03-10-2003, 09:02 PM
Occhidiangela,Mar 11 2003, 04:48 AM Wrote:And, please advise, how the Polynesian cultural model spread and influenced the rest of the world, I would appreciate any light you can shed on that.Firstly there is no one Polynesian culture, but a wide range of cultures, some of which have some similarities. In a very loose way there are also some much more vague cultural connections that have been identified between some islanders and some American Indians.
Secondly, I never suggested that elements of Polynesian culture has spread and influenced the rest of the world.
Although since you brought it up, as time passes I see more and more pieces of Maori influence slipping quietly into the world . . . :unsure:
- Robbie Williams and recently Mike Tyson both sport Maori-style tatoos. Robbie's was done by a Maori. Mike's is a rough stylistic emulation applied over the left eye (which he referred to as from the Mayan people of New Zealand - the cretin)
- Mr Lifto (of that freakshow circus that appeared on an X Files episode) claims to have "a Maori tribal tatoo" on his face . . . or at least that's what he thinks it is.
- The words are turning up a lot these days too. Lego has a small group of characters who have names taken directly from Maori mythology. Diablo 2, like some other fantasy products before, makes common useage of the Maori word "Mana".
Oops. Now that I've brough that one up on a D2 forum . . .
Mana:
1. Authority, Control
2. Influence, Prestige Power
3. Psychic force
4. Effectual, Binding, Authoritive
5. Having influence or power
6. Vested with effective authority
etc. It has a rather strange and legthy dictionary entry I'm afraid. The most common context is when it's used to describe someone of high esteem. Someone can have mana based on personal strength or it can also be viewed as an heretory thing.
Heed the Song of Battle and Unsheath the Blades of War