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/AVvXsEgcom_H0V_Fe3W2rqIHevtocK_JIdtmL5254LbTSV36fdo9Lm7dbsmm3GQtoXcKlFdw3BJ4AA6oKwp2os1_87QRV7gOiCHLZ07BXBI1sitNHXyLczH10MC1jINuENuQv8SJRObkFsS18DI/s320/Maori+Tribal+Tattoos1.jpg)
![Maori Tattoos](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_UUiJ_wLqx75hyphenhyphenbbU5X2iUNFbBBSkfgFfXG68vhW5-3vg-uyCUOHkBvndemfo9kYo_13_iI1rmAyX-pME8s4qVPj59dk0IGswROUxqGvGhxXUXwEs07ql_Bk84bRL8c2E6UDEg7-Tc7I/s320/Maori+Tribal+Tattoos2.jpg)
![Maori Tattoos](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWDtitvPO1ByQPXWmIHhCKyTr_0NHx5apoBJbHHWozHheY5CX7I2-GxCaW_NopQVGZeC0lNDx0gBlsVE4YC9RBv4df83DfiLCa9Ru45Pneuca3OxoqJIm7zf4j7JrHUvs0hygru58xCpI/s320/Maori+Tribal+Tattoos3.jpg)
![Maori Tattoos](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibZxXdC3zgqMtuYPlE1uWNWDrdgIaEFz3A1swSUZRJR1Yme638zjwlKuPdpqXraij-QZX_ToUfmak4gfw78APzJbQC5uxSIT71UOHzT1lvbJ7nRWK3guiypsuTCORNxKUyygVzGEMBqUk/s320/Maori+Tribal+Tattoos4.jpg)