Against violence, in the shadows.

The Māori are the indigenous people of New Zealand, belonging to the Polynesian peoples, and they have been present in the islands since the 1300s.

In the 18th century, European settlers, similarly to what happened in America, pushed Māori communities aside. By the middle of the century they had gradually lost much of their land, language, and cultural background. From the middle of the 19th century, however, their population began to grow again and their culture started to rise once more. Although the Māori language is still spoken by relatively few people, new movements are giving its education increasing space today.

Around 15–20% of New Zealand’s population is Māori, and Māori is now another official language of the country alongside English.

Further reading: hu.wikipedia.org

Māori have their own traditional tattooing technique, originally made with bone and shell tools on the face, legs, thighs, buttocks, and sometimes across the entire body. Today ta moko is of course also made with modern tattoo machines, but some artists still work with traditional methods. The difference is visible on the tattoo itself: traditional tattooing leaves a scarred, raised surface that remains later, unlike modern tattoos.

For an original ta moko, respected elders known as Kaumatua decide who is suitable. If they consider someone mature enough to carry the tattoo, it is a great honor; in earlier times it was considered improper to refuse it.

The process is painful and lasts several days. The person receiving the tattoo must follow various rituals during the days of the tattooing, such as prescribed diet and abstinence from sexual contact. While the tattoo is being made, relatives and friends distract the person from the pain with songs, chants and conversation.

The patterns are highly individual and speak about the qualities of the person wearing them. They follow a strict dual system, symbolizing the visible world, the black parts, and the invisible world, the untouched skin. Moko may only be worn by Māori and made by Māori. A non-Māori person may only have kirituhi.

Further reading: www.zealandtattoo.co.nz

If you would like a similar but much less painful technique in Hungary: Archeo Tattoo / Facebook

Three basic weapons appear in the story: the patu, the tewhatewha and the taiaha. Mastering the use of any of these weapons primarily requires a practiced movement culture. Like all traditional weapon use, it demands years of serious training and study.

For a long time students train with practice wood. Only later does someone become entitled to possess a real weapon made in the traditional way.

Further reading: www.youtube.com

In Māori culture, every celebration, mourning, greeting and situation can have its own chant, song, waiata or haka. The movements of the haka are taught from very early kindergarten age, and today not only in Māori communities but also in education throughout New Zealand.

The choreography consists of strictly fixed movements and is taken very seriously. A haka performed badly, or in the wrong place at the wrong time, is one of the greatest insults one can commit. Laughing at a haka or not taking it seriously is considered blasphemous, and it is believed that punishment from the gods immediately follows.

One of its characteristic elements is the protruding tongue with a threatening facial expression. Its meaning is roughly: ‘I will bite off your head / I will take your mana / I will take your life force.’ It is directed at harmful, evil things.

More about haka: www.youtube.com

Short introduction: www.youtube.com

Māori songs: tereomaori.tki.org.nz

Despite their warlike character, Māori are very hospitable. There is a term for this: manakitanga, meaning kindness, helpfulness and hospitality toward others.

Ceremonial greetings also exist. They are usually performed for highly respected guests or during special community initiations at the Marae, a sacred communal place. Every sentence and gesture has a role. The ceremony begins with the karanga, a form of greeting always performed by a woman. It is answered by a return greeting; at the end the parties take their seats, followed by a speech, then a song, waiata, and finally gift-giving if there is any.

The end of a meeting ceremony is the hongi, a greeting form in which, instead of a handshake, foreheads and noses touch while shoulders are touched, and in more intimate circles hands are clasped for the duration of one breath. This is ‘bone to bone, soul to soul’ — a physical and spiritual form of greeting.

Of course, shared food is also part of the ceremony. It is the closing part of the welcoming ritual, the sharing of hā kari.

Basics: play.google.com

Māori communities are made up of different tribes, called iwi. Depending on their territory, these groups have different legends, origins, cultural differences and clothing.

This cultural sphere does not contain the same kind of bodily shame or taboo around sexuality that we are used to. This can also be observed through their swear words: apart from borrowed expressions, they do not have real swear words with sexual references. Nevertheless, their traditional clothing covers modesty, even if it is often suggestive, especially for men, and it is colorful and varied.

One of the most characteristic elements is the piupiu, a skirt-like garment made of plant fibers with meticulous work.

In the past, the kahu kiwi cloak made from kiwi bird feathers, much like the korowai cloak that also consists of bird feathers and has a woven border called tāniko, symbolized social rank. Vio wears this around his waist. Today, naturally, reenactment groups no longer make this garment from the feathers of protected birds.

Their hairstyles feature various buns and hair bindings, decorated with bone combs and feathers of the now extinct huia bird. Loose hair originally symbolized mourning.

For Māori, the head is sacred, and so are the hair and anything on the head. Touching it as a stranger is one of the greatest insults. Pulling hair, cutting it off, or mutilating the head is a sign of humiliation. It is believed that a person’s spiritual strength, mana, is guarded by a being called manaia, circling around the head; reaching there disturbs the manaia.

The Māori language is very distinctive and has a much shorter alphabet than the regular Latin alphabet. Its letters are a, ā, e, ē, h, i, ī, k, m, n, ng (pronounced as a strong combined n-y sound), o, ō, p, r, t, u (pronounced between u and ü), ū, w, wh (pronounced f). Although many words have now been borrowed, there are still words whose meanings are often debated because they may have regionally different meanings or have disappeared from everyday use.

If you would like to learn a few words: play.google.com