rainydaycat's picture
rainydaycat from México is reading "A Clash of Kings" by George R. R. Martin April 16, 2012 - 9:34am

What do you know/like about Māori culture, about their folk tales? :)
Thanks for sharing!

Matt Attack's picture
Matt Attack from Richmond, Va. is reading As I Lay Dying, William Faulkner April 16, 2012 - 9:39am

Just the stuff in Cook's journals...and of course that episode of River Monsters about eels...lol

 

The only folk tale I can think of off hand is about their first king....he seduced a gods wife, and they changed him into a fish as punishment....or something. 

ReneeAPickup's picture
ReneeAPickup from Joshua Tree, CA is reading The Sound of Lonliness April 16, 2012 - 12:53pm

I saw a piece about them on a documentary about tattoos, but I am having a hard time remembering exactly what the cultural significance of their tattoos and how they were given is. I know that non-Maori are not supposed to have an actual Maori design, so they weill do them slightly differently for a non-Maori. I seem to remember a lot of the designs having specific meanings linked to their culture and belief system. Of course, now I can't even remember the name of that documentary.

Are you writing about the Maori?

Matt's picture
Matt from New Zealand is reading This is how you lose her by Junot Diaz April 16, 2012 - 2:31pm

I like the one where Maui and his buddies get annoyed that the days are going by too fast so they capture the sun with ropes to slow it down. I'm pretty sure there's a Hollywood sci-fi blockbuster in there somewhere.

rainydaycat's picture
rainydaycat from México is reading "A Clash of Kings" by George R. R. Martin April 18, 2012 - 8:48am

Yes, I am trying to write a piece about the Maori, a new folktale but including bits and pieces about their culture so it will be accurate.

:)

I like the Maori and the Inuit culture around totems. I once attended a museum exhibition about the Polynesian cultures named Moana (which means sea) and I picked up some folktales but still, there are so many (like in every culture probably) that I am at a loss at where to start. I'm getting there though, thanks :)

I didn't know that non-Maori people got different tattoos than the Maori, that is very interesting O.O

btw... River Monsters! xD

Again, thanks! I'm searching the folk tales you mentioned.

ReneeAPickup's picture
ReneeAPickup from Joshua Tree, CA is reading The Sound of Lonliness April 18, 2012 - 2:20pm

I can't remember the specifics, but each tattoo means something. The symbols are very culturally relevant. so some Maori will do traditional Maori tattoos on non-Maori, but they put different designs on them.