Icon by @ThatSpookyAgent. Call me Tir or Julian. 37. He/They. Queer. Twitter: @tirlaeyn. ao3: tirlaeyn. 18+ Only. Star Trek. The X-Files. Sandman. IwtV. OMFD. Definitionless in this Strict Atmosphere.
That went from zero to 100 REAL quick lets get some education about tā moko up in here before we make these wild claims!
Tatau or tattoos have been found all over the world in many
civilisations, but it was absolutely the Age of Sail and the
colonisation of the Pacific Islands that popularised it and spread it
around the world. Tatau is a samoan word that means to strike, and many
polynesian cultures have a rich history of tattooing with very specific
meanings and connections. Western sailors visiting the islands got their
own and soon brought tattoos back to white civilisation where we know
and love it today as artistic body modifications. Western tattoos usually come with
deep individual personal meaning as opposed to the widespread cultural meaning that occurs in polynesian tattoos.
Tattooing has also had a big impact on the queer community too which
makes the ofmd connections all the more interwoven (it’s about the
intricate rituals)
Edward
“Blackbeard“ Teach from Our Flag Means Death is played by Taika Waititi, a maori and jewish man,
and as part of his character design, Taika’s own tattoos were added
upon to create the visuals of blackbeard! These tattoos are an essential
part of the character and it makes sense that anyone drawing or
especially cosplaying Blackbeard would want to make sure that these
tattoos are included. Unfortunately there has already been a few
(probably well-intentioned) call-out posts for doing so (see above), saying that
cosplayers should not be drawing on tattoos that have specific cultural
significance! Which is absolutely correct!
The problem is these
posts have also failed to recognise what is and isn’t Maori tā moko and
what is literally just . . a regular tattoo 🙈
Here’s Taika and his tattoos:
The eagle on his chest, the little Rita Ora tattoo on his hip and yes, those black bands on his arms are all likely to have very personal meaning to Taika but they are not tā moko.
Tā moko is the practice of tattooing that is specific to the Maori people and a quick google search will show you just how recognisable tā moko is, a tradition that goes back hundreds of years.
Tā moko is usually the more traditional type reserved for the face and the more modern concept of tattoos as body art can be referred to as Kirituhi. Every piece is unique to the wearer, with koru (spirals) that represent family and the darker infilled parts using various symbolic patterns.
Here to give some input as Maori people themselves are my friends on twitter speaking about the specific tā moko that Taika has that you shouldn’t try to reproduce: The tā moko on his leg, the whare (meeting house) on his wrist, and the traditional imagery of rā the sun on his back (seen in the above photo of Taika also)
So to conclude: YES as a non Maori person you should avoid drawing on tā moko as part of a cosplay as there is very deep cultural and personal significance in those specific tattoos, and Maori people who see their culture misrepresented in a poor rendition of tā moko will likely take offense.
but unless Taika himself has asked people not to there’s nothing wrong with drawing on the tattoo’s that aren’t tā moko, including the eagle on his chest and yes, those two black bands on his arms.
BUT ALSO: do not erase tā moko from fanart of blackbeard, if you want to draw the whare on his wrist or the rā on his back, or the kirituhi on his leg - power to you!!! And don’t bloody whitewash the man either or I’ll set the kraken on you!!! ☠🐙
(Please go retweet and support my friends on twitter I have linked them all above their tweet screenshots!)
Something I haven’t seen anyone talk about yet is why Ed throws first Lucius off the ship and then Stede’s books. It’s not simply rage or wanting to get rid of things that remind him of Stede, it’s about his feelings of powerlessness and inadequacy because of his lack of literacy.
First, when the British almost execute Stede, Lucius’ ability to read and write saves Stede’s life when Ed’s plan has failed, as his appeal to the Act of Grace for Stede is not accepted. Then, when they’re supposed to sign the text of the Act of Grace, his illiteracy becomes highly visible, impossible not to notice, as he signs an x as his signature. It’s a small but heartbreaking moment because it’s an extremely significant thing in a world where some are literate and some are not.
Being able to read and write gives you an enormous advantage in terms of power over people who cannot read. He might be the most clever, resourceful, skilled pirate in the seas, but in the moment reading and writing come into play, he’s suddenly extremely vulnerable. He’s surrounded by men who hold enormous power over him in virtue of the mere difference in their levels of literacy, regardless of every other difference in abilities they might have.
Ed is going through something that shakes his identity - giving up his identity as a pirate, even his beard which is so symbolical of his identity as Blackbeard - and that feelings of vulnerability and helplessness hit a nerve. In the moment Stede doesn’t show up, and Ed thinks he’s been stood up, he’s bound to feel inadequate. Why did Stede stand him up? Because Ed is not worthy of him, after all. Because Stede is a literate, cultured gentleman and Ed is nothing. He might carry around a piece of fancy fabric, but that’s just something stolen from someone else.
At first he tries to hang on, having his lyrics written down (which, again, sheds light on the difference between him and Lucius), trying to act as a cultured gentleman of sorts, but that’s unsustainable in the long run, because he doesn’t actually think he can be that person. He’s actually drowning in feelings of inadequacy and helplessness, and does what he did as a child when overwhelmed by feelings of inadequacy and helplessness: becomes the Kraken.
In conclusion, something I really wish to see in season 2 of the show is for Ed to be taught how to read. Stede could do it, continuing on the trend of the two of them teaching each other things, or - an option I very much like - possibly Lucius, which would help Ed and Lucius get closer again after the, um, accident - and also considering that, in my opinion, Ed’s action is pretty much directly connected to Lucius’ literacy.
After all, what is the cutlery lesson but foreshadowing for actually more relavant and useful teachings in how to belong to Stede’s world? Silly manners don’t matter, but, pardon the reference, reading is fundamental. There will always be an imbalance of power between the two of them if Ed remains illiterate, and only filling that gap can make Ed feel like he’s not inadequate.
