Tangihanga

Tangihanga, or more commonly, tangi, is a traditional funeral rite practised by the Māori people of New Zealand. Tangi were traditionally held on marae, and are still strongly associated with the tribal grounds, but are now also held at homes and funeral parlours. While still widely practised, tangi are not universally observed, and some tribes have expressed concerns about lower numbers of tangi. Tribes—at the level of iwi or hapu—differ on how they honour those who pass. Tangihanga generally take three days with burial on the third day. From the moment of death, the body of the deceased (tūpāpaku) is rarely alone. The tūpāpaku is transported (usually from a hospital and via a funeral home) to the marae. There they are welcomed with a pōwhiri and will lie in state for at least two nights, usually in an open coffin, in the wharenui. Throughout the tangihanga, the tūpāpaku is flanked by the bereaved family (whānau pani; sometimes called the kirimate 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, by way of te rerenga wairua, 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 tūpāpaku lies in state. Traditionally, the visitors would bring famous taonga (treasures), such as kākā and kiwi feather cloaks and pounamu mere, which would be placed alongside the tūpāpaku. These items were inherited by the heirs of the deceased, who were then expected to return them to the original owners at subsequent tangihanga.