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The Pe'a covers the body from the middle of the back to the knees. The word tattoo in the English language is believed to have originated from the Samoan word "tatau".. The tatau process for the Pe'a is extremely painful, [5] and undertaken by tufuga ta tatau (master tattooists), using a set of handmade tools: pieces of bone, turtle shell and wood.
Back view of a Samoan man with tattoos (c. 1890) In Samoa, the tradition of applying tattoo, or tatau, by hand has been unbroken for over two thousand years. Tools and techniques have changed little. The skill is often passed from father to son, each tattoo artist, or tufuga, learning the craft over many years of serving as his father's apprentice.
A Samoan woman with malu. Malu is a word in the Samoan language for a female-specific tattoo of cultural significance. [1] The malu covers the legs from just below the knee to the upper thighs just below the buttocks, and is typically finer and delicate in design compared to the Pe'a, the equivalent tattoo for males.
The word tattoo is believed to have originated from the word tatau. In Samoan mythology the origin of the tatau is told in a legend about two sisters, Tilafaiga and Taema who brought the tools and knowledge of tattooing to Samoa. The Samoan male tattoo (tatau) is the pe'a. The female tatau is the malu.
These royal blood ties are routinely acknowledged at special events and cultural gatherings. According to Samoan folklore, two maidens from Fiji brought to Samoa the tools that were necessary to engage in the art of tatau (in English, the tattoo), and this is the origin of the traditional Samoan movie (also known as pe'a for men and as malu for ...
The History of the Tātau It is believed that the tatau, a traditional form of Samoan tattooing, was introduced to Samoa in the village of Falealupo. The origins of the tatau in Falealupo are steeped in legends and stories, passed down through generations of Samoans.
Painting by Gottfried Lindauer of a moko being carved into a man's face by a tohunga-tā-moko (tattooist) A collection of kōrere (feeding funnels). Historically the skin was carved by uhi [6] (chisels), rather than punctured as in common contemporary tattooing; this left the skin with grooves rather than a smooth surface.
The pe'a tattoo (the Samoan word pe'a is also the word for a flying fox or fruit bat) took six weeks to complete and the master tattooist (Tufuga ta tatau) was from Asau. A young boy, whose name was also Pe'a, from Faletagaloa village in Safune, played the role of Moana's younger brother.