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The full name for the sacred courtyard in front of the meeting house is
Te Maraenui-Atea-o-Tumatauenga (the larger marae of Tumatauenga, the
Guardian of War).
Going on to the marae means entering
into an encounter situation, where challenges are met and issues are
debated.
All newcomers to the marae must be greeted formally by the tangata
whenua (hosts), whether in the warmth of a welcome, in the sadness of a
tangi or even verbal battle on mutual issues.
It
is the place where people formally come together on a specific occasion
for a specific function. It has its procedure and this is referred to
later, although it may vary from iwi to iwi.
The Meeting House.
The marae and the meeting house are complementary and together serve as
the focal point for community sentiment.
The meeting house is normally the major central building and is usually
ornately carved. The meeting house has many names, including whare
tupuna and whare nui etc., and in nearly all cases it is not only named
after an ancestor but it is structured to represent symbolically the
ancestor.
The carved figure (tekoteko) on the roof top in the front
represents the ancestor's head, the carved angles from the head down
towards the ground (maihi) represent the arms, the ridge pole to the
carved figures around the walls (poupou) represent the ribs. The poupou
are normally carved ancestors representing other tribes. Poupou help to
create a feeling of belonging.
The uprights, normally two holding up the tahuhu, represent connection
between Ranginui the sky father and Papatuanuku the earth mother.
While there are other interpretations it follows appropriately that
meeting houses are named after an ancestor. Thus, on entering the house
it can be seen as entering into the bosom of the ancestor. Also the
interaction between people on Te Maraenui Atea-o-Tumatauenga can be and
should be significantly different from the type of interaction which is
normally encouraged inside the house. It is believed that inside the
house the Guardian of Peace (Rongomatane) reigns and it is in this
atmosphere and under this belief that people are required to interact
with one another.
The Meeting house traditionally faces east, to see the first rays of the
sun as each day dawns. Likewise, in our tangihanga (funerals) the body
lies in state, within the bosom of the ancestor, or under the protection
of the ancestor to witness the fullness of last days on earth.
Other buildings and structures.
Many marae have a graveside (urupa) nearby acknowledging the ancestors
as a living dimension of life. An ancestor is commemorated within a
building - respects are paid to those who have passed on to the
hono-i-wairua (gathering place of spirits) within a whaikorero (formal
speech making) reflecting the belief in the merging of life and death
that is significant and meaningful for the Maori. People living (te
hunga ora) are the result of a combination of the dead (te hunga mate)
and the living (te hunga ora). References to these concepts are very
frequent in whaikorero.
On some marae memorials to a significant ancestor or people who died in
the second world war are found to the side of the marae or whare nui and
in some cases a flag pole stands majestically at the side of the meeting
house.
Last, but not least, the ablution block and toilets are placed
significantly to the rear of the whare nui and the whare kai.
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