Cultural Arts
Ta moko - Tattooing
Tattooing required extraordinary
expertise, and so was performed only by tohunga
ta moko (tattoo experts), some of whom were in such demand that they
traveled the country in order to fulfill special assignments. The Maori method
of tattooing differed significantly from contemporary Western tattooing or the
needle-puncture method characteristic of the rest of
Men were tattooed on the face,
thighs, and buttocks; only older men had full facial tattoos, and it is
generally believed that tattoos for men were indicative of acts of bravery in
war. Women, especially those of the higher class, usually had their lips
tattooed at puberty; rarely a woman might also have their thighs and breasts
tattooed. A ta moko patient was
strictly tapu during the time of tattooing,
and was fed through a funnel partly because of swollen tissues, but also to
avoid profaning his or her tapu by
touching lips to cooked food. (Remember, cooked food is extremely noa.)
Kapa haka and waiata - Performing arts and music
Kapa haka
entails a wide variety of performing arts, performed by men and women alike.
Timing (beat and speed), footwork, stance, and hand
motions are all of vital importance in most forms of kapa haka. The haka peruperu
performed by warriors prior to battle was only one kind of haka. Haka taparahi is a
special kind of haka which is never
used for war, and can express different emotions depending on the occasion. The
women’s version of poi, thought to be
derived from poi toa (discussed in
the section on recreation) was also an art form. Women manipulating flax balls
attached to flat cords, swinging them to making intricate patterns, often in
unison with other poi performers. The
Maori distinguished between long poi
and short poi, depending on the length
of the cord. -- in long poi, the
cords could be up to three feet long, and up to four poi at a time might be manipulated by each individual performer.
Songs (waiata) performed by the Maori generally fell into the category of
lullabies, songs of lamentation, love songs, chants, challenge songs, and waiata poi (songs sung while performing poi). The type of waiata chosen depended on the occasion. In general waiata were traditionally performed
without musical accompaniment. Unlike other Polynesian cultures, the Maori
people did not use drums in pre-colonial times. They sometimes used whale bones
as clappers, but their primary percussion instruments were their own bodies,
whether it be slapping their chests with their hands (usually performed only by
men) or by stamping their feet in rhythm. Wind instruments included various
flutes (including ngutu or nose
flutes, the long putorino, and koauau), the trumpet-like pukaea, and putara or conch shells.
Raranga and whakairo - Weaving and carving
Flax, reeds, and feathers were all
used in Maori weaving (raranga), and
were used to make baskets, clothing, traps, bird
snares, sandals, fishing nets, mats, bags, and cooking utensils. While these
woven items served utilitarian purposes, many of them were also beautiful works
of art. Raranga was taken very
seriously by the women. Females were ritually dedicated to the craft of raranga at the tender age of eight days,
and were instructed in this art by female relatives as they grew older. Girls
who showed extreme promise in weaving might be initiated into a whare pora (a sort of weaver's guild)
where they would be taught by skilled kuia
or female elders.
Carving in the Maori tradition was
called whakairo. Tohunga whakairo, like tohunga ta moko, often traveled far and
wide to complete special assignments. The most common figures in Maori carving
are the tiki or human figure, manaia or bird figure, fish hooks,
whales, lizards, and taniwha. Tiki were often portrayed with their
mouths open and tongues hanging out, meant to help ward off evil spirits and
demonstrate defiance. Maori frequently wear hei
tiki (“hung humans”) of bone or greenstone around their necks. Media for
Maori carving included wood, whale bone, obsidian, and greenstone.
The wharenui (literally "big house"), while part of the Maori
carving tradition, is distinctive enough to deserve special attention. The wharenui is also significant in that it
incorporates both carving and weaving, making it one of few works of art where
both men and women play a significant role in its creation. The meeting house
is seen not simply as a building, but as an actual person, generally a tribal
ancestor. The koruru mask represents
his head, while barge-boards near the front of the building represents his
arms. The interior of the building is the ancestor's belly, the ridge pole is
his spine, and the rafters are the cages of his ribs. The poupou were carved figures on the interior wall panels, usually
representing more tribal ancesters. Between the poupou were tukutuku
panels of flax and reeds woven by women in geometric patterns which often
differed from tribe to tribe. Posts that support the lengthy ridge pole are
called poutokomanawa, and usually
depict the captains of the ancestral waka;
they were frequently carved with full-face tattoos, and often with tattoos on
the buttocks as well. Rafters are painted with curling designs called kowhaiwhai which are sometimes abstract,
but other times were meant to represent natural or supernatural beings. Paints
were made of shark oil mixed with soot or ochre. Abalone shell was frequently
used to make "eyes" for the ancestral figures.
