The use of these instruments, as part of the toolkit of the tohunga (Maori priests), seemed to be exclusively used as an oral flux between Ira Tangata (man) to Ira Atua (the Divine/Gods) or the temporal and the spiritual, which is why Māori regarded them with awe and respect; they were regarded as tapu (sacred/taboo) items of use from the tohunga. When used for entertainment and for recreation, it was a hidden and private practice.
