A haka is a traditional ancestral war cry, dance or challenge from the Māori people
of New Zealand. It is a posture dance performed by a group, with vigorous movements and stamping
of the feet with rhythmically shouted accompaniment. War haka were originally performed by warriors
before a battle, proclaiming their strength and prowess in order to intimidate the opposition,
but haka are also performed for various reasons: for welcoming distinguished guests, or to
acknowledge great achievements, occasions or funerals, and kapa haka performance groups
are very common in schools. New Zealand sports teams practice of performing
a haka before their international matches has made the dance more widely known around
the world. This tradition began with the 1888–89 New Zealand Native football team tour and
has been carried on by the New Zealand rugby team since 1905.
History
Although the use of haka by the All Blacks rugby union team and the New Zealand rugby
league team has made one type of haka familiar, it has led to misconceptions. Haka are not
exclusively war dances but were traditionally performed by men. In modern times, various
haka have been composed to be performed by women and even children. Haka are performed
for various reasons: for welcoming distinguished guests, or to acknowledge great achievements,
occasions or funerals. War haka were originally performed by warriors
before a battle, proclaiming their strength and prowess in order to intimidate the opposition.
Today, haka constitute an integral part of formal or official welcome ceremonies for
distinguished visitors or foreign dignitaries, serving to impart a sense of the importance
of the occasion. Various actions are employed in the course
of a performance, including facial contortions such as showing the whites of the eyes and
poking out the tongue, and a wide variety of vigorous body actions such as slapping
the hands against the body and stamping of the feet. As well as chanted words, a variety
of cries and grunts are used. Haka may be understood as a kind of symphony in which
the different parts of the body represent many instruments. The hands, arms, legs, feet,
voice, eyes, tongue and the body as a whole combine to express courage, annoyance, joy
or other feelings relevant to the purpose of the occasion.
Types
The various types of haka include whakatu waewae, tutu ngarahu and peruperu. The peruperu
is characterised by leaps during which the legs are pressed under the body. In former
times, the peruperu was performed before a battle in order to invoke the god of war and
to discourage and frighten the enemy. It involved fierce facial expressions and grimaces, poking
out of the tongue, eye bulging, grunts and cries, and the waving of weapons. If the haka
was not performed in total unison, this was regarded as a bad omen for the battle. Often,
warriors went naked into battle, apart from a plaited flax belt around the waist.
The tutu ngarahu also involves jumping, but from side to side, while in the whakatu waewae
no jumping occurs. Another kind of haka performed without weapons is the ngeri, the purpose
of which was to motivate the warriors psychologically. The movements are very free, and each performer
is expected to be expressive of their feelings. Manawa wera haka were generally associated
with funerals or other occasions involving death. Like the ngeri they were performed
without weapons, and there was little or no choreographed movement.
The most well-known haka is "Ka Mate", attributed to Te Rauparaha, war leader of the Ngāti
Toa tribe. The "Ka Mate" haka is classified as a haka taparahi – a ceremonial haka.
"Ka Mate" is about the cunning ruse Te Rauparaha used to outwit his enemies, and may be interpreted
as "a celebration of the triumph of life over death".
Gender of participants Most haka are performed by men, with the female
role, if any, limited to providing support by singing in the background. There are however
some haka which are performed predominantly by women – one of the most well-known being
the Ngāti Porou haka "Ka Panapana".
Mythology According to Māori mythology, the sun god,
Tama-nui-te-rā, had two wives, the Summer Maid, Hine-raumati, and the Winter Maid, Hine-takurua.
Haka originated in the coming of Hine-raumati, whose presence on still, hot days was revealed
in a quivering appearance in the air. This was the haka of Tāne-rore, the son of Hine-raumati
and Tama-nui-te-rā. Cultural impact
In the lead up to the Rugby World Cup in 2011, flashmob haka became a popular way of expressing
support for the All Blacks. Some Maori leaders thought it was "inappropriate" and a "bastardisation"
of the traditional war cry, despite its popularity. Sizeable flashmob haka were performed in Wellington
and Auckland, as well as London, which has a large Kiwi expat community.
On August 28, 2012, the New Zealand Herald posted a story of video footage which went
viral worldwide of soldiers from the 2nd and 1st Battalion Royal New Zealand Infantry Regiment
performing a haka for fallen comrades who were recently killed in action in Afghanistan.
In November 2012, a Maori kapa haka group from Rotorua performed a version of the 'Gangnam
Style' dance mixed with a traditional Maori haka in Seoul, celebrating 50 years of diplomatic
relations between South Korea and New Zealand. See also
Haka of the All Blacks Haka in popular culture
Kapa haka Kailao
Māori music Siva tau
Cibi Hula
Battle cry Military music
References and notes
McLean, Mervyn, 1996. Maori music. Auckland: Auckland University Press.
M. Pōmare, 'Ngāti Toarangatira – Chant composed by Te Rauparaha', Te Ara – the
Encyclopedia of New Zealand, updated 26-Sep-2006, [2]
External links Haka – A New Zealand icon
Photo of Maori Battalion soldiers performing a haka in Egypt during the Second World War
A haka performed by children Impressions of a national kapa haka contest
HAKA in An Encyclopaedia of New Zealand, edited by A. H. McLintock, originally published in
1966. Giant haka honours three New Zealand soldiers
killed in Afghanistan