Ta Moko and Ierzumi: the Art Behind the Maori and Yakuza Tattoos
Ta moko and Ierzumi: The Art behind the Maori and Yakuza tattoos
Cultural Anthropology 101
February 24th, 2014
Body art has been around for thousands of years in many different forms from tattooing to physical body modification. “Adornment is the obvious, but not the sole, purpose for such a painful and permanent art form…”(Morris, 2002, para 1). The skin is a very large canvas, that past generations have taken advantage of to not only identify one tribe or clan from another but as a form of punishment as well. In today’s world they hold many different meanings to the individual wearing them whether they have the traditional tribal ‘ta moko’ of the Maori or the criminal background of the Japanese Yakuza. There are many cultures in the world that feel marring the body in any permanent way is sacrilegious so why do some cultures feel the need to do so?
The Maori are an Eastern Polynesian culture originating in the South Pacific. They were a somewhat migratory people and colonized many Pacific islands including New Zealand and Hawaii. The Maori culture developed on New Zealand creating a unique establishment of its tattooing culture. It is uncertain where the idea for tattooing of their bodies and faces came from but it is known that they originated around the mid to late sixteen hundreds according to European explorers. The local Maori says that it was brought to the people by a young warrior who went to the underworld and fell in love with a princess and married her but the warrior mistreated her and she left him to go back to the underworld. He was distraught and went to the underworld to apologize to her family and win her back. They forgave him but laughed at his smeared body paints. The king of the underworld taught the young warrior the art of the moko and he and his bride brought it back to the people (Zealand Tattoo, n.d). When Captain Cook arrived in New Zealand in 1769 the Maori were heavily tattooed but one hundred twenty seven years
Cultural Anthropology 101
February 24th, 2014
Body art has been around for thousands of years in many different forms from tattooing to physical body modification. “Adornment is the obvious, but not the sole, purpose for such a painful and permanent art form…”(Morris, 2002, para 1). The skin is a very large canvas, that past generations have taken advantage of to not only identify one tribe or clan from another but as a form of punishment as well. In today’s world they hold many different meanings to the individual wearing them whether they have the traditional tribal ‘ta moko’ of the Maori or the criminal background of the Japanese Yakuza. There are many cultures in the world that feel marring the body in any permanent way is sacrilegious so why do some cultures feel the need to do so?
The Maori are an Eastern Polynesian culture originating in the South Pacific. They were a somewhat migratory people and colonized many Pacific islands including New Zealand and Hawaii. The Maori culture developed on New Zealand creating a unique establishment of its tattooing culture. It is uncertain where the idea for tattooing of their bodies and faces came from but it is known that they originated around the mid to late sixteen hundreds according to European explorers. The local Maori says that it was brought to the people by a young warrior who went to the underworld and fell in love with a princess and married her but the warrior mistreated her and she left him to go back to the underworld. He was distraught and went to the underworld to apologize to her family and win her back. They forgave him but laughed at his smeared body paints. The king of the underworld taught the young warrior the art of the moko and he and his bride brought it back to the people (Zealand Tattoo, n.d). When Captain Cook arrived in New Zealand in 1769 the Maori were heavily tattooed but one hundred twenty seven years
References: Adelstein, J. & Noorbakhsh, S. (2010). The Last Yakuza. World Policy Journal, 27(2), 63-71. http://web.a.ebscohost.com.proxylibrary.ashford.edu/ehost/detail?vid=10&sid=82b48689a3c24974ac10e245932a0255%40sessionmgr4004&hid=4107&bdata=JkF1dGhUeXBlPWlwLGNwaWQmY3VzdGlkPXM4ODU2ODk3JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=aph&AN=52041996 Fulford, B. (2004). Adventures in the Skin Trade. Forbes, 174(5), 210-212 http://web.a.ebscohost.com.proxylibrary.ashford.edu/ehost/detail?vid=10&sid=82b48689a3c24974ac10e245932a0255%40sessionmgr4004&hid=4107bdataJkF1dGhUeXBIPWIwLGNwaWQmY3VzdGIkPXM4ODU3JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QI2ZQ%3d%3d#db=bsh&AN=14367170 History of Maori Tattoo, The. (n.d). Zealand Tattoo. Retrieved from http://www.zealandtattoo.co.nz/the-history-of-maori-tattoo/ Kaeppler, A. (2001). Tattooed Beauty: A Pacific Case Study. AnthroNotes. Retrieved from http://anthropology.si.edu/outreach/anthnote/Winter01/anthnote.html Maori Tattoo. (n.d). Zealand Tattoos. Retrieved from http://www.zealandtattoo.co.nz/maori-tattoo/ Stein, S. (Director), (2013). Twilight of the Yakuza [Documentary]. SidwaysFilms. Germany. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BXBpd0KT7y4 Yakuaza Documentary. (2013, June 9). Journeyman Pictures. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dyhdv1sRL-o Yakuza Tattoos: Japanese Gang members wear the Culture of Crime. (2013). Retrieved from http://rattatattoo.com/yakuza-tattoos-japanese-gang-members-wear-the-culture-of-crime/