The Maori of New Zealand: Religion, Spirituality and Rights of Passage - Research Paper Example

?THE MAORI OF NEW ZEALAND, RELIGION, SPIRITUALITY AND RITES OF PASSAGE Introduction The Maori people are native New Zealanders of the Polynesian race(Tregear 1).They are believed to have arrived sometime in the 14th century from 1 of the islands now known as Hawaii in several canoes (buzzle.com). The occupants of each canoe are thought to have settled in different areas as separate tribes, each with somewhat different customs and beliefs. Europeans hungry for land, conquered in the 18th century. Many modern Maori live in poverty in urban centers and have adopted both European virtues and vices. Those more remote maintain their tradition of high birth and its’ obligations. As in North America missionaries, in spite of their good intentions to Christianize the Maori people caused a great deal of harm to their culture. They decried violence and coarseness they found in Maori culture, while ignoring these traits within their own. As Tregear pointed out, their biased view shows a failure to understand the underpinnings of Maori culture. Their societies are ruled by heredity chiefs who govern all aspects of Maori life. It is unclear how the original chiefs came into being, but presumably they were individuals who demonstrated leadership abilities and were thought by others to have sacred powers and the ability to communicate directly with the gods. It was assumed that since nature regenerates itself, such powers would be passed on to the chief’s descendants and thus rule by religious aristocracy was established. Religious Practices Without the benefit of modern scientific knowledge of nature, the Maori invented a plethora of gods to explain and hopefully control their universe. This was done through a wide range of myths, rituals, feasts sacrifices including human. Charms and spells. Most objects, whether inanimate or not, or activity was thought to have “tabu”, that is a sacred potency for either good or evil Duffie 17). Those having prestige because they were considered to be tied to the power of gods with life giving and taking powers such as chiefs were said to have “mana” (Duffie 18). In the Maori world, religion assumed the role of science and permeated all aspects of traditional Maori life. Their mythology and religious practice was based on a 2 tier system. The commoner was taught that the world began with Heaven and Mother Earth and he (she) was a descendant of their union (Tregear 457). However, for those “wise and instructed” or in other words, the hereditary chief and religious elite, the world originated before this event in a more abstract form, possibly by the Supreme Being “singing” it into existence. For the average person this mythology, rituals and relics were shrouded in secrecy and known only to the elite who had direct communication with the gods. I believe this control of the sacred knowledge, etc. was a way to consolidate their power and position in the same way that in the Middle Ages the Catholic Church allowed theBible to be published in Latin only to ensure that only the Church had direct access to God. Religious Beliefs Although the Maori shared with Christianity the belief in a Supreme Being and afterlife, on a daily basis they were much more concerned with their relationship with their lesser gods of various rank and below them a plethora of spirits, who they believed carried out various functions.(Tregear 454). Although unseen, the Maori projected that the gods and spirits lived around them in a world parallel to their own with similar emotions of love and hate, similar institutions ( for example marriage) and that they also copulated and bore children who became new gods, etc. Their relationship with their gods differed from that of Christianity. Instead of the Christian’s reverential obedience to what he(she) considered to be God’s command, in the hope of earning general personal earthly and/or heavenly rewards, the Maoris’ approach was more pragmatic. Although they respected their gods, they believed they could entice specific gods through ritual, offerings, sacrifice, etc. to look upon them more favorably in a given situation and provide a desired result. The process was more like striking a bargain with the god rather than reverence per se. The Maori believed that if they did so they would develop a harmonious relationship with the god that controlled that aspect of nature which concerned them. The notion of harmony also had broader application. For example, diseases were thought to have psychological as well as physical causes which must be dealt with to make the person well and in harmony with the gods and the family (Duffie 18). Of course the greater the need, the more drastic the measures required to appease the gods, culminating in human blood sacrifice, as they understood that blood is the essence of life itself (Tregear 488) As well as good gods the Maori world was populated by evil ones who must be controlled by sorcery, spells and appeals to good gods. The Maori also had great respect for their ancestors and believed they were protected by the spirits of dead warriors. (Tregear 476). Rites of Passage Important milestones in life such as christenings, weddings, funerals and tribal reunions were all celebrated at the Murai, a sacred open meeting area, (buzzle.com) Although now performed largely for tourists, the laki is a war dance to psych up warriors and prepare them for battle. Tattooing marks important events in Maori life. For both males and females it denotes passage into adulthood. Unlike Christianity, Maori religion permits premarital sex. In fact females publicly declare relationships in order to be tattooed. Although less elaborate than male tattooing , it is considered attractive and erotic ( everyculture.com) Males have very elaborate facial tattoos which act like an ID card denoting the statue of the bearer, which in Maori society is the position in the religious and political hierarchy. (historynz.org).Finally, the Maoris had an interesting practice of secondary burial. When a person died the body was laid out on ceremonial mats for viewing like an open casket for funerals today. After a few days the body was buried, but following a year it was removed and painted with red ochre and taken from village to village before final burial in a sacred place (everyculture.com). This source does not state the purpose of the secondary burial, but presumably it represented the person’s spiritual transformation into a new life with the red ochre possibly symbolizing blood. Conclusion While we abhor certain religious practices of the Maori such as human sacrifice, I do not believe we should merely condemn it. Instead we should understand that in the absence of modern scientific knowledge, the Maori felt such practices were necessary to restore a harmonious relationship with their gods References 1). Tregear, Edward, The Maori Race” 1904, Wanyanui, NZ, AD Willis 2) Duffie, Mary Katherine “Through the Eye of a Needle. Maori Beginnings” 3) www.everyculture.com “Maori Religion and Expressive Culture”. 4) http:historynz.org- “The Maori. The Tangi Religion and Spirituality Tapu and Noa”. 5)http: historynz.org The Maori. The Tattoo (Ta Moko)” Read More