Maori tattoos
Nowadays, tattoos represent a very widespread reality, which can almost be considered the norm. If once upon a time, a tattooed arm caused a sensation and was noticed in the distance, now the opposite happens more easily: in fact they are almost less, proportionately, people who do not have permanent signs on their bodies, and there are many subjects and themes chosen by enthusiasts: symbols, letters, phrases, figures.
Among the most common subjects are the Maori tattoos, in vogue for many years now and still a classic that has never faded. Let's see together more specifically what it is, starting from the meaning of this type of tattoos that derives from a precise culture of New Zealand derivation.
Who are the Maori?
The Maori are a population living in Polynesia, mainly in the north of New Zealand, whose culture, very distant from the western one we are used to, considers the tattoo not a purely ornamental and external habit, but
a real sacred symbol. Usually, all the men of this culture at some point in their life mark their physique with a symbol, with which they mark the passage from childhood to adulthood; this rite, which concretely marks the entrance to all effects within the community, therefore acquires a decidedly profound value. In most cases, the tattoos of men of this culture are done on the face, and over time more are added. Or rather, the Maori tattoo progressively extends to mark important life events.
There are two different types of Maori tattoos:
- the moko: the traditional tattoo with which the Maori paint their faces and which tells the significant episodes of their life. Often also women are used to make this type of tattoo, generally on the chin, to indicate that they are related to a Maori warrior.
- kirituhi: this is the most ornamental and decorative version, even if it is still imbued with meanings linked to the "koru" fern as a symbol of birth, spiritual rebirth and regeneration. Unlike the previous one, this type of tattoo can be done by everyone and is less tied to the dimension of the sense of belonging of the Maori warrior culture.
VIPs with Maori tattoos
There are many celebrities who have chosen to tattoo themselves with the symbols of Maori culture. Among the well-known faces, the first that surely comes to mind is the boxer Mike Tyson who features a Maori tattoo right on his face, around his left eye. Other stars with this type of tattoo are the English footballer David Beckham, whose body is completely covered in tattoos, and the singer Robbie Williams, who is also a great tattoo enthusiast. Among the VIPs of our house, on the other hand, to appreciate the Maori tattoos there are the actor Nicolas Vaporidis, interpreter of Nobtained before exams, who has a rather large one on his right forearm, and TV presenter and bike trial champion Vittorio Brumotti.
