How many haka dances are there
Haka | The Haka Experience
What is Haka?
The haka is a type of ancient Māori war dance traditionally used on the battlefield, as well as when groups came together in peace.
Haka are a fierce display of a tribe’s pride, strength and unity. Actions include violent foot-stamping, tongue protrusions and rhythmic body slapping to accompany a loud chant. The words of a haka often poetically describe ancestors and events in the tribe’s history.
The Haka is definitely something amazing to behold when performed well and it requires strict discipline. It is a great character-building exercise with the power to connect the performers to themselves, their past and their present.
Tapeta Wehi is a great believer in the power of the body, where every muscle and sinew should burn with virility to exude emotion, to display anger, abhorrence, protest or love, tenderness and grace. The Haka allows the performer to display this like nothing else.
Different Forms Of Haka
There are many forms of Haka where these movements are performed well with or without weapons:
- The Tutungaruhu ( a dance by a party of armed men who jump from side to side)
- Ngeri ( a short Haka with no set moves performed without weapons to face with the enemy)
- Haka Taparahi is performed without weapons
- Peruperu ( a dance with weapons where the men leap off the ground up and down performed face to face with the enemy.
These are just a few examples of the different types of Haka.
The passionate Haka movements are only as good as the messages they must express.
Tapeta Wehi, Founder Of The Haka Experience says:
“I believe a Haka should be controversial and challenging. Whatever the occasion, I see the lyrics as the most important aspect; the tune, the rhythm and body movement are purely the vehicles for the communication of its message.”
The uniformity of movement and message is what should be pursued. The message should always be paramount, the Reo therefore becomes a crucial component to the Haka. Haka has always been associated with war but in today’s World, the wars are not hand to hand combat but have been politically oriented.
Haka has become an avenue to share the message whether it be social, political environmental issues so that our voice can be heard throughout the Globe.
Haka provide our people with a warning about an issue followed by a solution or words of encouragement.
Today, haka are still used during Māori ceremonies and celebrations to honour guests and show the importance of the occasion. We see this at many different occasions or gatherings.
Your stance should be that of a Whare nui (meeting House).The head is alert and vigilant like the tekoteko, the arms stretched out like the Maihi, the chest should be erect like the Whare, The body must stand fast, not sway, the stance must be firm when you see all these aspects together you will be filled with awe! The hairs on the back of your neck will stand on end!
The Benefits Of Haka
The uniformity of movement and message is what should be pursued. The message should always be paramount, the Reo therefore becomes a crucial component to the Haka. Haka has always been associated with war but in today’s World, the wars are not hand to hand combat but have been politically oriented.
Haka has become an avenue to share the message whether it be social, political environmental issues so that our voice can be heard throughout the Globe. Haka provide our people with a warning about an issue followed by a solution or words of encouragement.
Today, haka are still used during Māori ceremonies and celebrations to honour guests and show the importance of the occasion. We see this at many different occasions or gatherings.
Your stance should be that of a Whare nui (meeting House).The head is alert and vigilant like the tekoteko, the arms stretched out like the Maihi, the chest should be erect like the Whare, The body must stand fast, not sway, the stance must be firm when you see all these aspects together you will be filled with awe! The hairs on the back of your neck will stand on end!
Why is the Haka Important?
The Maori use Haka as a vehicle for their people to find themselves especially those Maori who have been raised in the cities and have lost their connection or ties to there Turangawaewae (Tribal upbringing).
Through Haka, they are able to find that connection.
Tapeta Wehi, Founder Of The Haka Experience says: “I have had many youths come through my doors over the last 25 years, a lot of these kids are affiliated with gangs and kicked out of Schools. The change I see in these kids is quite unbelievable… Haka is a powerful tool, these kids get to learn about there Whakapapa (genealogy), Tikanga (Maori lore), Tipuna (ancestors), Atua Maori (Maori gods) and most importantly it reconnects them to themselves.”
Tapeta goes further to explain, “It instils pride… proud to know who they are and where they come from. Identity is the essence for any kid it helps to steer our youth in the right direction to help face the many challenges that may lie ahead.”
The History of Haka
The first Kapa Haka (troupe) of Maoridom is said to be the women of Tinirauwhose principal function was to go out to destroy Kae who had slain and eaten Tutunui, the tame whale of Tinirau.
Tinirau had permitted Kae to return to his home on the back of Tutunui. Upon arrival Kae refused to dismount , and the whale, in it’s endeavours to unseat Kae, became stranded and was killed and eaten by Kae.
Tinirau waited for the return of his pet whale but because of the delay came to the conclusion that some calamity had befallen Tutunui. Tinirau eventually realised that Kae had killed and eaten his whale.
Tinirau then called his best Women performers and sent them off to capture Kae. None of the women knew Kae but would told they would recognise him by the gap in his teeth. To do that they would have to cause him to laugh and it was felt the women troupe could easily achieve that then a troupe of men. The women set about their task of entertaining the people with enthusiasm and concluded their very own performance with a Haka. The Haka was so effective that it caused Kae to laugh, thus exposing the gap in his teeth.
By means of appropriate incantation Kae was rendered unconscious and returned by the women to their home where he was killed by Tinirau thereby avenging the death of his pet whale Tinirau. According to some iwi this was the first encounter of Haka.
Today Haka captures the history, the power of the language, the power of the music and the absolute wairua of te ao Māori. I think it’s a important component of the Māori world. Haka is more then just a Māori cultural performance its linked to the ritual and has evolved out of the ritual that we now have on the marae, including pōwhiri, whaikōrero, and waiata.
Haka is the distinctive face of Māori culture, and also of Aotearoa New Zealand, to the world. Its seen as a platform for engaging with Māori knowledge, language and culture it’s that point of difference in the international market place; a source of identity and distinction. In the modern world of today Haka is a vehicle for the protection and promotion of Māori culture and the language.
The Haka - The Maori War Dance | Everything to Know
Wearing little more than dramatic facial tattoos, the Maori dancers take center stage. There is the haunting cry of a conch shell, followed by a shout, and the war dance begins.
The dancers slap their chests in unison, stomp their feet, leap high and land with a thud as they scan the audience with threatening eyes, poking out their tongues.
This is kapa haka, the traditional Maori performing art and one of New Zealand’s best known cultural experiences. Classic kapa (“to stand in a row”) haka (“dance”) features a combination of moves, postures, gestures, chants, songs and stories.
“We Maoris use our whole body to express ourselves,” notes Kateia Daniela Burrows, owner of the Manaia performing arts company. “Whether that be through the use of eyes, hands, legs, voice or tongue, the whole body is used to speak. When I do haka, I feel alive, connected with my tupuna [ancestors]. Through haka, I can express myself.
I can celebrate, grieve, support or protest.”
Visitors have many opportunities to see the country’s indigenous dance form. You may attend a performance during a shore tour to the Maori heartland of Rotorua. You might catch the dances at Lake Taupo’s Wairakei Terraces or learn more about them at the marvelous Te Papa Museum in Wellington. In the port of Auckland, there are Maori performances daily at the War Memorial Museum.
What is the Haka?
Haka is to Maori culture what hula is to Hawaiian culture. Maoris may dance to express the joy they feel at a birth or wedding, or to convey a sense of purpose when first encountering a group of strangers.
War dances, marked by wild postures and frightening facial expressions, are meant to get the adrenaline pumping. Traditionally, ferocious Maori war dances were just the thing to intimidate enemy tribes. Not only did the aggressive movements strike fear in the hearts of enemies, they invigorated Maori warriors and united them in battle.
Haka Peruperu vs Haka Taparahi
Historically, war dances have been divided into two types. The haka peruperu is performed with weapons in hand. The haka taparahi, the dance most visitors see, is an unarmed version. If you’re a rugby fan, you may have seen the All Blacks, New Zealand’s national team, performing a spirited haka taparahi before international matches.
Along with war dances, a complete kapa haka performance includes the graceful, swaying dances of costumed women. A favorite involves the poi, a small, lightweight ball attached to a cord. Dancers hold one (sometimes two) in each hand and twirl them to the beat of their songs. In pre-colonial times, women used poi on long canoe voyages to help male paddlers keep their rhythm.
As to the music, the melody comes from voices raised in song; the beat from body slapping and foot tapping. The guitar is generally the only musical instrument used to accompany dance programs.
Maori Chants and Their Meaning
Fierce, gently flowing or joyous, Maori dance is accompanied by music, songs or chants.
These songs, or waiata, express emotions and tell ancient stories. One of the most familiar, thanks again to the All Blacks rugby players, is “Ka Mate!” which tells the tale of Chief Te Rauparaha.
As a young man, the chief hid in a food storage pit to escape pursuing warriors. At first, he feared he was doomed. Surely, he would be found and killed. Fortunately, he was saved, according to the song, by a figure known as “the hairy man” (possibly an allied chief, the famously hirsute Te Wharerangi) who sent the pursuers away from the pit and then pulled the chief up to safety.
Haka Dance Meaning: Legendary Beginnings
How did all that eye bulging, tongue wagging and foot stomping evolve to become the iconic New Zealand experience it is today?
It all began rather innocently. Long ago, according to Maori legend, the sun god, Te Ra, had two wives. One wife was the spirit of summer; the other, the spirit of winter. Te Ra and his summery wife gave birth to a son named Tanerore.
As a small boy, Tanerore would dance to amuse his mother. When he danced, he created the shimmering light we often see on hot summer days. Thus was haka born.
That story, with its emphasis on natural cycles and the vibrating quality of rising heat waves, might explain the origin of the traditional trembling hand movements or rising power of rhythmic poi dancing. An equally charming legend traces the roots of humor in dance. The story follows a group of women on an important mission. These women were sent by the ancestor Tinirau to capture a culprit who killed his pet whale. The only description they had was of someone with hideous teeth. The women devised a clever plan to dance, make funny faces and get their audience to laugh. Once they could see everyone’s teeth, identifying the guilty party was a snap. The result, of course, is a light-hearted form of haka.
Last, but far from least, is the explanation of those protruding tongues. People express their thoughts in words, with sounds made using their tongues.
An exaggerated tongue, therefore, is a symbol of mastery over words and thoughts. It is with gifted tongues that the legends, chants and songs of the Maori kapa haka are passed on from generation to generation.
What is haka and who dances it? | Physical culture and sport
It doesn't matter at all what their opponents are wearing. It doesn't really matter who took the field against the New Zealand All Blacks. The descendants of the Maori will sing and dance a frightening war song to any opponent. This article will focus on the ancient tradition of New Zealand aborigines popularized today - haka.
First, I want to tell you a little about Maori. But not about those that inhabit the "Land of the Long White Cloud" today, but about their warlike ancestors. According to legend, a millennium ago, seven canoes landed on the shores of New Zealand, carrying settlers from East Polynesia.
It was they who became the first inhabitants of the island - the seven Maori tribes, thanks to which a unique culture began to form, based on the spiritual closeness of the natives with the outside world. But, despite the philosophy of unity with nature, the Maori were very skilled fighters, and their skills were honed in constant wars. The first Europeans to experience the wild hostile temper of the natives were the great travelers: Abel Tasman, and later James Cook.
Maori bloody civil strife has long since sunk into oblivion, but one of the military customs has not been forgotten and plays a very important role in the modern culture of New Zealand. Kapa haka is a whole ritual that includes dancing, singing, and peculiar facial expressions. For the first time, Haku began to be performed by Maori warriors hundreds of years ago: before each battle, they tried to intimidate the enemy with their frightening gestures and screams, goggle eyes and protruding tongues with their furious expression.
Later, haku began to be used for peaceful purposes, telling through it about Maori traditions and beliefs. Today haka is an indispensable attribute of public and state events.
There are many different versions of traditional dance in New Zealand, there is even an army version. But, generally speaking, Kapa haka is not only a male dance accompanied by unfriendly cries. There is also a female direction of the ancient custom, which is called "poi". This is also a dance combined with juggling balls on ropes. Women's haka is naturally more relaxed than men's. Despite the fact that any kind of khaki is respected and revered in New Zealand, ritual singing accompanied by intricate movements became popular all over the world thanks to the national rugby team.
The New Zealand rugby team was officially established in 1892.
And in 1905, the newspaper "Daily mail", after the defeat of the English club by the New Zealanders, called the team All Blacks , which can be translated as "absolutely black". So, thanks to their dark uniforms and newspapermen, the national team of Aotearoa - the country of the long white cloud - acquired a sonorous nickname, which, together with the haka that the players perform before each match, has become their hallmark.
For nearly a century since the team's inception, the New Zealand team has been the best in the world, beating everyone and everything. But by the beginning of the twenty-first century, the descendants of the Maori slowed down somewhat: in recent years, trophies have eluded the All Blacks with enviable regularity. Maybe the whole point is that the opponents are used to the hack and are no longer afraid? The answer is rather negative, because the current performance of the dance is rather a means for New Zealanders to mentally gather and tune in, forgetting about everything that does not concern the game, than a means to intimidate enemies.
It's pointless to talk about how the Maori dance the haku. It needs to be seen. But what the players are shouting out needs to be said.
Initially, the All Blacks performed the "Ka mate" haka, or rather, part of it, which tells about the miraculous salvation of a warrior from enemies, which happened thanks to the Sun. I will give two key, in my opinion, passages of this hack:
Ka mate, ka mate! ka ora! ka ora!
Whiti te ra!
This is death, this is death! (or: I will die) This is life! That's life! (or: I will live)
The sun is shining!
At first, the Maori, resigned to a bitter fate, is preparing to meet his death with dignity, but after a moment he joyfully realizes that he will survive and shouts gratitude to the sun god.
In addition to this, invented hundreds of years ago by Chief Rauparaha, the All Blacks have adopted a new Kapa o-Pango ("completely black" in translation), created specifically for them, for the New Zealand rugby team. It does not talk about past exploits of the Maori, but about modern ones: about the desire of athletes to win, defending the honor of the country. One of the gestures of the new khaki speaks eloquently about what the New Zealanders are going to do with the enemy: the movement of the palm that cuts the throat.
The pre-match performance of the khaki by New Zealand players has become an integral part of world rugby. Martial dances have become the property of world sports culture. Some teams, such as Fiji or Samoa, perform their own dances in response to the All Blacks.
And who knows, maybe in the future the fashionable trend today will become an indispensable attribute of any sports competition. In any case, the descendants of the Maori contribute to this in every possible way, participating in advertising campaigns and popularizing rugby.
Tags: New Zealand, sport games, traditions, rituals, dancing, sports
Haka at the wedding in New Zealand touched the bride and conquered the Internet
Version // culture // Haka at a wedding in New Zealand touched the bride and conquered the Internet
The performance of New Zealand haka dance at the wedding blew up the InternetIn chapter
The traditional dance of the Maori people, the haka, which was performed with great enthusiasm by the groom's friends at a multicultural wedding, moved the bride to tears.
The video of the unusual wedding became an internet hit, spreading across social media and earning over 15 million views on YouTube.
As you know, the wedding traditions of different peoples of the world are diverse and can often seem quite strange to an outside observer, although participants in unusual rituals take them for granted.
A video from the multicultural wedding of Aaliyah, a Maori Indigenous New Zealand bride, and Benjamin Armstrong, a white groom, made a splash, making the newlyweds and guests Internet stars. The wedding, which took place in the city of Auckland, greatly enlivened the traditional New Zealand haka dance, staged secretly from the heroes of the occasion as a wedding surprise. This Maori folk dance is militant and expressive, however, despite this, the newlyweds did not at all consider it inappropriate. The bride even burst into tears from an excess of feelings, and then joined the performers of haku together with the groom, not shy to show their sincere emotions that overwhelmed them.
The Internet community appreciated such an unusual ritual - more than 15 million people watched the video on YouTube.
Haka for all occasions
It turns out that the dance prepared by the men present at the wedding is truly universal. Initially, as a rule, it was performed before the battle in order to intimidate the enemy, and they did this with bare erect members. However, this is not only a battle ritual. Haku is customary to dance, as we have already seen, at marriages, as well as at funerals and even at receptions of officials. The dance is especially popular among New Zealand rugby players and the military. The dancers make sudden movements, stomp their feet, beat their thighs and chest, and accompany their actions with warlike cries and lively facial expressions.
Unusual wedding traditions from other peoples of the world
However, haka is not the only wedding ritual that may seem strange.
