The most succinct abstract of this thesis is the title itself. Nga Roimata O Hine-nui-te-po literally means the tears of Hine-nui-te-po (the guardian of dead). It is a phrase associated with death but not always with grief. Sadness is involved as the deceased is leaving the living but it can also imply joy as the deceased is returning home (Kainga) to the place of ancestral origin (Hawaiki). Death was and is seen as the focal point of Maori life. It was the axis around which the actions of the living revolved. It was a time of mourning but also a time of happiness as it witnessed the birth of an ancestor.
This study firstly discusses traditional Maori death customs in relation to traditional Maori society. The topic has obvious limitations. The reliance on unverified records, often based on second-hand hearsay, is hopefully balanced, to some degree, by authenticated information and some material provided by recent archaeological reconstruction. Discussion with contemporary informants was also of valuable assistance.
Secondly the thesis attempts to provide an under-standing as to why Maori culture has survived despite over one and a half centuries of intensive outside influence. The study of death in both its past and present Maori contexts points to the reason for the continuity of Maoritanga being held within Maori attitudes toward death. Maoritanga can only be understood via an appreciation of tangihanga. Maoritanga did and does have tangihanga as its very heart. Death was and is the centre of Maori life
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:ADTP/217661 |
| Date | January 1981 |
| Creators | Voykovic, Anthony A, n/a |
| Publisher | University of Otago. Department of English |
| Source Sets | Australiasian Digital Theses Program |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Rights | http://policy01.otago.ac.nz/policies/FMPro?-db=policies.fm&-format=viewpolicy.html&-lay=viewpolicy&-sortfield=Title&Type=Academic&-recid=33025&-find), Copyright Anthony A Voykovic |
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