For some, it may be hard to tell the difference between the various Polynesian cultures and their tattoo art; in a way, they are very similar.
They are all tribal in style and all have meanings related to the relationship between being an individual and being part of a tribe and lineage of ancestors.
The Polynesians are a group of about two million people who are closely related and connected in culture because of their close proximity and therefore their ability to travel and settle amongst their neighbors.
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The Polynesian people live in the Pacific Ocean and include the Maori, the Hawaiians, the Marquesans, the Samoans, and many other groups.
Living in New Zealand, the Maori people take pride in their warrior culture, yet they practice pacifism when it comes to meeting new cultures.
Settled by other Polynesians only 800 years ago, these visitors slowly adapted to a new life on the Hawaiian islands and developed their own culture.
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For example, the Matai is the head of the family and instructs all of his family members on social and familial issues.
Although we group Polynesians as one group of people, the various groups of people living on the Pacific islands vary in the way they do tattoos.
We will take a look at how they are very similar as well, but first, let’s see what unique characteristics make up tattoo culture for these Polynesian groups.
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Tattoos on the face were reserved for those with a high social ranking because it was considered a privileged part of the body.
However, the Maori tattoo tools include cerated chisels and flat-bladed chisels, both of which cut deeper into the skin than most other Polynesian tattoo instruments.
The Kakau tattoos are unusual in the way they shape and layer different elements of the tribal patterns into one larger piece.
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For this reason, the mere act of receiving a tattoo was seen as a great act of bravery and the sign of a powerful person.
The pigment used was traditionally from the ama nut, which was cooked over a fire and the soot was then captured onto stones and dried on banana leaves.
The resulting soot was then made into an ink concoction with either coconut oil, water, or vegetable juice which makes an ink that is both safe to use in the skin and also permanent.
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Each bone had a specifically shaped tip depending on the type of the tattoo, which is interesting because instead of just one comb there were different sized tools for each new line.
Another reason Marquesan tattoos are interesting is that getting a tattoo for a Marquesan wasn’t as simple as sitting down for a few hours.
This would be reserved for wealthy families and could take weeks or months depending on how many tattoos the person was going to have done.
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What’s unique about how Samoans view tattooing, in general, is that for the most part tattoo markings are simply decorations for the body for them.
A Samoan male traditionally must ask his elders for approval for his tattoo request, and once it has been approved it is a proud moment for him.
Although we have mentioned several unique characteristics for each of these Polynesian cultures, there’s actually quite a lot that they have in common in both culture and technique.
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Although there are slight differences between the Polynesian tattoo artists’ techniques, their tools and the way they perform the tattoos is very similar.
For example, a tattoo comb is used across Polynesian cultures and is usually made of similar organic materials such as bones, wood, and various animal parts.
For example, a tattoo to the Maori was a right of passage for young people and a mark of identification for all.
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Marquesan men would get a tattoo as early as fourteen years old to signify that they have reached the age of maturity.
This was the same with girls, who when they became a woman (got their first period) they too would receive a tattoo in honor of their adulthood.
Tatau in the Samoan community was meant to be a message to their community that they are prepared to enter adulthood and serve as a respected member of society.
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To the Samoan people, tattoos are an intricate part of life, performed with excruciating pain that leads to accepting that person as a mature individual.
It was a common practice for Polynesians to perform this tattoo process as a right of passage for entering society and showing their tribe that they are brave enough to withstand the pain of a tattoo and therefore can enter into adulthood.
Many tattoos were used as decoration to make women more beautiful, especially so that when they are dancing their legs would show their tattoos and illuminate their amazing beauty.
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Many Polynesian cultures view tattoos, whether it be their placement, their design, or simply getting one, as a sign of rank and an important message to society.
This is especially true of tattoos on the face, for some cultures, which can show that you are a high-ranking person in society.
For example, for Samoans, as opposed to the relative ease of men getting tatau, for women, the tatau were typically saved for high-ranking members of society.
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There are many different rules about this depending on the culture, however, the Polynesians do share the commonality that tattoos often have the purpose of establishing meaning to society.
Not to mention, they are all considered tribal tattoos in style and use tribal shapes to create imagery that is simple yet effective.
The triangle is very versatile: the triangles can be lined up in a horizontal or vertical row, or even diagonally following thick black lines in a large piece.
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As we mentioned when describing the meaning of triangles in Polynesian tattoos, shark teeth are usually shown as empty or filled in triangles, sometimes many of them with many rows and columns in a symmetrical form.
The shark tooth tattoo is also popular among Polynesian warriors because they believed it brought with them strength and courage in battle because of the fierceness of a shark’s set of razor-sharp teeth.
A spearhead or arrow in Polynesian tattoos is typically a triangle that is shaded in to appear to be a sharpened arrow.
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They follow a band of lines, for example, flowing around someone’s wrist or limb and accented with black lines and typically surrounded by even more tribal tattoos.
The spearhead symbolizes strength and power to the Polynesians and most often is received by warriors who want their opponents to fear them.
The lizard tattoo is formed by Polynesian tattoo artists with many tribal symbols that when put together form the shape of the lizard.
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This lizard tattoo style may look simple, but it is difficult to put so many tribal designs together to create one image.
Therefore, they are considered a highly prized tattoo to receive and have the power to help the tattoo wearer in many ways.
The turtle is usually shown as a basic body with its limbs sticking out using dark lines and a basic, tribal shape.
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For example, the meaning of the sea turtle and its shell for the Samoans is protection because of the turtle’s strong shield.
With so many cultures to choose from, there’s no way you can’t find a specific Polynesian culture that works with your philosophy or whatever design you desire.
The designs that are similar among the Polynesian cultures hold ties to many ancient cultures and will live on by modern people getting these Polynesian tattoo designs.
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The best part is there’s no need to make up a design: they are all right here for you to choose from and you have the chance to enter a tattoo lineage from an ancient past.
Alyssa Renee McCormack is a writer, curator, and photographer who publishes articles on the topics of the arts, culture, and social justice. She graduated from the Fashion Institute of Technology with a degree in fashion business and art history and museum professions. Her experience working with a variety of art institutions, her world travel, and her inquisitive nature provides her with a unique insight. Check out her about page, she would love to connect with you!This is such a fact, that for example, if a person is not honoring their ancestors in a favorable way with their lifestyle choices, they are deemed not ready to honor their ancestors with a tattoo.
Kakau tattoos differ from only Pacific tattoos because they use many overlapping symbols and line work that combine together and create an interesting piece of art.
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The Kakau tattoos from the Hawaiian Islands are unusual in the way they shape and layer different elements of the tribal patterns into one larger piece.
The word Kakau comes from the ancient tradition of Hawaiian tattooing, where the artist would actually cut the skin open using bone and add pigment to the wound.
Kakau is a very painful process and although it came out like black ink afterward, it was only able to be done in black ink and hurt very badly.
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For this reason, the mere act of receiving a tattoo was seen as a great act of bravery and the sign of a powerful person.
Both ancient Hawaiian men and women would receive tattoos however, men tended to cover
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