Tattoo of Mohiotanga

DESCRIPTION AND MEANING:

In the lower left corner of this tattoo requested by Tom moray eels represent difficulties in the past, faced with tenacity and adaptability (the spear heads).
A second row of spear heads goes from the bottom right corner all the way up, flanked by a hammerhead shark, towards the sun representing the prosperity reached by overcoming all adversities along the way (the path of Kamehameha, a hard path that leads to success).

The hammerhead shark protects the harmony and balance reached (the Marquesan cross) with the help of the enata and protected by a lizard in the tail of the shark (good luck).

On top of the sun, a manta symbolizes freedom, with a bass clef in it for the role played by music.

An all seeing eye guards him from evil and a row of birds starts in the past to represent voyages going into the future where they surround the turtle representing family: there is a marriage symbol in it surrounded by a second sun to symbolize the eternity and joy of this union.
Family is also represented by the rows of ani ata and braids around the turtle and in the armband (ancestors) while a row of enata represents friends who joined him along the way.

Two tiki watching towards opposite directions and matching around the arm protect Tom and his family on all sides. A third tiki in the center of the manta protects their present.

An adult fern frond represents maturity while fish and fish hooks are for prosperity and abundance, octopus tentacles for adaptability and tenacity; some standing stones below the moray eels symbolize what he learnt from adversities, which became the foundation he built on.