoo commenced with the graving of deep cuts into the skin. Next, a chisel was dipped into a sooty type pigment such as burnt Kauri gum or burnt vegetable caterpillars, and then tapped into the skin. It was an extremely painful and long process, and often leaves from the native Karaka tree were placed over the swollen tattoo cuts to hasten the healing process. Wars were frequent, and the warriors had little time for recuperation. During the tattooing process, flute music and chant poems were performed to help soothe the pain. Although the tattoos were mainly facial, the North Auckland warriors included swirling double spirals on both buttocks, often leading down their legs until the knee. The women were not as extensively tattooed as the men. Their upper lips were outlined, usually in dark blue. The nostrils were also very finely incised. The chin moko was always the most popular, and continued to be practised even into the 1970s.
The native people of New Zealand (Maori) are world famous for their tattooing. Though they do not cover as much of the body as many of the South Pacific people, the Maori developed an unusual style of tattooing. Working mostly on the face (Moko) and buttocks, the Maori took their wood carving technique and applied it to tattooing. With this they achieved a unique chiseled design that ink was then rubbed into. After the Europeans arrived in the 1700s, they brought metal to these islands and the Maori began a more conventional style of puncture tattooing. Amazingly enough this tattooing can still be seen in many museums around the world, not just in drawings or photographs, but actually in the skin. The Maori had an unusual custom of removing and preserving the heads of their tattooed chiefs after death. These heads would stay with the family and be an honored possession. Until Europeans began to visit New Zealand and to settle there, heads were of sentimental interest only and had no commercial value. The museums' and collectors' desire to possess them as curiosities for caused a great demand to spring up. Although reluctant to part with the heads, the Maori were eager to obtain firearms, ammunition and iron implements. So a brisk traffic ensued and the demand began to exceed the supply. The Maori were known to fight one another in disputes over land and property. The heads of these war victims became part of the trade supply. This considerably reduced the population of New Zealand while stocking the museums of Europe with specimens of barbaric face-culture. As a commercial enterprise this traffic was not without monetary profit as well. The first dried head ever possessed by a European was acquired on January 20, 1770. It was brought by Mr. (later Sir Joseph) Banks, who was with Captain Cook's expedition as a naturalist, and it was one of four brought on board the Endeavour for inspection. It was the head of a youth of fourteen or fifteen, who had been killed by a blow that fractured his skull. The three other heads, not for sale, seemed to have false eyes and ornaments in the ears. The first head taken to Sydney, for which there is any record, was brought from Fouveaux Straits in 1811. It was obtained by theft, and the boat crew's heads were nearly cut off for "utu" (revenge.) In 1814 heads were certainly not yet an ordinary article to trade at Sydney, but by 1829 it appears that preserved heads were not uncommon. The arrival of the first Europeans were to bring about dramatic changes to their environment. Stone impliments, greenstone adze and similar tools became quickly cast aside when the advantages of metal, steel and iron, became known to them.
The Dutch explorer, Abel Tasman, 'found' New Zealand on the 13th December, 1642. Sailing aboard the war-yacht Zeehaven accompanied by the Dutch flute Heemskerck he wrote: "Towards noon we saw a large, high lying land bearing southeastward to us at about 20 leagues distance; (the Hokitika area) we saw no human beings; no smoke; nor can the people here have any boats, since we did not see any sign of them." Sailing on to Golden Bay, Tasman saw smoke from fires along the coast lit by the maori. He anchored in the bay and in the evening two canoes came out to the ship. They made no attempt to come aboard. Early next morning another canoe came out with thirteen people aboard. They were double canoes, two prows side by side. Eleven more canoes followed, completely surrounding his ship. Suddenly and without warning there was trouble. Tasman sent a small boat out to greet the local canoes. One of the maori canoes deliberately rammed the boat and swung alongside, when three of his crew members were cut down by the maori and killed, another mortally wounded. Seeing the cannon aboard Zeehaven being run out through the portals, the Maori canoes made for the shore, while the guns hit and killed the Maori warriors in the rear canoe. Tasman now considered the Maori as hostile and his enemy and set sail northwards towards the Three Kings Islands to replenish his fresh water supplies. Heavy seas were running in the area and he could not get ashore through the surf with the boats and casks. He decided to weigh anchor and set sail from New Zealand February, 1643. His journal and charts of the southern oceans made a note to warn all mariners to regard the natives of this land as 'hostile'.
References:
http://history-nz.org/maori3.htmlhttp://www.library.csi.cuny.edu/dept/history/lavender/maoritattoo.html http://www.tattooarchive.com/Maori.htmlhttp://www.pbs.org/skinstories/history/newzealand.htmlhttp://homepages.ihug.co.nz/~tonyf/explore/explore.htmlhttp://www.vanishingtattoo.com/1800nz.htmhttp://www.vanishingtattoo.com/polynesia.htmhttp://tattoos.com/jane/steve/new_zealand.htmhttp://www.history-nz.org/img/moko.jpghttp://www.tattooarchive.com/Maori.html
