At the English pub where I spend way too much time, the TV is usually tuned to Fox Sports World. I have seen many rugby games with the New Zealand All Blacks and enjoy watching the pre-game “dance” where the All Blacks do their intimidation routine facing off the other club.
I always assumed that this was a traditional Maori ritual of some sort. But while watching highlights from the Rugby World Cup, I saw that the teams from Samoa, Tonga, and Fiji also do the same pre-game ritual. What is the origin of this entertaining tradition?
Wow, the streaming video on that site sent tingles up my spine.
Also, may I recommend the awesome (though very disturbing) NZ movie Once Were Warriors, which features the Haka as part of a Maori juvenile delinquent’s rehabilitation.
I’d just like to say that it’s considered bad form if the opposing side don’t stand there and take this war chant in good spirit. Some teams haven’t though in the past. Here’s a bit more about it.
To be there and see it though is a fantastic experience.
Yes, every game. It’s even better when they play one of the other Polynesian countries because then you get two teams going toe to toe. Here’s a still from the New Zealand vs. Tonga game at this year’s World Cup.
For those who are interested, here’s a translation of the words of that particular haka (taken from this site.)
Ka mate ! Ka mate ! (I die ! I die !)
Ka ora ! Ka ora ! (I live ! I live !)
Ka mate ! Ka mate ! (I die ! I die !)
Ka ora ! Ka ora ! (I live ! I live !)
Tenei te tangata puhuru huru (This is the hairy person)
Nana nei i tiki mai (Who fetched the Sun)
Whakawhiti te ra (And caused it to shine again)
A upa … ne ! ka upa … ne ! (One upward step ! Another upward step !)
A upane kaupane whiti te ra ! (An upward step, another… the Sun shines !!!)
Hi !!!
Mind you I’ve also seen this as a translation:
It is death! It is death!
It is life! It is life!
This is the hairy person
Who caused the sun to shine
Keep abreast! Keep abreast
The rank! Hold fast!
Into the sun that shines!
As well as several variations.
The first one seems to fit better with the story behind that particular haka. From memory: a chieftain running to escape from people who are trying to kill him, hides in a covered pit. Suddenly the cover is thrown back and the chieftain, expecting to be killed by his enemies, is temporarily blinded by the sunlight. When his eyes adjust to the light, he realises it is actually a friend come to help him out of the pit.
I’m sure that there are many people out there that know more than me about this. Could someone enlighten me as to whether there is a generally accepted translation? and as to whether my vaguely remembered story of the origins of the song (from a kiwi friend) is even close?
Mangetout several teams perform their own songs as preliminaries to international matches or have done so in the past. Several of the South Pacific island nations have similar chants, South Africa (a long time ago) used to perform a zulu war chant, the welsh often sing something that I can’t recall and so on. Were you thinking of a particular incident?
For those who are interested, here’s a translation of the words of that particular haka (taken from this site.)
Ka mate ! Ka mate ! (I die ! I die !)
Ka ora ! Ka ora ! (I live ! I live !)
Ka mate ! Ka mate ! (I die ! I die !)
Ka ora ! Ka ora ! (I live ! I live !)
Tenei te tangata puhuru huru (This is the hairy person)
Nana nei i tiki mai (Who fetched the Sun)
Whakawhiti te ra (And caused it to shine again)
A upa … ne ! ka upa … ne ! (One upward step ! Another upward step !)
A upane kaupane whiti te ra ! (An upward step, another… the Sun shines !!!)
Hi !!!
Mind you I’ve also seen this as a translation:
It is death! It is death!
It is life! It is life!
This is the hairy person
Who caused the sun to shine
Keep abreast! Keep abreast
The rank! Hold fast!
Into the sun that shines!
As well as several variations.
The first one seems to fit better with the story behind that particular haka. From memory: a chieftain running to escape from people who are trying to kill him, hides in a covered pit. Suddenly the cover is thrown back and the chieftain, expecting to be killed by his enemies, is temporarily blinded by the sunlight. When his eyes adjust to the light, he realises it is actually a friend come to help him out of the pit.
I’m sure that there are many people out there that know more than me about this. Could someone enlighten me as to whether there is a generally accepted translation? and as to whether my vaguely remembered story of the origins of the song (from a kiwi friend) is even close?
Mangetout several teams perform their own songs as preliminaries to international matches or have done so in the past. Several of the South Pacific island nations have similar chants, South Africa (a long time ago) used to perform a zulu war chant, the welsh often sing something that I can’t recall and so on. Were you thinking of a particular incident?
Thanks all for some other very good links. I’m still curious about the other three countries (at least) that do the dance. I know they are all Polynesian, but did the other countries just copy the All Blacks routine?
No, they didn’t copy the NZ routine. All of them use traditional chants from their own nations.
Samoa used to perform the traditional “Ma’ulu’ulu Moa” but changed in 1991 to the “Manu” war chant. The Fijian’s chant is the “cibi” and Tonga’s is the “kailao”.
The all-black haka ka-mate has been performed since a team of New Zealand “natives” toured England around the turn of the last century. Since then it has been used to as a pre-game warm up. mowadays it probably serves to motivate the all-blacks as oppose to frightening the oppostion.
I think on of the best moments fom this years world cup was when NZ played Tonga.
Both teams lined up and began their respective dances.
The all-blacks had their choreographed ka-mate haka and th tongans used a much more free flowing dance. Brilliant!
About the all-black haka though. How do all-balcks now where to stand and such when its their debut? Do they practice it before matches in between scrummaging practices?
My memory is rather vague, but I recall it being reported in the newspapers - I believe it was a one-off (rather than something that a particular team did regularly) and had some kind of comedic value, but it wasn’t just a parody of the Haka or anything.
