Ta Moko’s legend The Maori legend of the Ta Moko tells the love story between the young warrior Mataora and the beautiful princess Niwaraka, who lived in the world of darkness. Niwaraka and Mataora met one day, when Niwaraka went to the above world with a...
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Ta Moko’s legend The Maori legend of the Ta Moko tells the love story between the young warrior Mataora and the beautiful princess Niwaraka, who lived in the world of darkness. Niwaraka and Mataora met one day, when Niwaraka went to the above world with a group of dancers. They immediately fell in love with each other and got married. But time passed and Mataora became jealous and furious, and he hit his wife. Niwaraka decided to escape to her father’s kingdom, under the ground. Full of love and regrets, Mataora, with his face painted, attempted a difficult travel to get back to his love. Once arrived to Rarohenga, the spirit world, Mataora deeply apologized to his wife, begging for her mercy. She accepted and introduced him to her father Uetonga, who was tattooing someone’s face. Mataora discovery was the tattoo was, not just a painting like his. Uetonga offered to Mataora to teach him the Ta Moko, starting with tattooing Mataora himself to make him realize the pain and the merit need
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