Maori Warriors - The Traditional New Zealand Warrior

The Maori warriors are strong emblematic figures in both the culture and history of the Maori as well as New Zealand as a whole.

The tattoos of the Maori Warriors

Warriors were considered to be people of high rank, which is why they would receive tattoos. They would receive tattoos to embellish them and to scare the enemy.

The cheeks, chin, nose, forehead, buttocks and thighs were all covered with tattoos as a symbol of manhood and accomplishment.

Maori warriors and the art of Mau Rakau

Mau rakau is the art of combat which the Maori have developed over the centuries. It combines specific fighting techniques with the use of traditional weapons such as the taiaha or the mere. This fighting art can only be mastered after years of practice and commitment.

Warriors had to work on their balance, timing as well as their coordination to be able to fight with the weapons effectively. They trained frequently with weapons as well as the poi. Although the poi is traditionally used for women dances, it allowed the Maori warriors to work on their coordination, improving their strength and flexibility in both their arms and hands.

Maori warriors fighting techniques and strategies

Maori warriors were very skilled and fierce. They mastered the art of ambush and surprise raids. They could surprise the enemy and disappear without a noise.

When facing the enemy, warriors would use psychology by intimidating their opponents thanks to their facial tattoos, and the 'peruperu', a war dance famous today as the haka.

War parties and raids, were organised to surprise the enemy. The warriors would wait until dawn before charging on the enemy. They would do so mainly to conquer a new territory, to gain more land, more food or to dilute the gene pool, in which case they would keep young women alive to have children.

It was not uncommon that the war parties gave place to larger parties over the success of a battle. To capture the spirituality and status of a person of prestige, the warriors would eat them.

When the Europeans came to New Zealand, they were quite surprised by the courage of the Maori warriors. Their fighting techniques and war strategies were totally different from what the British had been accustomed to.

Although the Maori were very poorly equipped as opposed to the British, they won many battles. Their traditional fortified villages were clearly a strong asset and allowed them to keep the upper hand on many occasions.

To learn more about the Maori Warrior as well as attentional information on New Zealand please free to visit our guide to New Zealand vacations.

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The Maori Poi

Maori Poi refers to three distinctive yet intricate aspects of the Maori culture: the object, the art performance and the music played during the performance. Poi is the name given to a device which is used during a traditional art performance by Maori women. This is why the performance itself is referred to as poi, just like the corresponding music.

The Maori Poi Device
The poi is a ball which is attached to a cord. Traditionally the ball was made of natural materials, which consisted of moss wrapped in flax leaves. Today they are usually made of synthetic materials, like tissue wrapped in plastic.

There are two different models, a short and a long one. The cord of the short one is about the length of the wrist down to the fingertips whereas the cord of the long one goes from the shoulder to the fingertips. Maori women use the poi balls during dances and art performances. They use them to tell stories. For women, the use of the poi allowed them to keep flexible hands for weaving.

The Maori poi was also used by warriors. They would use it to train and work on their coordination. It allowed them to work on their flexibility in both their hands and arms. It developed their agility when using traditional hand weapons such as the kotiate, the mere or the patu.

The Maori Poi Art Performance
The performance is an art which is deeply rooted in the Maori culture and traditions. It includes several aspects of the culture such as storytelling, singing, dancing, and is also quite often included in larger performances with a haka. Multiple dancers are placed in line and are wearing traditional outfits. The poi is swung rhythmically by the dancers while music is playing. The poi is a percussive instrument which creates specific sounds according to how it is manipulated. It makes distinctive sounds as it is moved close to the body or further apart.

Modern Poi
Several western cultures have developed the poi based on the Maori poi. One great example is the fire poi which is a worldwide performance or quite often a simple hobby practiced in gardens around the world. Other forms exist though such as the glow poi, or the meteor.

If you would like to learn more about Maori history and culture please feel free to visit our guide to New Zealand vacations.

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