Tapu and Noa

Tapu and noa are two core, interrelated concepts in Māori culture. Tapu is sacredness. It carries with it a sense of restriction and/or spirituality. Noa means ordinary, common and free from restriction.

Tapu exists to protect the sanctity of people and things in accordance with tikanga, what is just, right, appropriate and acceptable. Examples of tapu include a room of a recently deceased person, an island, or a waka or other carved (whakairongia) object.

These objects of tapu are subject to restrictions on human behaviour, mostly to do with profaning them. These can include prohibition from walking there, from touching or from loud language.

If you compare it to the yin-yang (阴阳) principle in Chinese philosophy, tapu is the equivalent of 阴, the shadow state. It is a state of potential, of latency.

Tapu can be removed and this is a very important part of Māori tikanga. To hold things sacred beyond what is appropriate is not in accordance with tikanga. The process of transitioning from a state of tapu to a state of noa is called whakanoa (making “noa”).

However, there is a form of tapu which is permanent. That is a person’s intrinsic tapu, which is born from ancestors and gods and cannot be removed.

Noa neutralises sacred restriction safely.

Ruahine are women with high mana who perform whakanoa.

One example of whakanoa is when the manuhiri (guests) come onto the marae. Manuhiri arrive tapu and through the pōwhiri the tapu is lifted. The noa sharing of kai can then be celebrated and enjoyed by all.

Takahi whare is another example of whakanoa. It is a ritual to lift the tapu from a house or room. This is common when a new wharenui (meeting house) has been built and not yet used, or when the room belonged to someone deceased.

Wai is used to stabilise spiritual powers in the balance between tapu and noa.