The History of Maori Tattoos
Tattoo history in New Zealand:
The Maori brought tattoo art from their origins in Eastern Polynesia to New Zealand. They called the art ‘moko,’ and it was in reference to mainly the intricate facial tattoos. Since the Maori do not have a written record, the true origins of Maori tattoos are not really known. They do have a tribal legend passed down from generation to generation saying that the Maori body art came from the underworld.
It says that a young warrior fell in love with a princess from the underworld. When she came above ground to marry him, he mistreated the princess. She returned to the underworld and he followed her to beg her forgiveness. He was met by her relatives who laughed at the young warrior’s appearance. The young warrior said that he was sorry for his unkempt look. This won the hearts of her and her family from the underworld. Before the young warrior returned above ground, the princess’s father, king of the underworld, taught the young warrior the art moko. He brought those skills back to his people.
It was common practice for the Maori to take the heads of their enemies in times of war. The heads were usually tattooed, and the Maori kept these tattooed heads as trophies. They were considered to bestow protection and portrayed power as a part of their conquest. When the Europeans came, they traded guns and ammunition for these heads so that they could be put in collections and museums. This created a market for tattooed heads. Soon the Maoris were killing slaves and any other poor souls they could catch so that they could get more weapons with these ink designed heads.
Maori Tattoo Pictures Gallery
The Meaning of Maori Tattoos
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