Origines, déclin et renaissance

The moko is one of the emblems of Maori culture. The etymology of the word moko evokes the gashes in the earth created by the God of earthquakes and volcanoes. It also refers to the legend of Mataora and Niwareka. It was from this love story that the permanent moko was born, a gift from Niwareka's father to his son-in-law. Since then, the Maori technique of chiseling the skin with a stone or bone chisel has been handed down from generation to generation. In the 19th century, the arrival of settlers, who demonized the practice through evangelization and trafficked mummified and tattooed Maori heads to the West, struck fear into the hearts of the indigenous population. This period largely contributed to the disappearance of the male facial moko.