I'm working on my very first tattoo, and yes i really like the polynesian culture itself. I managed to get some information about it, some symbols with their basic meaning but that's not enough for me, i'm doing research on this theme for years now with some pauses but here in hungary i still haven't found anything really useful. So if anyone would be able to help me that would be really great.
What i'm interested in is: Symbols with basic and deeper meaning, and the method of their combination.
If i know some of the symbols and their meaning then it is up to me and my imagination how i use them to tell a story or it has a strict "order" or something like that what has to be followed in the process of creating the tattoo?
I'm sure i come up with more questions later but right now that's all.
I think what you are talking about is actually learning the polinesian grammar which would be hard to just 'find'.
I know you want it this way because both the meaning and the looks matter. Still, you have better chances first figuring out the meaning of your text and then translate it with the help of translate programs (more at once preferably). If you are not satisfied with the looks then you should make a different text and translate that. Keep doing it till you find what you like the most.
Or sit back and pray for a member with polinesian knowledge to answer here.
I come from NZ, where Moko's and tribal tattoos are the in thing.
Robbie Williams and various other celebrities come to NZ for the enchantment the culture leaves people who come to investigate.
A moko is a Maori facial tattoo which depicts the achievement of something great, though in modern times this interpretation is ignored as it's more of a fashion thing for foreigners. (God only knows why)
Usually the tattoos in Maori ("Eastern Polynesian") culture are given when they are earned, or if the person is of a higher social status. Especially the Moko (Face tattoo)
Traditionally, Moko were pretty intricate, and no two patterns were the same, but they looked almost identical down both sides of the face. Tattooists were considered "Tapu" (Sacred), and used a type of chisel and the 'ink' was the pigment from burnt timbers.
The Moko tells the person who has its whakapapa (genealogy) and is a a form of personal identification. Copying one of these is seen as a seriously huge insult, and worse then identity theft
The body tattoos can tell stories as well, but again, not as often anymore. People get them because they "look cool" and they are damn hard to find anything about.
Now days, tradition is gone, everyone can get one and they usually mean nothing.
However- it is good that someone is still interested in doing things right.
Feel free to ask away in here, or flick me a PM if you have anything specific you want to know. I know you have a few things your interested in, but I will need to ask around to find specifics. If I can have a general idea of what exactly your trying to have in the tattoo, then I'll have a lot more luck in finding those things out for you.
Guys, many thanks, and Mrs.Altejago you're right, i've got many questions. Later i think i can send a PM to you whit a sketch made by me. I made a way of thinking with this whole polynesian thing for myself but i fear i'm on the wrong track. But i never wanna copy a tattoo like this, it's like people getting the tattoo what Dwayne Johnson have.....it screams: Hey! I have no personality!
I just rebump this thread and hoping for some luck that Mrs. Altejago will see it. So if you can see this, please answer to my pm, to the first one to be more precise if you have the time for it.
Like the other two I'm from NZ aswell and I'm Maori with a moko covering my back and arm, it depends what you mean by Polynesian, in regards to samoan, tongan, Fijian each has their own unique signature if you will.
Like the design your looking for it cant be just a design, that's the mistake people make about it, every flowing line has to follow a muscle line to accentuate that muscle, that's why we never try to put it on paper first because your body isn't flat is it?, we design directly on the skin to follow every curvature before puncturing your skin with a needle, may look chur on paper but your body is a different canvas,
And primarily its a signature to your heritage and family just as mine is to my tribe and my fore-fathers, back in the days it was virtually a passport, when read people knew were you where from and descended from who? and wether or not your going to be eaten lol.
As long as you know the basics and symmetry of your signature it's o.k but getting help to define it is good to ask
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