Callings and Practices
There are many classes of tohunga (Best 1924:166) including:
- Tohunga ahurewa: highest class of priest
- Tohunga matakite: foretellers of the future
- Tohunga whakairo: expert carvers
- Tohunga tātai arorangi: experts at reading the stars
- Tohunga kōkōrangi: expert in the study of celestial bodies (astronomer)
- Tohunga tārai waka: expert canoe builders
- Tohunga wetereo: expert in the language (linguist)
- Tohunga tā moko: expert in tā moko (tattooist)
- Tohunga mahi toi: expert artist
- Tohunga tikanga tangata: expert in the study of humans (anthropologist)
- Tohunga o Tumatauenga: expert in weapons or war party chaplain
- Tohunga kiato: lowest class of priest
Each tohunga was a gifted spiritual leader and possessed the natural ability of communicating between the spiritual and temporal realms through karakia (prayers), pātere (chants) or performing waiata (songs) that had been passed down to them by tohunga before them. However, their rites were mainly in the specific fields in which they practiced, as outlined above.
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