Origins of Maori Tattoos

The Maoris are an ethnic tribe in New Zealand. Tattoos take up a very important place in their tradition with deep meanings associated with it. Maori tattoos are a part and parcel of the Maori tribe in New Zealand and their tattoos aren't to be taken lightly. Maori tattoos have intricate spirals and curved shapes making up the whole tattoo, it is striking and every tattoo symbolizes something an apart from the design, the placement of the same represents an important fact. There is a long history connected to Maori tattoos that has been sincerely believed and passed on from generation to generation.
It is believed that there was once a fierce warrior known as Mataora who fell in love with a princess known as Niwareka. He ill treated her and she left him to return to her father's kingdom. Mataora realized his mistake and vowed to bring her back and win her heart once again. In his journey to reach the kingdom, he faced many hardships, when he finally reached his destination; he was in a messy and bedraggled state and was humiliated by Niwareka's family. But he did not lose home and begged for forgiveness to Niwareka and she happily agreed after seeing such a drastic change in him. Her father then taught him the art tattoo of Maori tattoos to take back with him to his land. This is believed to be Maori tattoos origins.
Usually, Maori tattoos were not inked into the skin by needles, the instrument used to tattoo were small chisels that left the skin in grooves. The tattoo artists were revered and tattooing as considered a spiritual and sacred ceremony. Tattoos represented the status of a person and there were different designs and placements for men as well as women. It was believed that when people died, they would recognize each other with these tattoos in their afterlife and hence it was an important ritual to undertake. Men received their tattoos on their face, thighs and buttocks, whereas women received them on their lips and chin. When the Europeans came to New Zealand, chisels were replaced by needles, but lately here has been a comeback of chisels in New Zealand by the Maori tribe in recognition of their roots and heritage.
In the past there were eight common correlations of the Maori tattoos significance and their placement of the body, they were as follows:

• Uma (first of second marriage) - Placed at the temples
• Ngakaipikirau (rank) - Placed at the centre of the forehead
• Ngunga (position) - Placed around the brows
• Uirere (hapu rank) - Placed at the eyes and nose area
• Raurau (signature) - Placed under the nose
• Taiohou (work) - Placed on the cheeks
• Taitoto (birth status) - Placed at the jaws
• Wairua (mana) - Placed at the chin

A person with no tattoos was considered as a person with no social standing and was looked down upon.