BACKGROUND
Kites have played distinctive roles throughout history. It is not certain as to where the first kites came from, but it is said that they were first known to the people of the South Sea Islands to fish.
In the Polynesian Islands, kites were associated with gods. A kite represented the god Tane, as well as the god Rongo who was the patron saint of the arts, kites, and kite flying. The Maori god Rehua is depicted as a bird, and was thought to be the ancestor of all kites. As kite flying was considered a sacred ritual, it was often accompanied by a type of chant called the turu manu. Here is a translation of a turu manu:
My bird, by power of charm ascending,
In the glance of an eye, like the sparrow hawk,
By this charm shall my bird arise,
My bird bestride the heavens.
Beyond the swirling waters,
Like the stars Atutahi and Rehua,
and there spread out thy wings,
To the very clouds. Truly so.
In Thailand and other cultures they have been used to communicate with spirits and gods and in Korea to announce the birth of a child.
In China they were used to send out SOS messages to the outside when a city was under siege and make a statement that the town was not defeated. In battle they were used to scare enemy troops.
In Guatemala Maya indigenous people fly huge kites called 'barriletes' on All Souls Day to send messages to the ancestors and the kites are to release the evil spirits that might be hovering over their loved ones that are buried there. This has been going on for over 400 years an Maya indigenous peoples also use this medium to send out political messages to raise their often repressed voices.