The Maoris are people of Polynesian origin who have inhabited New Zealand for more than a thousand years. Their culture is rich with myth, legends and art forms including body art or tattoos. In fact Maori tribal tattoos have religious significance and its is a matter of tradition for every Maori man or woman to have his own unique tattoo pattern. For them it was more than just body art. It was an expression of a person's unique personality. Today Maori tattoo art is quite popular, with celebrities like Robbie Williams and Ben Harper sporting Maori inspired tattoos. In this article I talk about traditional Maori tribal tattoos and explore the meaning that underlies the rich symbolism found in Maori culture and art.
![Maori Tattoos](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgRBaX7xYH6vcgidSY54zCjeFeZinUI-NiUTkKeTB7xTR2_Hv_omuPPDotAHiuemGujvGv22ls7PrAgxCrhAqqnvfR5O1TnNewHVJTr0z-ITugRQdtXFoznyPdtYmks7llCGFZoH8O98M/s320/Maori+Tribal+Tattoos1.jpg)
![Maori Tattoos](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga-kvYi9GXqzMdRYIkq7q7oZ07lXrv2zfJsO66m6ZMeU7hUdl09NFIBa27ah5vPYJaQpIQFDBsA8-xk8jCGf20yytrvdyOEE43M3pTFvgMWcyOMEAHl0EPncM0A3RZfDtKa-Q3m4lew08/s320/Maori+Tribal+Tattoos2.jpg)
![Maori Tattoos](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_2QtZWjq9qPNxYPwWEN0O_nDlzcykdnq6_s-2xq-2_GA2Ho4oLJEohPTQ2Ev9ckHi7NU-CmYhuo39C8F6ad_Clmxn48DnhbnxSBsh8cqj-4wkA-jBR52Ar213LscfKoDe9dECqNypfZw/s320/Maori+Tribal+Tattoos3.jpg)
![Maori Tattoos](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCAXUaeltWlklwEfkjc1DH4PBH-SZ4LeO7xhA6y7ly-HGjDkEgcrrPeytqNOj2i3nFVl381pS8DxYGMPiIIxvTLRjZfuMJVGr2pQhXx1pqsixU8WWEQ3fxjjyCX-74OJE9XcWufyhKXdk/s320/Maori+Tribal+Tattoos4.jpg)