Tales of Ta Moko Trivia Quiz

Answer: False

While the needles that modern tattoo artists used are scary enough (Yikes!), the Ta Moko of the Maori took the process a few steps further. A sharp instrument called a "uhi" was used; traditionally made of an albatross bone, the uhi didn't puncture the skin, it carved into it, creating a tattoo with a raised edge! The uhi was dipped into the colors that were used and then the tool was struck with a mallet called a "ta". As can be imagined, the process was quite painful and could only be done a little at a time.

While Ta Moko is the Maori art of tattooing, the tattoo itself is called a "moko". Since the 1990s there has been renewed interest among the Maoris in receiving traditional mokos, although many use more modern methods, opting for the use of needles because they are faster and less painful.

Answer: Spirals

After coming into contact with the Maori, Cook wrote in 1769, "The marks in general are spirals drawn with great nicety and even elegance. One side corresponds with the other". This picture, published in 1784, is believed to have been drawn by Sydney Parkinson, one of the artists on Cook's voyage.

The spiral design used in Ta Moko is called "koru". Said to have been inspired by a blooming fern leaf, or frond, the koru represents new beginnings, growth, and harmony. Other common designs include the "hei matau", or fishhook, and the "manaia", or spiritual guardian. Historically, the beginning of Ta Moko represented an important rite of passage. It had to have been a frightening experience for many, as there are stories about young boys having to be held down by their family for the very painful process.

Answer: Nobles

Okay! This requires some knowledge of traditional Maori culture and society. Maoris lived in small villages and everyone in the village shared a common ancestor; they did not, however, share the same rank and status. A man became a chief because he was the first born of the present chief.

The law of primogeniture was strictly enforced and determined a person's status and rank. Rank and status were held by the other people in the village based on how closely related they were to the chief. There was also a belief in "mana", which was described as a type of divine power held by living things. Of course, the chief had the most mana, and even though all in the village were related, the others did not have as much as the chief.

In fact, the youngest son of the youngest son had the least mana, which could also be lost due to poor decisions, mistakes, or being defeated in battle. So - in traditional Maori culture, rank and status were considered to be extremely important. Nobles, who possessed the most mana, were expected to submit to Ta Moko; failure to do so resulted in the loss of their noble status.

Answer: Women usually only had their lips and chins tattooed.

While traditionally the man's entire face eventually became covered with his moko, women typically only tattooed their lips and - maybe - their chin; the chin tattoo for women was called the "moko kauae". It was believed that a woman's moko kauea was inside her, near her heart, until the tattoo artist brought it to the outside.

As with boys, receiving the moko kauea was an important rite of passage for women. In the past, high ranking noblewomen might have also chosen to have a design made in the space between their eyes. For both men and women, the color dye used was a darker blue or black color. One source stated that women with "red lips were not considered to be beautiful". Today Maori women may choose to have a traditional moko kauea, but it is typically made with modern tattooing instruments.

Answer: Genealogy

The Maori term for their genealogy is "whakapapa", defined as "genealogical descent of all living things from the gods to the present time". In the past an oral history was kept by the priests and taught to youth; a person's whakapapa was the connection to tribal relationships and to the land where they lived. Ta moko designs not only told the wearer's family and tribal story, but also their status within their family and tribe.

This design was not quickly completed; in fact, work on it might continue for most of a person's life.

In the past, one side of the face was done first and then its pattern was continued on the other side. Once completed it was the symbol of the person's identity.

Answer: False

In his 1769 writing, Captain Cook went on to say, "The marks on the body resemble foliage in old chased ornaments, convolutions of filigree work, but in these they have such a luxury of forms that of a hundred which at first appeared exactly the same no two were formed alike on close examination". This is still true today; the moko tells each individual person's story, so by design, each is different and unique. While mokos may contain some of the same elements, those who know will be able to determine the wearer's rank, status, and ancestry just by looking at their moko.

Answer: False

Given the extreme pain that was felt while acquiring the moko, it may be surprising that both men and women would elect to have other places on their bodies tattooed as well. While women might have chosen to have designs on the backs of their lower legs, men also had their buttocks and thighs tattooed. Why? It was believed that Ta Moko made a person more attractive to the opposite sex.

A law, called the Tohunga Suppression Act 1907, was passed by the New Zealand Parliament in an attempt to outlaw the tohunga, or skilled Maori class of priests, healers, and artisans. This was done in an attempt to replace traditional forms of healing with modern medicine. One of the peripheral effects of the legislation was the repression of many traditional Maori practices, including Ta Moko. The Act was repealed in 1962.

Answer: Commercial dyes

The burned timber, called "ngarehu" was used for the darker colors. It was the soot from burned kauri gum, a tree resin, that was also used. The kauri gum appears to have been a versatile product; while it is soft, it is highly flammable and used as a fire starter, as well as a type of chewing gum.

In Ta Moko, after the resin was burned it was mixed with animal fat to produce a dark color. After the resin hardened, it was used to make trinkets and jewelry, much in the same way that amberwas used.

The fungus used was called "awheto"; it is a fungus that grows on some insects and is highly valued by some as a herbal remedy. The pigments that were used in Ta Moko were stored in decorated boxes called "oko", which were traditionally passed down from generation to generation.

Answer: They objected to the Maori practice of keeping tattooed heads.

The Maoris were a very warlike people and spent a lot of time raiding villages of other Maoris - for any number of reasons. An insult, a grudge, or even boredom were excuses for going into battle. There were, however, certain rules of warfare that applied - due warning had to be given that a declaration of war had been made, for example. Very rarely, only in cases of bitter hatred, were surprise attacks made. There were times when the victors would resort to cannibalism - hence the insult, "Your ancestors are still sticking to my teeth" - and also times when an enemy's head - and his moko as well - would be taken and preserved - as an insult. These heads, called "mokomokai", did not, however, just come from enemies. Heads of family members who had mokos would also be preserved and displayed in ornate boxes. This was done to honor the individual and insure that he would continue to be part of the community.

So - when the Europeans came they were a bit enthralled by this practice of mokomokai. Not only that, but they were also willing to pay for heads that had been decorated. The Maori found that they could sell the heads and use the money to purchase desired trade items, such as rifles and ammunition. The demand for these heads was so great that the people began to decorate heads that were severed and decorated after the person was already deceased and sell them as authentic. Not only that, but the lives of those who had mokos were at risk, there was such a great demand for the mokomokai. Finally the governor of New South Wales, which was apparently the principle trading port for the heads, banned the trade in 1831, but not before hundreds had left New Zealand for museums, hospitals, and private collections around the world. Some, but not all, have been returned.

Honestly, to make a long story short, once European colonization of New Zealand began, there were many reasons given for discontinuing the practice of Ta Moko; Christian missionaries, however, objected to the barbarity of keeping the tattooed heads.

Answer: Wood carver

If you think about it, this makes perfect sense! If you look closely at the portrait shown, the carving in the wood is very similar to the moko. A tattoo artist who created the Ta Moko was very much like a wood carver, and was considered to be a tohunga, or master craftsman. Maori wood carvers were highly skilled; this was good because everything, whether it be a tool or implement, their canoe or meetinghouse, was carved with significant markings. Like a carver, the tattoo artist would know the significance and symbolism of the designs that he made. How important was the tattoo artist in the past? It wasn't uncommon for the greatest tohungas to be sought after by the wealthy and given all kinds of gifts.

It also didn't hurt to make a human sacrifice just to make sure that Ta Moko went according to plan.