Maori
HongiTo: lolitalark@yahoo.com
Hi there, kia ora,
I was surfing the net, whilst supposed to be working and found this posting from a reader of yours:
Dear Sir,
I have met a Maori man, in California, and his greeting to me was fascinating. He put his forehead and nose to mine and stated that this was his custom greeting.
I was curious as to the meaning behind this particular custom. If you could answer or point me in the right direction, I would appreciate it very much.
I am Maori and have been for about a million years now.
The traditional greeting you refer to is known as "hongi" pronounced kind of like "HORE-NGEE."
It is the touching of nose and forehead to share both thoughts and breath.
It is believed that this is the most intimate of embraces as you must invade each others personal space and share that which is literally the "giver of life" Š breath.
The fact that the foreheads, the place in which the third eye resides, are both touching shows the sharing of common thought and knowledge.
--- TeHamua Nikora
TeHamua.Nikora@maoritelevision.com
Director/Presenter
Maori Television
Pouaka Poutapeta
Newmarket, Tamakimakaurau
Dear TeHamua Nikora:Thanks for your informative letter.
You may have missed the original review, which we presented several years ago, at
www.ralphmag.org/BG/maori2.html The book we reviewed was titled, Moko Maori Tattoo, from Edition Stemmle.
It has produced much correspondence, most rather nice, but including a rather testy one from Irene Hsi, which we posted at
www.ralphmag.org/DZ/letters2.html
--- Lolita Lark
EditorTo: poo@cts.comSubject: Angry Letters to RALPH
In that section where I wrote you, You maybe jumping the gun here. My letter to you was not an angry letter to you. i have to be greatly offended by what I had read.
Sorry need to clarify on this misplaced adition to your letters
--- Sincerely
Craig Caudill