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It is an integral symbol in Māori art, carving and tattooing, where it symbolises new life, growth, strength and peace. [3] Its shape "conveys the idea of perpetual movement," while the inner coil "suggests returning to the point of origin".
Whānau (Māori pronunciation: [ˈɸaːnaʉ]) is the Māori language word for the basic extended family group. Within Māori society the whānau encompasses three or four generations and forms the political unit below the levels of hapū (subtribe), iwi (tribe or nation) and waka (migration canoe).
Māori cultural history intertwines inextricably with the culture of Polynesia as a whole. The New Zealand archipelago forms the southwestern corner of the Polynesian Triangle, a major part of the Pacific Ocean with three island groups at its corners: the Hawaiian Islands, Rapa Nui (Easter Island), and New Zealand (Aotearoa in te reo Māori). [10]
Traditional Māori ornamental pendants. Kiwifruit: Kiwifruit: This fruit was branded kiwifruit when growers in New Zealand established successful cultivars suitable for export. [15] It remains a major export for the country. Koru: Korukowhaiwhai: The koru, widely used in traditional Māori art, is a stylised depiction of an unfurling silver ...
They were worn as pendants for safekeeping, and were often treasured family heirlooms. Today, their main use is ornamental and they are commonly worn around the neck not only by Māori, but also by other New Zealanders who identify with the hei matau as a symbol of New Zealand. They are also popular items on the tourist market.
In traditional Maori culture, the trifecta of colors hold symbolic significance: vitality and life force (red), peace, light and spiritual connection (white), and the ocean as well as spiritual connection between the people and environment (blue), inter alia.
This is an example of a family tree of the Māori gods showing the most important gods in Māori mythology. This family tree gives just an example - there are remarkable regional variations. Māori Goddesses are displayed in italics. The primordial gods were Ranginui and Papatūānuku, Heaven and Earth.
For example, the terms 'iwi', 'hapu', and 'whānau' (as noted above) can also be translated in order as 'bones', 'pregnant', and 'give birth'. The prize winning Māori author, Keri Hulme, named her best known novel as The Bone People: a title linked directly to the dual meaning of the word 'iwi as both 'bone' and 'tribal people'.