Kirituhi
From BME Encyclopedia
Revision as of 08:09, 8 April 2010 by Tokiohotel (Talk | contribs)
Maori-style tattoos which lack Maori cultural meaning.
Kirituhi is the Maori name given to Maori-inspired tattoos that feature Maori but lack cultural meaning. Kirituhi means "skin art", and is used to differentiate between Maori-style tattoos and Moko.
Kirituhi lack the essential element of whakapapa, or, the long lines of genealogy which are important to Maori. Through whakapapa, all Maori can relate to one another from the primal parents, Ranginui (the sky father) and Papatuanuku (the earth mother). Without whakapapa, a tattoo cannot be moko.
