Maori Tattoo Designs

Maori tattoo designs also known as Ta Moko is a tradition which originated from eastern Polynesia and is different from any other form of tattoo. Maori tattoo design specialists known as tohunga-ta-moko traditionally used a range of chisels or uhi from the bone of an albatross and etched it onto the skin leaving the tattoo with grooves as opposed to the smooth finish of tattoos that we have become accustomed to. The albatross bone would be hafted onto a handle and then banged down using a mallet. The tohunga-to-moko would use awheto for the body color and burnt timbers known as ngarehu for the darker blacker face color.

Within pre-European Maori culture most people with a high ranking received a Maori tattoo design and those who didn’t have one were seen as having a lower social status. The Maori tattoo design along with its rituals and rites were seen as a transition from childhood to adulthood, many would have a Maori tattoo design to become more attractive to the opposite sex.

Traditionally, Maori tattoo designs are seen on the faces, buttocks and thighs of men and on the lips and chins of women however some women choose to wear them on their thighs and necks and men have been seen to a have them on their stomachs and calves.

Maori tattoo designs are made up of spirals which relay an ancestral/tribal message to that who wears them. These messages relay information of the wearer’s family and tribal affiliations as well as ones socials status and standing. Such messages would relay that persons value and knowledge within heir social standing.

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Many Maori were born and brought up in small village surroundings known as hapu and the markings of ta moko would indicate this stating their level of authority within their hapu. The genealogical lines on Maori tattoo designs will also describe whether the person was giving his/her social standing through blood or participation. Describing whether that person earned his status on virtue of inheritance or accreditation.

During the 90s there has been a surge in the number of people having Maori tattoos illustrating the revival in this language and culture. Many people are choosing the traditional method of practicing ta moko with chisels rather than using a now conventional needle.

With the recent insurgence of Maori tattoo designs and the number of non Maoris practicing the art, many traditional indigenous Maoris’ have voiced their opinions and made their dissatisfaction known, many feeling it is exploiting their heritage and culture.  Many Maori tattoo designs have strong deep connotations and hold a sacred meaning which is seen to offend when used for ornamental purposes or for the sake of appearance.

For those who are interested in Maori tattoo designs and are thinking of getting one, there are many designs on the internet available to you but it is advisable to check the meaning of what you are having placed on your skin before going ahead with it. If you are thinking of having the more traditional style of applying Maori tattoos and you are a person who can endure a good deal of pain and be prepared for a lengthy process then it is equally important to understand the meaning of the tattoo as each line of a Maori tattoo design has to be precise and it must tell its own story and has special significance and meaning.

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