Haka

Lore & Background

According to Māori tradition, haka originated from a creation story involving the sun god Tama-nui-te-rā and his 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, personified as 'Te Haka a Tānerore', the son of Hine-raumati and Tama-nui-te-rā. Haka includes various forms serving different ceremonial purposes, such as welcoming guests (haka pōwhiri), farewelling the deceased (waiata tangi), giving advice (waiata tohutohu), restoring self-respect (pātere), intimidating adversaries (peruperu – war dance), and transmitting social and political messages (haka taparahi, ngeri). The peruperu uses weapons, while haka taparahi is performed without weapons and is the more common ceremonial form.

Reader's Guide

Haka are a traditional genre of Māori dance, performed by groups with vigorous movements, stamping feet, and rhythmically shouted accompaniment. They serve a variety of ceremonial functions across Polynesia, including welcoming guests, farewelling or mourning the deceased, giving advice, restoring self-respect, intimidating adversaries, and transmitting social or political messages. Different forms exist: the war haka uses weapons, while a more common ceremonial form is performed without them. Other variations include sideways jumping, no jumping, and a form with no set actions often connected with death. Performance elements include facial contortions such as showing the whites of the eyes and, for men only, protruding the tongue, alongside body actions like hand-slapping and foot-stomping. According to Māori tradition, haka originated from the sun god’s son, Tāne-rore, whose presence was revealed in a quivering, shimmering appearance in the air on hot summer days. Early European observers in the 18th century described haka as vigorous and ferocious. Christian missionaries later tried to eradicate haka, replacing it with hymns, though its use in welcoming British royalty improved its standing. In modern times, haka are performed for distinguished guests, achievements, occasions, and funerals, and are commonly practiced by school kapa haka groups. The main Māori performing arts competition occurs every two years. New Zealand sports teams, beginning with a football tour in the late 19th century and carried on by the national rugby team from the early 20th century, have made haka widely known internationally. Māori scholars consider the popular association of haka solely with war dances to be erroneous.

Did You Know?

• The Māori word haka has cognates in other Polynesian languages, including Samoan saʻa, Tokelauan haka, Rarotongan ʻaka, Hawaiian haʻa, and Marquesan haka.
• Haka include facial contortions such as showing the whites of the eyes (pūkana) and poking out the tongue (whetero, performed by men only).
• The 'Ka Mate' haka, attributed to Te Rauparaha, is classified as a haka taparahi – a ceremonial haka performed without weapons.