, or more commonly, , is a traditional funeral rite practised by the

Māori people Māori () are the Indigenous peoples of Oceania, indigenous Polynesians, Polynesian people of mainland New Zealand. Māori originated with settlers from East Polynesia, who arrived in New Zealand in several waves of Māori migration canoes, c ...

of New Zealand. were traditionally held on , and are still strongly associated with the tribal grounds, but are now also held at homes and funeral parlours. While still widely practised, are not universally observed, and some tribes have expressed concerns about lower numbers of .

Modern practises

Tribes—at the level of or —differ in how they honour those who die. generally take three days, with burial on the third day. From the moment of death, the body of the deceased () is rarely alone. The is transported (usually from a hospital and via a funeral home) to the . There they are welcomed with a and will lie in state for at least two nights, usually in an open coffin, in the . Kawakawa877

Throughout the , the is flanked by the bereaved family (; sometimes called the or mourners), who take few and short breaks, dress in black, and sometimes wreath their heads in kawakawa leaves. Around the coffin, flowers and photographs of deceased relatives are placed. Visitors come during the day, sometimes from great distances despite only a distant relationship, to address the deceased. They may speak frankly of his or her faults as well as virtues, but singing and joking are also appropriate. Free expression of grief by both men and women is encouraged. Traditional beliefs may be invoked, and the deceased is told to return to the ancestral homeland,

Hawaiki (also rendered as in the Cook Islands, Hawaiki in Māori, in Samoan, in Tahitian, in Hawaiian) is, in Polynesian folklore, the original home of the Polynesians, before dispersal across Polynesia. It also features as the underworld in man ...

, by way of , the spirits' journey. The close kin may not speak. It is traditional for mourners to wash their hands in water and sprinkle some on their heads before leaving the area where the ' lies in state. Traditionally, the visitors would bring famous

taonga ''Taonga'' or ''taoka'' (in South Island Māori) is a Māori-language word that refers to a treasured possession in Māori culture. It lacks a direct translation into English, making its use in the Treaty of Waitangi significant. The current ...

(treasures), such as

kākā The New Zealand kākā (''Nestor meridionalis'') is a large species of parrot of the family New Zealand parrot, Strigopidae found in New Zealand, New Zealand's native forests across the three main Islands of New Zealand. The species is often kn ...

and kiwi feather cloaks and

pounamu Pounamu is a term for several types of hard and durable stone found in the South Island of New Zealand. They are highly valued in New Zealand, and carvings made from pounamu play an important role in Māori culture. Name The Māori word ...

mere, which would be placed alongside the '. These items were inherited by the heirs of the deceased, who were then expected to return them to the original owners at subsequent . This practice was called . On the last night, the ('night of ending'), the mourners hold a vigil and at a time assigned by custom (sometimes midnight, sometimes sunrise) the coffin is closed, before a church or ' funeral service or graveside interment ceremony, invariably

Christian A Christian () is a person who follows or adheres to Christianity, a Monotheism, monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus in Christianity, Jesus Christ. Christians form the largest religious community in the wo ...

in modern times. As with the area the lies, it is traditional for mourners to wash their hands in water and sprinkle some on their heads before leaving the cemetery. After the burial rites are completed, a feast () is traditionally served. Mourners are expected to provide ('gifts', typically money) towards the meal. After the burial, the home of the deceased and the place where the deceased died are ritually cleansed with (prayers or incantations) and desanctified with food and drink, in a ceremony called , 'tramping the house'. That night, the ('night of entertainment') is a night of relaxation and rest. The widow or widower is not left alone for several nights following. Both in traditional times and modern, the of high-profile individuals can be both extended and elaborate. A 2011 court case over a disputed resting place ruled that Māori

customary law A legal custom is the established pattern of behavior within a particular social setting. A claim can be carried out in defense of "what has always been done and accepted by law". Customary law (also, consuetudinary or unofficial law) exists wher ...

could not be applied to funeral traditions under

common law Common law (also known as judicial precedent, judge-made law, or case law) is the body of law primarily developed through judicial decisions rather than statutes. Although common law may incorporate certain statutes, it is largely based on prece ...

, as the customary law allows force to settle legal disputes.

References

{{Māori Māori culture Funerals Death in New Zealand Marae protocols