The Moko

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