Wharenui
A wharenui (literally "big house") is a Māori community house in New Zealand , usually as the center of a marae . In New Zealand English, Wharenui are commonly called meeting houses . It is also called Whare Rūnanga (Meeting House) or Whare Whakairo (Carved House).
The style in which Wharenui are built today dates from the early / mid-19th century. The houses are often decorated inside and outside with carvings depicting the ancestors of Iwi . The style of the carvings differs from tribe to tribe. Modern meeting houses are built according to the applicable building laws. In addition to carvings, photos of deceased ancestors also serve as interior decoration. The houses always have a name, sometimes that of a famous ancestor, sometimes a figure from Māori mythology .
Some meetinghouses are also built independently of a particular tribe, where many Māori come together, such as at colleges and schools with many Māori . Although a meeting house is considered a tapu , it is not a church or a place of worship. However, religious rituals can take place in or in front of the building. Most marae do not allow food to be taken into the meeting house.
Some Wharenui are also used for tourist cultural events, such as in the Whakarewarewa thermal area , but care is taken to do justice to the prominent status of the meeting house.
construction
The building often symbolizes an ancestor of the tribe. Certain parts of the building relate to the ancestor's body parts:
- the Koruru at the highest point of the pediment is the head of the ancestor
- the Maihi (the verges of Gibels embody the arm, the ends of the Maihi hot Raparapa (finger))
- the Tāhuhu (ridge beam) is the backbone
- the heke or roof beams are the ribs
- the poutokomanawa (central column) can be interpreted as the heart
Other important parts of the Wharenui are:
- the Amo , the supports at the ends of the Maihi
- the poupou , the wall carving under the porch
- the kūwaha or front door with the pare or lintel
- the paepae , the horizontal structural element at the bottom of the front of the Wharenui , which serves as a threshold.
The Marae ātea is the very important open space in front of the Wharenui . Here visitors are welcomed and problems discussed.
The meetinghouses are the center for cultural, business, and other matters affecting the iwi as a whole. Typically, visitors to the village are allowed to spend the night in the meeting house. Ceremonial occasions such as weddings and funerals take place in or in front of the Wharenui . Strict rules of conduct apply to the use of the Wharenui , as it is considered a place of unity and peace. If someone gets angry or violent, they will be asked to leave the house until they can control themselves.
Web links
Individual evidence
- ^ A b Māori Architecture - from fale to wharenui and beyond . Penguin Group, North Shore 2009, ISBN 9780143011125 , pp. 52-53.
- ↑ marae ātea . Māori Dictionary , accessed May 23, 2019 .