Tapu and mana
Certain practices are followed that refer to traditional concepts such as tapu. The specific people and objects contain mana - spiritual power or essence. In earlier times, tribal members of higher rank would not touch objects which belonged to members of a lower rank. This was considered "pollution" and persons of one The lowest rank could not touch the belongings of a highborn person without putting himself at risk of death.
Tapu can be interpreted as "sacred" as "spiritual restriction" or "implied prohibition"; involves rules and prohibitions. There are two kinds of tapu, the tapu reserved (for individuals) and public ( with regard to the Community). A person, object or place, which is tapu, may not be touched by human contact, in some cases, not even approached
a. A person, object or place may be made sacred by tapu for a certain time.
In pre-contact society, tapu was one of the strongest forces in the lives of Māori.
A violation of tapu could have dire consequences, including death of the offender with the disease or at the hands of someone affected by the offense. In earlier periods cooked food for a person of high rank was tapu and could not be eaten by an inferior. The chief's house was tapu, and even the chief could not eat the food inside his house. Not only the houses of people of high rank were perceived to be tapu, but also their possessions including their clothes. The burial grounds and places of death were always tapu, and these areas were often surrounded by a protective fence.
Today, the tapu is still observed in the arguments concerning the illness, death and burial;
Tangihanga or funeral rites may take two or three days. The deceased lies in state, usually in an open coffin flanked by female relatives dressed in black, their heads sometimes wreathed in Kawakawa goes, it takes a few short breaks. During the day, visitors come, sometimes from great distances despite only a distant relationship, talk to the dead. They can talk free of its defects as well as the virtues, but singing and joking are also suitable. The free expression of pain both men and women is recommended a. The traditional belief can be invoked and the deceased told to return to the ancestral homeland, Hawaiki, via Wairua rerenga of tea, the journey of the spirits. The close relatives or fellow-kiri ("dead skin") can not speak. On the last night, whakamutunga of the Po (the night of the conclusion), the mourners held a vigil and at sunrise the coffin is closed, before a church or marae service and / or a graveside interment ceremony of funeral, invariably Christian. It is traditional so that the mourners wash their hands and spray some water on their heads before leaving a cemetery. After the burial rites are completed, a feast is traditionally served. The Mourners are expected to provide Koha or gifts to the meal. After the burial, the location of the deceased and the place they died are ritually cleansed with karaka (prayers or incantations) and desanctified with food and drink, in a ceremony called the whare Takahata, trampling on the house. That night, whakangahau of the Po (night of entertainment) is a night of relaxation and rest. The widow or widower is not left alone for several nights to follow.
During the following year, the kinfolk of a prominent deceased will visit other marae, "bringing death" (KAWE mate) to them. Images of the person performing the marae.
Unveilings of headstones (kōwhatu of Hura) are usually held about a year after a death, a national holiday to accommodate guests who often could not get the tangihanga.
The dead remember, and more pain is expressed.
The dead remember, and more pain is expressed.
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