Have you seen this? I'm obsessed with "Haka" now!

Wow, that was really cool! TFS

I think that's what I love about it.

Here's a rugby performance, for your viewing pleasure 


Haka

I'd love to hear some of the history from our NZ peas!

For me, it's that concept of Maori mana.

There's a large Polynesian culture in Utah and there's a lot of football players. They do haka (s)? at games. It caused a controversy a while back. Most people were like WTF? They've been doing this for years. Why the complaints now?


LINK TO VIDEO AND STORY

People love seeing the All Blacks New Zealand rugby team doing the Haka before the kick-off here - they would feel cheated if the team faced the crowd!  

During the rugby World Cup last year the All Blacks even managed to intimidate the French team......and believe me, they are no wimps!    

I've seen that at the Polynesian Culture Center in Hawaii. Also have seen it in the intro on one of the MTV Challenge seasons.

I love it! I didn't know the name.

I watched that video yesterday and found it really moving, even though I didn't understand it. When the men lined up and hugged the groom and touched foreheads, it made me bawl. It seemed like such a meaningful way of welcoming him to their family.

Yes, haka are pretty common here, usually as a mark of honour. Many of our sports teams perform one before a international game - it is formal in rugby, where it is done in the middle of the field, with the opposition facing them, but in some other sports it is more informal, done on the sideline.

There is almost always a haka when important visitors are called onto a marae. Marae are the traditional hub of a Maori settlement, and there are many marae through New Zealand - our Maori people (in the main) are very keen to keep traditions alive).

So it is quite an event when a very important visitor arrives at a marae.
an Elder woman "calls" the visitor onto the marae with a haunting solo, unaccompanied chant. The visitor(s) slowly walk into the courtyard area, accompanied by male Elders.

Then the visitor is challenged - a male 'warrior' performs a sort of war dance and during the process drops a twig with leaves on the ground. In order to show peaceful and trusting intent, the visitor must walk forward, keeping his eyes on the warrior, and pick up the twig.  A haka is performed, and a waiata (an honoring dance/song by women) then the visitor can proceed into the meeting house.

Most children, of all ethnicities, learn haka and waiata - it is just delightful to watch a haka performed by a bunch of 8 year olds at a school concert - Maori and Pacifica of course, but also white, Indian, Asian......

It was the groom's family/friends who did the haka. The bride's tears were because his family was welcoming her, showing her the love and respect.

Well yeah, that's pretty much what they ARE saying LOL! F-off and we're gonna smash you. And when it comes to rugby, they usually DO smash everyone!





I reckon most nations have done something similar at one time or another when the All Blacks are performing the Haka...... Ireland advancing on the All Blacks. Tonga doing their own version of the Haka (can't remember what it is called). The Welsh with their stand off. But when the French turned their backs, that was so incredibly rude. The English team singing Swing Low Sweet Chariot and drowning our the Haka wasn't much better. The Australian women's team was fined for advancing, and our men's team were warned not to do it. 

I absolutely love it when the All black do it before a rugby match, and think that opposing sides should respect it.  I would love to see it live one day.