Hawaii :Kakau

               Hawaii has their own Kakau or taboo just like any other polynesian culture. Peoples attitudes and behaviors were based on Kakau. They worshiped Lono, the god of peace and agriculture; People thought that Captain James Cook was Lono because his ships greatly resembled the emblem of god. Kakau in hawaiian tradition benefited them with ornamentation and distinction like other Polynesian cultures but also, guarded their health and well being. Patterns consisted of woven reeds and other natural forms that are still used today. Men usually got tattoos on their arms, legs, torso and face. As for women they got tattoos on their hands, fingers, wrist and their tongue but not all the time. Kahunas, are  experts in one or more critical tasks such as tattooing.

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Polynesian Tattoos

Video of history of polynesian tattoos

Maori New Zealand

     Tattoos in New Zealand were mostly facial but North Auckland warriors had swirling double spirals on their buttocks which led down their thighs to their knees. Women were not tattooed as much as men their mouths would be out lined with dark blue ink. They also did the chin moko which continued to be practiced into the 1970's. Tattoos were like a identification card which told others what your status is, who your ancestors were and your ferocity. This was shown by the different designs and symbols also depending on where the tattoo is on your face.






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New Zealand

      The instruments that they use for traditional polynesian tattoos is a bone chisel with a sharp edge or serrated. Before the ink was actually placed on the body they begin by wounding the body with deep cuts and after they have mad the cuts they would dip the chisel into the ink. The ink was mad out of burn Kauri gum or burn vegetable caterpillars. Kauri gum is the resin from Kauri trees in new Zealand, and vegetable caterpillars is pretty much explainable. After that then the ink is tapped onto the body where the wounds are.


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Discovery

   Polynesian tattoos were discovered round the year 1595 by Spanish Explorers but, they were not mentioned until the late 1600s by European Captains Samuel Wallis and Captain Cook. Wallis noticed in the year 1767 that there was some formality between women and men getting markings on their thighs and buttocks. Bougainville noticed in 1768 there was a difference in the women in tahiti which had used dark blue ink to make the markings on their loin and buttocks. In 1774 Captain Cook realized the people with these markings on their body called them tattow which tat means to tap and tow means to mark. Thats how we got the word tattoo.


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