Dont Make These Mistakes When Choosing A Maori Tattoo Design 

In this maori tattoo design report i am going to let you know a few things about Maori Tattoo Art and what you should try not do.

tattoo maori designs

It is helpful and useful when deciding on getting a great looking and unique traditional maori tattoo art
Maori Tribal Tattoos found here
There are many mistakes people make when getting maori tattoo designs and i hope that by the end of this article you will avoid the most common mistakes made today
As more and more people get tattoos in this ever increasing culture of expressiveness, we find that Maori Tattoo Art are being chosen by many
In fact maori tattoo designs are some of the most popular tattoos around and there’s a valid reason why traditional maori tattoo art are so popular in our current multi-cultural societies.

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Many tattoo artists and those looking to get tattoos on them, will often imitate other cultures tattoo designs to try come up with their unique designs. This can lead to artistic flair, but not so when choosing traditional maori tattoo art .
If you are serious on getting a traditional maori tattoo designs and this is what you have set your heart on then it would and should be great for you to learn about the lingo that goes with Maori Tattoo Art As you know if you were learning about computers or any field there will be terms associated with that particular study and so it is with  traditional maori tattoo artThe ta moko is the name of the family identification of Maori that form part of the group known as whakapapa.
The reason identification through tattoos was important for the maori was that they were able to distinguish each other on the battle fields by having a look at the tattoos on their body, this also allowed them to know their family history if they moved places over centuries
These maori tattoos are still used by Some maori chiefs to recall their history and ancestory There are some leaders of maoris that are still alive today that would be able to look at certain designs and tell you who or from which tribe these tattoo`s belong too The are designs that date back over a 2,000 year period in maori history, these chiefs have the skill and ability by looking at the design would be able to tell how far this tattoo dates back to or this particular design origins What might not be apparent at first sight to you or i when looking at Maori Tattoo Art is that each one is an actual story, and each story tells a tale of where this tribe goes back to, their beliefs, spirituality and more.

So you have learnt about the “ta” form of the maori language now its time to introduce the “moko” part that is the important part as it involves the chiseling of the tattoo into the skin

black tribal dragon tattoo

Maori Woman and the Maori Man.

If you are looking at getting a one hundred percent unique Maori Tattoo Art and get this traditional maori tattoo art with ease then this maori tattoo design article will be helpful in avoiding the most common maori tattoo design mistakes made today

This is important especially if you are looking at having a unique and great looking maori tattoo design

Important Maori Tattoo Design Concepts  

The Moko is similar to an identity card, or passport. The Moko showed rank, status and ferocity for the men. The wearer’s position of power and authority could be instantly recognized in his Moko. Combined with a particular Moko, outward signs could instantly define the “identity card” of a person. A man wearing a dog cloak could be a person of authority, especially if it is worn with a Moko.

tattoo maori designs.

Definitely these would be the signs of the “identity card”. It would be considered a great insult if the person was not recognized as the chief he was, and this could lead to “utu” – vengeance.

Moko, the male facial tattoo, is generally divided into eight parts:

demon wings tattoos

1. Ngakaipikirau (rank). Right on top of the face at the center of the forehead area.

2. Ngunga (position). Circled Around The Eye brows.
3. Uirere (hapu rank). The eyes and nose area.
4. Uma (first or second marriage). Temple area
5. Raurau (signature). The area under the nose.
6. Taiohou (work). Usually just under the eyes around the cheek bones
7. Wairua (mana). The first part of the jaw line, the chin area.
8. Taitoto (birth status). The jaw.

On the face, you can perceive ancestry in each side. Depending on the tribe, the left side is usually the father’s side and the right hand side is the mother’s. A primary requirement before undertaking a Moko was descent.

If one side of a person’s ancestry was not of rank, that side of the face would have no Moko design. A center forehead area of a person without a Moko design means that the wearer has no rank or inherited rank.

So now you know a little bit more about the Maori and how they used to tattoo each other, with today’s technology you do not need to suffer like the Maori did when they got their tattoos.

Gaining a deeper spiritual meaning to life is one great thing in learning about Maori tattoos, they allow you to mix and match and combine them with different designs.

Now what’s left to do is to select a design, these Maori tattoos are not like any other fashion that will be in and out; these are permanent and sure made its mark in history.

men tattoos with girlfriends name designs

There are still Maoris that can trace their history with these maori tattoos Amongst the maori of today live a few maori chiefs or maori leaders that would actually be able to tell you which tribe a certain maori tattoo belongs too, when it was done and the history of that tribe There are maori walking around right now in new zealand that have maori tribal tattoos that date back 2,000 years, if one of these chiefs looked at these designs, they would be able to tell how far back they go and yes some of these designs go back over 2,000 years What most people don’t realise when looking at a design is that they tell a story, though they look like a swirl or twirl to us, they actually tell a full story when you know how to read these tattoos.

One of the primary reasons that the maori tattoo was so important and formed a solid role within their culture was that they would be able to trace their ancestry over generations and this would also allow them while they were on the battlefield to know who they were fighting as their lives literally depended on these  traditional maori tattoo art

Im going to let you in on something, this is going to let you know what maoris think about the western world when they steal their tattoo designs and especially their maori tattoo designs.

Maori Tribal Tattoos found here

If you were ever to hear the word “pakeha” said to you while in new zealand i am sure that the tone that you would hear it in would indicate to you that this is not how maoris greet in their own language! No this word is associated with westerners in particular that have stolen maori culture and now more than ever are taking some original tattoo designs that have been in their families for over a thousand years and all without asking, this is what the word “pakeha” means those that take without asking!

The simplest thing you can do is not to go out and copy the first maori tattoo design that you see on a maori in new zealand for starters, you would be surprised how many people have done this!

Rather approach a tribe if you can and ask them if you may use their design or if this is not an option when choosing a Maori tattoo design, then try design your own design, it may look like a Maori tattoo but in reality it will not offend anyone.

The only time anyone will run into problems with these tattoos is going to copy them straight from one of the elders, big corporations dont like it when someone makes “knock offs” of their merchandise and so it is with this special maori culture, Dont copy rather ask, its easier.

zodiac signs tattoos found here.

There are many errors people make when getting traditional maori tattoo art and i hope that by the end of this article you will avoid the most common mistakes made today

As millions of people get tattoos in this ever increasing culture of expressiveness, we find that maori tattoo designs are being selected by many

If you are serious on getting a traditional maori tattoo art and this is what you have set your heart on then it would and should be great for you to learn about the lingo that goes with Maori Tattoo Art

Just like in every field on life there are terms associated with the way people do things, so it is with  traditional maori tattoo designs. Whakapapa is the maori family groups that is associated and forms part of the ta moko family identification

The reason identification through tattoos was important for the maori was that they were able to distinguish each other on the battle fields by having a look at the tattoos on their body, this also allowed them to know their family history if they moved places over centuries

Once upon a time in history when it came to getting a tattoo the maori used the bones of albatrosses to do their inking or they used brutal chiseling tools that would make any modern man cry by cutting deeply into the flesh then painting or coloring which was used to distringuish the family history and the final part was the actual pattern which would then tell you the story of this maori tribe

So lets say you were an elder in a maori circle someone who knew a lot about maori history if, if some one brought you a design, you would be able to by looking at the design the moko and the maori tribal tattoo pattern be able to trace their family history, much like someone using computers to find out their ancestry, they would be able to do the same

There is a common misconception around the world thinking that maori tattoos in their original sense were only done on the faces, however this is not true, they were also done on peoples bodies, what this allowed them to do was distinguish their chiefs or leaders by having these marking on their faces

zodiac signs can be seen here.

How To Get The Best Maori Tattoo Design 

Traditionally the Maori used the bones of albatrosses to do this and other cutting tools, these tools cut deep grooved into the skin, the coloring is for the family history and the story telling is the actual patterns on the skin, So lets say you were an elder in a maori circle someone who knew a lot about maori history if, if some one brought you a design, you would be able to by looking at the design the moko and the maori tribal tattoo pattern be able to trace their family history, much like someone using computers to find out their ancestry, they would be able to do the same Many people teach that or tell other that maori tattoos in their original roots of tattoo designs were only done on the face and now they have moved to other parts of the body now, however this is utter rubbish they have been done for centuries on maoris bodies, it was only people high up in maori circles who tended to get these tattoos

Click here for the best Maori Tribal Tattoos

It is now common for westerners to have maori tattoo designs, this can be seen as a way of promoting the maori culture, however do you know that is a form of stealing maori tradition and culture? At first it might not seem apparent when taking symbols and images from the maori culture without having an idea of what they mean, but you should never do this as they might belong to a family who have had this maor tattoo designs in their family tree for years The only way you might find yourself in such a situation is if you go out into the world and start copying any and every maori tattoo design that you come across

The sad fact is that this is what maoris think of people that steal the maori tattoo designs?

White people are know as “pakeha” and are know for never asking but just taking (in terms of culture and land) they also see most westerns as close minded never seeing other cultures, what is amazing is that the native Americans also said this about the white man in America.

From the maoris point of view taking from their culture without asking them or having a design on you that is a replica is a weakening of their identity in terms of their culture, westernising them further through the stealing of their heritage and also they feel that they will eventually have nothing left that is sacred and original for them to hold onto in the future.

wolf tattoo designs click link.

So what does this mean for you when getting a moari tattoo?

The safest thing for anyone like you to do is to perhaps look at a few designs for inspiration but try never ever to copy the design like it is on maoris in newZealand.

The best thing to do in this case when seeing a traditional maori tattoo design that you like would be to contact someone in new zealand that actually deals with maori tattoo designs and ask them what they think, yes i know this doesnt seem logical or easy but it is for the sake and request of this culture it is what makes the maori the maori! They need these designs and they need you to respect their requests or you could be contributing to their doom as a culture that might not be around in the next 300 years! Maoris are really only annoyed when you just take, they might even grant you a special maori tattoo for asking, do you want to know how many people would actually ask for a design? Not many! That’s right if you ask you will more likely be given the go ahead for a special maori tattoo design, this way it will be even more unique and you will have a one of a kind maori tattoo design that you can be proud of

dolphin tattoo designs found here.

In this maori tattoo design report i am going to let you know a few things about traditional maori tattoo designs and what you should try avoid.

You will find it helpful when going ahead and eventually deciding on what maori tattoo designs you want to get

Maori Tribal Tattoos found here

There are so many mistakes made by people when selecting Maori Tattoo Art that i see everyday, you will be able to avoid these common pitfalls by following these simple pointers

It seems as many people are choosing to be tattooed today and you will notice that Maori Tattoo Art are often the choice made by people looking for tribal tattoos

traditional maori tattoo art seems to be at the forefront of tattoos when it comes to choosing a tattoo and no wonder when you see maori tattoo designs, it makes perfect sence

In today’s world with so many tattoo artists and so many people looking to get a tattoos, you will find them going through and looking at other cultures in the hope of borrowing or worse of stealing other peoples designs to come up with their own tattoos This can be seen as originality or artistic flair when looking at other non traditional tattoo designs but should be avoided when looking at traditional maori tattoo designs.

To understand traditional maori tattoo art you need to understand traditional maori tattoo art terminology. As you know if you were learning about computers or any field there will be terms associated with that particular study and so it is with  maori tattoo designsThe ta moko is the name of the family identification of Maori that form part of the group known as whakapapa.

The reason identification through tattoos was important for the maori was that they were able to distinguish each other on the battle fields by having a look at the tattoos on their body, this also allowed them to know their family history if they moved places over centuries

These maori tattoos are still used by certain maori chiefs to recall their history and ancestory There are some leaders of maoris that are still alive today that would be able to look at certain designs and tell you who or from which tribe these tattoo`s belong too There are maori walking around right now in new zealand that have maori tribal tattoos that date back 2,000 years, if one of these chiefs looked at these designs, they would be able to tell how far back they go and yes some of these designs go back over 2,000 years There is a story in each maori tattoo that you see, each one tells a little bit about this maoris tribe and is unique like a finger print to each tribe

So far we have dealt with the ta form but the other part or missing word is moko, and the moko part of any Maori tattoo is the actual carving out of the skin.

End of Maori Tattoo designs article one

Looking for the best maori Tattoos

Once upon a time in history when it came to getting a tattoo the maori used the bones of albatrosses to do their inking or they used brutal chiseling tools that would make any modern man cry by cutting deeply into the flesh then painting or coloring which was used to distringuish the family history and the final part was the actual pattern which would then tell you the story of this maori tribe So lets say you were an elder in a maori circle someone who knew a lot about maori history if, if some one brought you a design, you would be able to by looking at the design the moko and the maori tribal tattoo pattern be able to trace their family history, much like someone using computers to find out their ancestry, they would be able to do the sameMost people think that the maori tattoo designs are limited to the face only though this is not true, it was only done on certain peoples faces within the maori tribes, these people were significant within their maori circles.

These are the best Maori Tribal Tattoos

Many westerners like to imitate Maori tattoo designs and as the saying goes, imitation is a form of flattery, but not in all cases especially when getting a Maori tattoo design.One should never just take words, images or symbols from the maoritanga or Maori culture with out knowing what they are doing, as to the Maori this is seen as an insult, can you imagine walking around with some maoris family history?This is what will happen if you just go out there and start copying maori tattoo designs

Im going to let you in on something, this is going to let you know what maoris think about the western world when they steal their tattoo designs and especially their maori tattoo designs.

White people are know as “pakeha” and are know for never asking but just taking (in terms of culture and land) they also see most westerns as close minded never seeing other cultures, what is amazing is that the native Americans also said this about the white man in America.

From the maoris point of view taking from their culture without asking them or having a design on you that is a replica is a weakening of their identity in terms of their culture, westernising them further through the stealing of their heritage and also they feel that they will eventually have nothing left that is sacred and original for them to hold onto in the future.

So now that you understand some of these ideas and concepts how is this going to help you in finding the right maori tattoo?

The simplest thing you can do is not to go out and copy the first maori tattoo design that you see on a maori in new zealand for starters, you would be surprised how many people have done this!

The quickest way to get a traditional maori tattoo design would be to contact someone in new zealand who is in charge of a tribe or a tribal tattoo artist and ask if the design that you are looking at is not someones design already, though this might seem dumb as mentioned we have to be sensitive to a culture that has shrunk over the last 200 years, with the internet this could be done in a matter of hoursIt is only when Maori tattoo designs are copied when someone else has already gotten that Maori tattoo already within a Maori tribe that make them feel that their spirituality is being stolen

Looking for the best maori Tattoos