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Aotearoa is the most widely known and accepted Māori name for New Zealand. The original derivation of Aotearoa is not known for certain. The word can be broken up as: ao = cloud, tea = white and roa = long, and it is therefore usually glossed as "the land of the long white cloud".

Maori culture has historically been oral. This means they had no written language to pass on cultural heritage. As a result carvings and other art forms flourished as a means to pass on ancestry, major historic events, beliefs, legends, and other cultural elements

Even upon today the designs and their symbolism still tell the wonderful Maori tales. That’s why Maori symbols form such a substantial part of the national Maori identity and culture.

The elaborate artistic traditions of the Maori have in common that the large deal, if not all, make use of these Maori symbols.

Some of the most well known symbols or designs are

Tiki

Twist Koru

Tiki is one of the most popular Maori symbols. Also known as an emblem of other cultures belonging to the Polynesian culture. According to legends Tiki was the first man on earth who originated from the stars. The first mortal person who created the first woman after his image.

Tiki or heitiki are traditional ornaments created by Maori, the Polynesian first settlers of New Zealand. The material they are most commonly made from is nephrite, a stone related to jade, found in several places in New Zealand's South Island. It is called pounamu in Maori, greenstone in common New Zealand English.

There are traditional accounts for the creation of the stone which relate it to the children of Tangaroa. It is a very hard stone and is laborious to work, especially so with the basic grinding tools available to the Neolithic Maori.

The Maori name for the South Island, Te Wai Pounamu, refers to the stone.

The ornament is unique to New Zealand, as are several other ornaments made from this stone.

The exact meaning of the tiki symbol is disputed. There are several opinions but the most accepted are that tiki stands for fertility, and is a good luck charm meant to keep evil spirits away.

Other theories state that tiki represents the human embryo, or the Maori god Tiki who was considered responsible for the creation of life.

The symbology of Maori tiki has been much debated. The name tiki (penis) is one which is applied to stone statues elsewhere in Polynesia. It is the name of a male demigod which appears often in Polynesian mythology and is unquestionably ancient.

They are thought of by some as fertility symbols, but strangely given their name, the detail of many of them shows female reproductive organs.

Tiki remain prestige items in New Zealand today; heirlooms in Maori families and occasionally in Pakeha (non-Maori) ones as well. They are worn by Maori on ceremonial occasions and occasionally by Pakeha too where they have acquired them through some historical event. Sometimes they are ceremonially displayed rather than worn.

One theory interprets detail on tiki as representing common birth deformities (club foot etc.) and suggests they are a talisman to protect against such things.

The Maori have occupied New Zealand since about 1100 AD. The historical origins of tiki are not understood as they are virtually absent from the archaeological record. For a precious item this is not surprising.

Double and Triple Twist is an eternity symbol. Refers to the bond between peoples or cultures rather than individuals. Traditionally given as an offering of friendship between different tribes.Maori twist symbols also refer to the so called ‘three baskets of knowledge’. This is a concept that, very roughly translated, has to do with how, the for humankind necessary knowledge to survive, came to the world. According to the legend the god Tane (creator of the first man Tiki) brought down those three baskets from the heavens.

Matau (Fish Hook)Originally the Maori have been fishermen. Their main food source was the sea so a fish hook of high quality was a valuable item to posses.

Matau (Fish Hook)Worn around the neck the hook became a symbol of prosperity, abundance, good health, power, authority, and respect for the sea and its life in it. It is also believed to provide good luck and safety while traveling over water

Pūkeko is the common name, derived from the Māori language, for the Purple Swamphen (Porphyrio porphyrio) in New Zealand

Pūkeko are known for their bold scheming and determination. In times past they raided gardens for kūmara (sweet potato) and taro. A stubborn, annoying person was compared metaphorically to the bird, and was said to have Pūkeko ears (taringa Pākura)They are known to steal eggs from each other and this is an indication of their character

In New Zealand the Pūkeko is mentioned in the Māori myth 'How the Kiwi lost her wings' in which several birds of the forest are asked to come down from the trees to eat the bugs on the ground and save the forest, but all give excuses except the Kiwi who is willing to give up his colours and the ability to fly.

The Pūkeko's excuse is that it looks too damp down there, and he does not want to get his feet wet. The Pūkeko is punished for his reluctance and told he must now live forever in the swamps.

By one account the Pukeko is the spawn of Punga (the ancestor of sharks and reptiles - enemies of the people) but was claimed by relative (and high chief) Tawhaki. Tawhaki cut himself while cutting timber and so daubed the Pukeko's forehead with his own blood to signify their bond. So the mischievous Pukeko gets his character from Punga and his noble badge from Tawhaki

Sound: E Papa - Kiri te Kanava

E Papa - The Herbs

Text: Internet

Pictures: Sanda Foişoreanu

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Arangement: Sanda Foişoreanu

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