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The Material Culture of the Cook Islands (Aitutaki)

Tattooing, Ta Tatau

Tattooing, Ta Tatau.

The process of tattooing was known as ta tatau. Ta is the verb, and tatau the effect of the process. Tattoo has probably been taken from tatau, and should not be transposed back as tatu. In Maori the process is ta moko, where the verb is the same, but the noun is totally different.

Implements. The tattooing implement was made from the bone of a bird, and in later years the bone of a cat. The bone was scraped down thin, angiangi, and worked into serrations or teeth. The bone part was tied on at right angles to a wooden handle of teka, hau, or any appropriate wood. This instrument was simply called ivi, bone. A short piece of wood as thick as the little finger was used to tap the bone implement. It was called rakau papa or rakau patupatu.

Pigment. The pigment was procured by burning the kernels of the candle-nut under an inverted bowl or ipu of cocoanut shell. The soot was collected and mixed with water. The pigment took its name from the soot, and was called ngarahu.

Swab, horoi toto. A piece of bark cloth, pahoa, was wrapped round the fourth and fifth fingers of the left hand and used to swab up any blood from the operation. This gave the name of horoitoto, horoi to wipe away, and toto blood.

Procedure. The bone points were dipped in the pigment, applied to the skin, and tapped with the rakau papa. It was stated that no incantations were used, as was done in New Zealand. The expert tattooer or tahunga was feasted after the operation was over and paid with presents of food. It was said that anyone could become tattooed, his sub-tribe helping by contributing to the feast. On asking about anyone too poor to provide a feast, the answer was, "There was no man who did not have relatives."

Designs. It was held that tattooing designs, or rather motives, were derived from carving on wood, pana. From page 364tattooing, they were afterwards copied on floor mats. Lieut.-Colonel Gudgeon4 states it was held that each canoe that arrived from Hawaiki was carved on the bow with a more or less distinct pattern, and that the carving was adopted by those who came in the canoe as the ta tatau which should for all time distinguish them from other tribes. It seems reasonable that tattooing should be a later development than carving. The more developed tools and the preparation of pigment would indicate that. It is also natural to suppose that the motives carved on wood should suggest similar motives on flesh. Wood must have been the practicing medium. Different motives must have come in at various periods and become the fashion at that particular time, just as occurs in modern times. Thus it seems much more likely that the various canoes brought in different fashions, due to a period, and not motives that were adopted as a tribal heraldic device. The tattoo motives given to the author by Kake Maunga in 19065 are here repeated, and those given by Lieut.-Colonel Gudgeon are compared with them.

Tattoo Motives.

Papavaro. The papavaro consists of a continuous series of chevrons. The lines meet at an obtuse angle, Fig. 305. They are traced over the anterior surface of the abdomen and the thighs. They are also traced on the back, but were essentially an anterior design, as shown by the song mentioned under manutai.

Figure 305.Papavaro motive.

Figure 305.
Papavaro motive.

Gudgeon4 states that this motive was introduced into Aitutaki by Te Muna-Korero, who named Maina Island on the reef. He named the motive pa-maunga, a range of mountains, in memory of a mountain range in far-off Havaiki.

Figure 306.Parepare motive.

Figure 306.
Parepare motive.

page 365

Parepare The parepare motive is shown in Fig. 306. It was used on the shoulder, over the deltoid region, and also on the chest and wrist.

Tatatao. The tatatao is a face pattern consisting of three curved lines, which are used in three positions: (1) on the forehead, over each eyebrow, resembling the Maori tiwhana; (2) over each cheek, corresponding to the Maori kawe; and (3) on the chin, with the concavity upwards. See Fig. 307.

Figure 307.Tatatao motive.

Figure 307.
Tatatao motive.

Ruru. The ruru motive, Fig. 308, is worked on the wrists and forearms.

Figure 308.Ruru motive.

Figure 308.
Ruru motive.

Manutahi. The manutahi design is worked on the back. It consists of two vertical lines drawn down the spine, with short vertical lines between them. From these oblique pairs run upwards and outwards to the mid-auxiliary line. These pairs have short cross lines between them, Fig. 309.

Figure 309.Manutahi motive.

Figure 309.
Manutahi motive.

When a man had thy papavaro on the anterior surface of his body and the manutahi on his back, he took pride in page 366himself. At gatherings of the people he could stand forth in their midst and display his tattoo designs with the song:—

Ie huria, huria.
Huria te manutahi ki tahitikura.
Huria te papavaro ki tahitikura.

Oh turn, turn.
Turn the manutahi to one side,
Turn the papavaro to the other side.

The other motives recorded by Gudgeon are as follows:—

Puapua-inano. This is printed in the text as puapuainana, but there is no doubt that inana should be inano. Puapua-inano is the flower of the male pandanus. The motive is shown in Fig. 310. Gudgeon states that the
Figure 310. Puapua-inano motive.

Figure 310.
Puapua-inano motive.

motive was introduced by the chief Kaki, who came in the canoe Katopa-henua, entered by the Vaimotu passage, and landed at Taravao.

Komua. The komua motive was introduced by Irakau, who came by the Ui-tariao canoe and entered by the Taketake passage. Komua means the forward thrust of a spear. See Fig. 311.

Figure 311.Komua motive.

Figure 311.
Komua motive.

Paeko. The paeko, Fig. 312, was introduced by Te Erui-o-te-rangi.

Figure 312.Paeko motive.

Figure 312.
Paeko motive.

page 367

Punarua, The punarua motive is associated with Ruatapu. The motive shown in Fig. 313 does not suggest the punarua motive of floor mats.

Figure 313.Punarua motive, attributed to Ruatapu.

Figure 313.
Punarua motive, attributed to Ruatapu.

Attention is drawn to the statement that the punarua, viti, tapuae mokora, and matautua motives in the decorative borders of mats were derived from tattooing motives. The ones shown above do not fit in with the contention, though it is probable that some tattooing motives have been forgotten.