Lecture 10: Death and Mourning Flashcards
(29 cards)
What does Matariki mark in the Māori calendar?
The disappearance of the Matariki star cluster marks the end of a cycle, and its reappearance in June signals the Māori New Year.
What is Te Waka o Rangi?
It is the celestial waka (canoe) with Matariki seen to be at the front
What is the significance of Te Waka o Rangi?
the journey of spirits after death
What is the significance of Pohutukawa within Matariki?
Pohutukawa is the star connected to those who have passed away.
What happens to the spirit of a person after death in Māori belief?
The spirit leaves the body and journeys along the pathway of spirits; the details of this journey vary between iwi
What is an ōhāki?
Final instructions or words given by a dying rangatira to their people.
What is the whare tūoro?
A house for the dying person to reside in, which was traditionally burned afterwards to remove tapu.
What is tuku wairua?
A form of karakia (prayer) sung to help the spirit pass peacefully during death
What is the tūpāpaku?
The body of the deceased person.
What is kōkōwai and how was it used?
A mixture of clay and oil applied to the body to preserve it
How is the body prepared today?
More often by undertakers using chemical processes, unlike traditional natural methods.
What is the whare mate?
The house of mourning, located near the whare nui, designated for the deceased.
What is tangihanga?
The traditional Māori funeral process involving mourning, speeches, and burial, followed by reintegration of the whānau into daily life.
What modern challenges affect tangihanga?
Government policies (e.g. restrictions on mourning length), colonisation, language loss, and Māori living away from their marae.
Where might the body be placed during tangihanga?
In the mahau (porch), whare nui (main house), or whare mate (mourning house).
Who are the kirimate?
those who are closely related to the deceased
Who are the whanau pani?
the ones that are so close that their death brings a change in state for you (e.g. husband dies which makes them a widow)
often entirely devoted to mourning
What are the expressions of grief?
Haehae and whakamomori
What is haehae?
Physical expressions of mourning, sometimes involving self-scratching.
What is whakamomori?
Intense grief, occasionally leading individuals to a deep, difficult-to-escape emotional state.
What is kawakawa?
Leaves used to mask the smell of the deceased during the mourning period.
What is tono?
A request by others to take the body, which is ultimately decided by the whānau pani.
What is the pō poroporoaki?
The night before burial, where stories are shared, songs are sung, and family may speak.
What is nehu?
The burial itself, typically at an urupā (cemetery), with a service held at a marae or church.
