An explanatory book
Talk
To the Queen
A good talk, hastily prepared
with the names
for the Governor
of New Zealand
A minute description by a New Zealand chief, of all the ceremonies observed on the occasion of tattooing a chief and of the mode of performing the entire operation.
About Tattooing
It is the chisel which cuts, but before the cut there is the drawing, the putting on of the pattern.
Drawing is the beginning of tattooing. Afterwards the tohunga takes up the chisel and the mallet.
Then it starts. The first chisel struck does not notch the skin; it is a big chisel, a broad chisel. When he arrives at the curves he takes a narrow chisel to use in the curves near the eyes.
The first tattooing is an opening of the way, a cutting of the skin, of the flesh of the body, to divide it in order to open a groove.
When the way is opened then the tohunga takes the notched chisel.
Then the tohunga takes the charcoal and the tow in one hand. The chisel is only in this hand, the left. In the right hand is the mallet, the charcoal and the tow, three things in one hand. The notched chisel is to notch the face to make the charcoal hold. This is the second chisel, the opening chisel is the one that cuts:
A broad chisel [is used again] until the temple is reached, that is to the eyes, when a narrow chisel is taken again to do the curves right and is right also for the pakati [interlinear decoration]
The Name of the Tattoos of the Eyes Tattooed by the Tohunga
The poniania is the first.
Next is the tapawaha.
Next is the kauae.
Next is the ngangu.
Next are the tiwhana.
After that it is the koroaha.
After that it is the kokoti.
The last is the whanakenake.
That ends that tattoo.
The poniania
is outside on the nose.
The tapawaha
is a design which meets the poniania,
which goes beside the corner of the lips
and down to the chin. That ends that.
The ngangu
is the tattoo of the nose in the middle.
That is that.
The tiwhana
is above the eyebrows.
The rewha of the tiwhana is above
the round of the ngangu.
The titi
are above in the middle of the tiwhana.
The koroaha . . .
a design drawn away from the
lines of the tapawaha
The putaringa of the koroaha
is drawn away from the main line of the
koroaha.
That ends that.
The spiral on the cheek.
A thing drawn out from the lines of the nose.
Spiral on the cheek.
A thing drawn out from the line of the cheek.
But kokoti are
the lines of boundary, ngangu
are the others.
Enough, that ends that.
The hupe is above the lips and
below the nose. Enough.
The body tattoo are
written about here.
The body lays down for the tohunga
to start, first with drawing;
then that is finished.
Then the tohunga takes the mallet
in his right hand
and the chisel in his hand as well,
as it is done in moko,
as it was explained in the first section.
However, when he is ready
with the mallet, charcoal and tow
in the right hand
and only the chisel in the left hand,
a broad chisel is used first.
This opens the way, cutting and
making the groove, then the notched
chisel is taken to notch the skin
and to hold the pigment.
A broad chisel [is taken]
to do the interlinear design
Then he takes a small-face chisel
to cut and open.
That finished, he takes the chisel
to hold the charcoal; that
is a notched chisel.
That ends this.
Turn to the hips.
It is drawn. When finished
it is tattooed as described before.
The thighs are drawn next
and when this is finished
the tattoo starts.
On the straight parts a broad chisel is used.
When it comes to the curves
a narrow chisel is taken. This is so.
With the opening chiselled down to
the holding chisel at the end,
the pakati is chiselled until it
is finished.
That ends this.
The buttocks
from the rump
to the thighs, and the hips.
At the middle of the buttocks, at the
start of the backbone.
Puhoro.
From the side of the thigh
below the buttocks
a thing filled with the curves is inside
the point of the buttocks [design] then
goes outside this to the backbone.
This ends this; it is all finished.
Payment for Tattooing
This is the correct way to pay because when a
man wishes to have his tattoo done on
face and body then he prepares the
payments and is ready.
Then the tohunga is sent for to do his
tattoo.
When the work is finished then the treasures
are given as payment. The work of
these men was highly paid.
These are the payments.
A greenstone eardrop, a hei tiki
A kaitaka cloak, a whalebone club
or greenstone club perhaps, perhaps a
hoeroa, or taiaha. A paiaka club,
a pouwhenua, a walking stick.
That's all.
Payment for Women
If young women wish to have
their lips or chins tattooed
they say to their fathers,
mothers and to the brothers-in-law:
We wish to have our lips or chins tattooed.
Then they collect an albatross and a huia.
When these are gathered together with good
food, birds, kiwi, kakapo, rats,
fish, fern root,
and so on,
then the tohunga is sent for.
He arrives and the many chiefly females
are tattooed by that tohunga.
When it is finished they arise,
and albatross skin is placed in the
ear, and they are decorated with
feathers on the head; they are dressed in
kaitaka cloaks and when ready taken
to eat.
However, there is plenty of food for the
tohunga; food is the payment for
the tattooing of the many women of rank,
but some of the treasures given are
taken on their bodies.
Enough.
This is finished.
About Tattooing
This incantation is called a diversion.
Sitting,
alone,
looking around,
rewha on the nose
of Tutetawha,
wriggling around
like a limb of a lizard,
laughing at you.
Leave it to me
to make it come forth
on the chisel of Uetonga.
Wait until let go
to your wife
your decorated skin.
Amazed and restless,
for me you are finely decorated.
Man who is being caressed,
to be carefully decorated.
Man who is not being caressed,
hold fast to this.
Strike with the mallet.
Rise up,
Tangaroa,
Rise up,
Tangaroa,
E he.
A first kawa,
serve the kawa.
The second,
serve the kawa.
To be left by you
to cross the nothingness.
There is the offence,
there is the source,
there is the mana,
the going,
to the source here,
to the abyss,
to the vine,
to the root.
Where are you going,
basket of seed?
Going to what,
your basket of seed?
Go to the going of Tane,
your basket of seed.
Where is he coming from
Te kawa ritoro riinei?
Welcome puhipuhi manuka.
This is the boundary,
a descendant of the gods.
I am a descendant.
Te Rongorere,
coming from above
and man coming from below,
to and of the setting of the sun,
who went below e e i.
Spring up for the going of the sun.
Spring up.
Roll along, eh.
Spring up in the morning.
Roll along, eh.
Be struck.
Be struck
Roll along, eh.
Uetonga, Tama Reneti.
In this sacred morning
Roll along, eh,
like a board on shore.
Dream,
be taken
to the glinting sea.
Guide the loved one,
leave the untattooed,
leave the children,
leave the women,
and go there to
the clouds floating over Raukawa.
My lament
takes flight.
Cry to divert yourself.
Not I,
it is Rongo,
it is Papa,
making a resting place
for you.
These karakia are for women — calming and crying songs.
Lie there, o girl.
Roll on,
to let your lips be tattooed.
Roll on.
When you go to the weaving house
it is said:
Where does this woman come from?
Roll on.
On going to the dance house
it will be called.
From where came these bald lips
coming here?
Roll on.
From where come these red lips
coming here?
Roll on.
Be a board on the shore
and let go.
Dream,
taken by the deep sea,
taken to the glinting sea,
a chieftainess.
Guide the loved one, eh.
(He kawa — the name of this prayer)
Here I sit alone
and look out
to the top of the nose
of Tutewha, wriggling
like a lizard's leg.
You sought it
and sent for me to come
to carve it
with Uetonga's chisel.
Wait, send for your wife
your tattooed skin.
Rejoice and dance.
It is for me to ornament it,
for men to caress,
to be carefully fondled.
Man with no ornament,
stretch out here.
Be struck with the mallet.
Tangaroa rises.
Tangaroa rises.
E he.
One,
Lift up the kawa.
Two,
Lift up the kawa.
You are fetched
to Whititekore.
There is your possession,
there is your offence,
there is your tapu,
the offering,
to the root,
to the rootlet,
to the vine,
to the taproot.
Where are you going
Torino Tinaku?
Going to the company of Tane.
Torino Tinaku,
Where do you come from?
Te Kawa ritoro riinei,
Welcome.
Welcome puhipuhi manuka.
Sharp is the bleeding stroke,
descendant of a god.
I am a chief, a leader.
Tahatiti,
Ruatapu,
Rongomai,
Kahukura,
I stand, eh.
Mine is the tattooed head.
Note on drawing of puhoro tattoo
But women are done with buttock
and thigh tattoo,
as well as the lips.
Thigh and buttock; this is it.
Rough handling, bumping, ulcer, infection,
these things cause the thing, tattoo,
to go bad,
for all tattoo as well.