Cleansing and purification
Karakia and lifting tapu
The Maori chant that opens and closes a task, and the rites that make a tapu place or person safe to approach again.
Presented by ClearTrust Customs described as customs, free to read.
A karakia is a Maori prayer or chant, used to begin a meeting, a meal or a building, to give thanks and to ask for care. In Maori thought, tapu is the state of being set apart, sacred or under restriction, and noa is the ordinary state. A tohunga, a skilled expert, or a kaumatua, an elder, leads rites to lift tapu so that a person or place can return to everyday life.
This is an outline of a custom, said as belief and practice. It is not instruction, it does not say that the rite works, and it is not medical advice.
What goes into it
- KarakiaWordThe chant itself, in te reo Maori.
- WaterSubstanceSprinkled or used to wash.
- GreeneryPlantA frond may be used for sprinkling.
- FoodSubstanceShared to lift tapu.
- Elder or tohungaGestureLeads the rite.
- Word
- Substance
- Plant
- Gesture
Each part has an equal wedge. The ring shows what goes into the rite, not how much. Colour is the part's role.
The steps, drawn
Each drawing shows the kind of act in that step. Details differ from place to place, family to family and practitioner to practitioner.
Step 1: Gather The group assembles with the elder or tohunga. Step 2: Speak A karakia is chanted to open the occasion. Step 3: Cleanse Water is used for blessing, or the place is walked. Step 4: Offer Food is shared to lift tapu. Step 5: Close A closing karakia ends the rite.
Where karakia is heard
Karakia is part of public life in New Zealand: parliament, hospitals and schools use it. A karakia may be said at the opening of a house, a funeral, the blessing of a building or a new meal. It is spoken by someone with the authority of the group.
Tapu and noa
Death, childbirth, a battle ground and food are all connected with tapu. Water, food and certain spoken words can bring a thing back to noa. Specific rites belong to iwi, tribes, and are not universal.
Colonial history
The Tohunga Suppression Act of 1907 criminalised many Maori healers. It was repealed in 1962. Maori practices have been revived since, and public institutions now consult iwi.
What it is for
- Blessing a task
- Lifting restriction
- Respect for the place
Who does it
Related entries
Also part of it, and being written: Tapu (The concept of the sacred.).
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Sources and further reading
Original text and drawings by the EveryJaadu desk, written with AI assistance and checked against the sources above. Closed or sacred detail is left out. If we have something wrong, tell us.