Makalah | Skripsi | Tesis

Tatuaggi Maori started with a Maori myth of a love affair between Mataora and Niwareka. Mataora beat Niwareka, which left Niwareka to go to her father's tribe Uetonga.

Later Mataora felt terrible and searched out for Niwareka going miles and many tribes looking for her. One day while looking, he came across a tribe Uetonga. Mataora painting on his face and being dirty from days of looking for his love was sneered by Niwareka family.

Mataora pleaded with Niwareka to forgive him, as she did, her father presented Mataora the knowledge in tatuaggi tribali.

Tatuaggi maori tool was a chisels make out of bone with share edges and ragged sides and sharp edges to cut the tatuaggi tribali on men. The tribe used ink made out of vegetables and caterpillars, and burnt wood.

Tattooing was painful using leaves and other medicines back then to help with the healing of the tattoos.

Tatuaggi commonly designed on the face area, although buttocks down the leg with swirls were on some of the men.

Tatuaggi maori have a special meaning for the different types of tatuaggi tribali and where they are placed. Tattoos among the tribe were an identification of whom they were and where they come from. Tattoos also would give ancestry to anyone that was in the tribe.
There are eight parts on a tribal man's face where tattoos are tattooed. The following are the places with the meaning and name of the design of the tatuaggi tribali.

First- on the forehead in the center, the tattoo represents the rank in the tribe. Ngakaipikirau is the name of the tattoo.

Second -Ngunga design tattoo gives the position of the tribal member. Tattooing around the brows of the members face would tell a member of the position.

Third -In the eyes and nose facial area tattooing designed for hapu rank also known as, Uirere tattoo designed.

Fourth- Along the side of the face in the temple, Uma tattoo designed for marriages, the first and second marriages.

Fifth-directly under the nose area Raurau tattoo designed for a signature of tribe members.

Sixth- in the area of the check will tell the work that a tribe member does. Taiohou tattoo designed on the cheek.

Seventh- is the mana Wairua tattoo designed, which is placed on the chin area.

Finally, the eighth area is the jaw. Taitoto tattoo designed, which is the birth status, is tattoo on the jaw.

Women only had an outline of blue around the mouth area, the upper lip, nostrils and chin was tatuaggi maori. 

Tattooing is normally swirls designs and curves designs for the tatuaggi tribali designed. Curvilinear also used for design on the face and legs. The tattooing is a sacred art to the tribe.

Since the 19th-century tatuaggi maori has been done. Still some will use the cutting with bones and ink as was done in years ago. While other are more modern with tattoos done with needles.

When having a tatuaggi maori done, it is an insult to destroy the tatuaggi tribali designs.