The Moko, also known as the Māori tattoo, is the tattooing
of the skin done traditionally through chiseling that left grooved markings
instead of a smooth texture on the skin. The moko is a sign of Māori culture.
According to Ngahuia Te Awekotuku, it is an “outward expression of commitment
and respect”. It is a sign of cultural identity. Each moko is different being
an inscription of narrative, genealogy, tribal affiliation, achievements and
“mana”[chiefly status]. The moko had many functions as well. It was worn to
intimidate, be a sexually attracting mark, and to honor and immortalize. The
moko functions not only as a source of identity for the Māori but also as a
source of cultural expression.
While the moko is the finished engraving on the skin, the
actual process is called “ta moko”. Ta moko is considered an “atapu”[ sacred
ritual] and is performed by “tohunga ta moko”[traditional skin artists]. The
tohunga ta moko would use a “uhi”[chisel] made from albatross bone to puncture
the skin and inject pigment. Different types of uhi were used for different
areas of the body. “Uhi whakatatarāmoa” [clear the way] was the first chisel
used for cutting into the skin. Next would come the “uhi puru” for ink
insertion. For fine lines, the “uhi kōliti”, a small chisel, would be used
while the “uhi matarau”, a comb-like chisel, was used for shading. However, in
today’s time, the modern tattoo machine is used as well as traditional
chiseling for the moko.
The origin of the moko comes from the story of Mataora who
brought the art of moko from the underworld. Mataora had learned about the moko
from his wife Niwareka, a princess from the underworld and a daughter of a
tohunga ta moko; but instead of
chiseling on the moko, he painted it. One day after Mataora had
mistreated her, Niwareka went back to the underworld where Matora followed to
seek her forgivenss. He endured many obstacles to reach her, but in the
process, he had smeared his painted moko and was laughed at by Niwareka’s
people. Ashamed of his appearance, Mataora sought to learn the art of moko from
Uetonga, his father-in-law, and sought for Niwareka’s forgiveness. Eventually,
she forgave him and they returned home with Mataora bringing the art and
knowledge of the ta moko.
There are different styles of moko, a style for men, women
and non- Māori. Māori men usually had facial tattoos for tribal identification
and for attractiveness; the complexity of the designs depended on the status of
the man. Men would also have tattoos from the knees to the waist which hid
their nudity when they battled naked. Women typically had facial tattoos but in
different styles. They would tattoo the chin and lip area in a blue color.
Though women usually only wore lip and chin tattoos, some women received male
facial and body tattoos as a sign of leadership and skill. Mokos were also
placed on the forehead, neck, thighs and waist. The type of moko for a non-
Māori is called “Kirituki”, literally meaning “drawn skin”. Kirituhi is simply
a tattoo with a Māori meaning. Though the individual kirituhi can have meaning created
by wearer and the artists, it is not a real moko because it lacks the
historical information and genealogy of a traditional moko. The moko has
different styles for men and women as well as for non- Māori through the
kirituhi.
( Maori.com 2015) (Spasić 2011) (Te Awekotuku 2002)
References
Maori.com
2015. Maori
Tattoo. Electronic Document. http://www.maori.com/tattoo. Accessed February 23,
2015
Spasić, Kateřina
2011 “Cultural
Background and Meaning of Ta Moko – Māori Tattoos. Bachelor Thesis, Department
of English Language and Literature, Masaryk Univeristy. Accessed February 23,
2015
Te Awekotuku, Ngahuia
2002. “Ta Moko:
Culture, body modification, and the psychology of identity”. The Proceedings of
the National Māori Graduates of Psychology Symposium: 123-127. Accessed
February 23, 2015