Tapu - sacrosanct principle of the Maori
Tapu is an ancient belief system of the New Zealand's indigenous people, the Maori. The origins of tapu date back to the time of creation, the time of Gods Ranginui (Sky father) and Papatuanuku (Earth mother) and their offspring Tane mahuta (God of the forest), Tangaroa (God of the ocean) and the other divine siblings. Tapu is closely linked to the Maori concept of mana and many view tapu to be the mana derived from the gods.
Therefore, to maintain the sanctity of tapu, certain behaviours or acts are prohibited when tapu is involved. In early Maori society, this system of restrictions was the closest thing to a code of socially appropriate behaviour.
To disregard the rules of tapu was seen as an offence to the gods. The person concerned was thought to have forfeited the protection of the gods and therefore was exposed to rogue supernatural evils. The most common manifestations of this evil were disaster, possession by a demonic power or death. These consequences were not limited to the person who had breached the tapu, but could also apply to their families, lands and tribes.
Maori believe everything in existence has an intrinsic tapu sourced from the connection it has to the gods. The mountains are of the earth, so their intrinsic tapu is sourced from the mana of Papatuanuku, the earth mother. Fish are the children of Tangaroa, God of the ocean so their tapu is drawn from him. The more significant an object, whether it is for cultural, historical or any other reasons, the higher the level of tapu.
All human beings are born with a level of tapu. Those born of high rank or from a chiefly line possess a higher degree of tapu than those of common rank. Tohunga (sacred men possessing spiritual powers) and others of high levels of tapu would often be avoided as their tapu was so powerful, contact with them was dangerous for a person of lower level.
The head is the most sacred part of the body and in times of old, there were a number of procedures, including ritualistic incantations, that had to be performed before or after the head came into contact with something else.
A rangatira (chief), for instance, would be careful not to scratch his head with his hand because this act would then make the hand tapu and until the correct procedures had been followed to reverse the tapu to the state of noa (the opposite of tapu), it would be dangerous to use his hand for common activities.
When Mt Tarawera erupted in 1886, Tuhoto Ariki, a very powerful tohunga of the Te Arawa people, was buried alive in his small whare (house) for approximately 4 days. The tohunga was eventually rescued and taken to hospital, where european doctors, against the will of Tuhoto, cut his hair. Tuhoto had endured being buried alive and stranded for 4 days but the old man grew weaker with every lock that fell to the floor and died not long after.
A person's level of tapu increases to maximum levels as death approaches. When the person has died, a tohunga or a priest is called in to remove the tapu from the place and surroundings where the person has died and any of the possesions of the deceased. Should this act not be performed, those who are in contact with the tapu objects are put in danger.
Burial grounds, ceremonial sites, carved houses (while being carved) and waka (canoe) are among other things that bear tapu and carry certain restrictions in behaviour. For example, women are not permitted to enter a carved house while it is under construction. This seriously undermines the mana of the house and therefore also the mana of the tribe who is building the house. Once construction is complete, a ceremony, known as kawanga whare, is held to lower the tapu to safe levels so that all may enter.
Fresh water has a special connection to tapu. It has the power to neutralise tapu to levels that are no longer dangerous to people. After a visit to a burial ground or funeral service, water can be sprinkled upon one's self to lower tapu.
Locations of spiritual significance such as Cape Reinga at the tip of the North Island, believed by Maori to be the point from where spirits of the departed leave for the journey back to the ancestral homeland of Hawaiki, are also very tapu. Though the spot is a popular tourist location, respect for the tapu should be shown at all times and many Maori feel that taking photographs or filming at these locations is a breach of the tapu.
The notion of tapu has been upheld by Maori since the very beginning of time. This alone is indicative of the sanctity and respect Maori place on tapu. Although some of the traditions associated with tapu are no longer widely practised, it survives today as a sacred component of Maori life, lore and custom.
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