Last Evenings Activities Included

...Making this Tiki Wood Burning. This is a tool I don't use often enough but it seemed so completely appropriate- for a tiki themed baby party, whose child is a boy. I called my friend Beth and she was like, what- no way, i just wood burned my first tiki 3 days ago- Ah, universal thought something-something simultaneous something-something. so cool. I showed it to mom, and she said, well that's why we keep scraps of wood, so don't throw them away, it's maple- no wait she said walnut, whatever.


here's some facts about the tiki: ala Wikepedia
In Māori mythology, Tiki is the first man. In traditions from the East Coast of the North Island, the first human is a woman created by Tāne, god of forests. Usually her name is Hine-ahu-one. In other legends, Tāne makes the first man Tiki, and then makes a wife for him. In some West Coast versions, Tiki himself, as a son of Rangi and Papa, creates the first human by mixing his own blood with clay, and Tāne then makes the first woman. Sometimes Tūmatauenga, the war god, creates Tiki.[1] In another story the first woman is Mārikoriko. Tiki marries her and their daughter is Hine-kau-ataata (White 1887-1891, I:151-152). [2] In some traditions, Tiki is the penis of Tāne (Orbell 1998:178, Tregear 1891:510-511). In fact, Tiki is strongly associated with the origin of the procreative act.[3].

Here is one story of Tiki among the many variants:

Tiki was lonely and craved company. One day, seeing his reflection in a pool, he thought he had found a companion, and dived into the pool to seize it. The image shattered and Tiki was disappointed. He fell asleep and when he awoke he saw the reflection again . He covered the pool with earth and it gave birth to a woman. Tiki lived with her in innocence, until one day the woman was excited by an eel. Her excitement passed to Tiki and the first procreative act resulted (Reed 1963:52).

In Māori usage, the word 'tiki' is also the name given to large wooden carvings in roughly human shape.