and daydream often! I dream of the past & lands far from here, heat & warmth, old cultures & ancient civilizations.
Often I forget that New Zealand has a rich heritage of it's own, which started way before the white man landed & when the first fleet of canoes arrived to discover a land rich in forests & food around 1350 AD.
The Māori were, for the large part, transient. They would move to where the food & good hunting was & let the land they had occupied replenish itself . Because of the very nature of their buildings & villages there are no ancient dwellings steeped in history, no great metropolis & no grand temples. There are ancient & sacred burial grounds though.
Māori were 'of the land'. Their heritage wasn't documented, rather it was passed down through generations - & it still is.
At any Māori gathering, meeting, multi cultural event (including the beginning of a school year) a person will stand up to give a Mihimihi/introductory speech & part of this involves establishing links with others present. During the Mihimihi they will recite their Whakapapa/geneology. Quite simply it can't fail to move you I sit there totally absorbed, even though I understand very little of what is being said.... & then promptly switch off when the other speeches begin in English......
As a person of European descent, having grown up with this culturally rich heritage it becomes second nature - you are aware of all that it entails, but you are not 'of' it.
Still, it seeps in & becomes a part of who you are..... you almost take it for granted. That is until you realise that the scroll work you are trying to put on a bead has suddenly become less 'scroll' & more symbolic of some the wonderful Maori designs.
Fossilised Fronds
Often I forget that New Zealand has a rich heritage of it's own, which started way before the white man landed & when the first fleet of canoes arrived to discover a land rich in forests & food around 1350 AD.
The Māori were, for the large part, transient. They would move to where the food & good hunting was & let the land they had occupied replenish itself . Because of the very nature of their buildings & villages there are no ancient dwellings steeped in history, no great metropolis & no grand temples. There are ancient & sacred burial grounds though.
Māori were 'of the land'. Their heritage wasn't documented, rather it was passed down through generations - & it still is.
At any Māori gathering, meeting, multi cultural event (including the beginning of a school year) a person will stand up to give a Mihimihi/introductory speech & part of this involves establishing links with others present. During the Mihimihi they will recite their Whakapapa/geneology. Quite simply it can't fail to move you I sit there totally absorbed, even though I understand very little of what is being said.... & then promptly switch off when the other speeches begin in English......
As a person of European descent, having grown up with this culturally rich heritage it becomes second nature - you are aware of all that it entails, but you are not 'of' it.
Still, it seeps in & becomes a part of who you are..... you almost take it for granted. That is until you realise that the scroll work you are trying to put on a bead has suddenly become less 'scroll' & more symbolic of some the wonderful Maori designs.
Fossilised FrondsKia mau koe ki nga kupu o ou tupuna.
Hold fast to the words of your ancestors.
New GrowthWhaia e koe ki te iti kahurangi;
ki te tuohu koe, me maunga teitei
Seek the treasure you value most dearly:
if you bow your head, let it be to a lofty mountain
6 comments:
Gorgeous words and beads. :)
Great post! I love the beads, too!
Superb beads Deb..♥
Great beads! I recently watched a special on the signifigance and history of the Maori facial tatoos. It was fascinating.
Those are stunning, Deb!
Those are beautiful, Deb! Absolutely fascinating, the words and stringer work and colors of the glass itself.
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