The Haka

Home Maps Trips Maori Author Sources Contents

 

images/tik-hak1.gifThe Te Rauparaha Haka

The Haka is designed to give courage and determination to the people performing it. It is a traditional Māori dance and has many different forms. It is a common belief that the Haka is performed as a dance before going to war however Haka can be performed with or without weapons and have very different meanings.

The most common form of Haka is 'Ka Mate', you may have seen the All Blacks perform this before international rugby games. The pukana (bulging eyes) and whetero (poking out of the tongue) are two very common parts of the Haka.

Process

Before the Haka is performed by the team, the Haka leader, normally an All Black of Māori descent, will instigate the Haka and spur on those who are to perform the Haka with the following:

Māori English

Ringa pakia,

Uma tiraha,

Turi whatia,

Hope whai ake,

Waewae takahia kia kino.

 Slap the hands against the thighs,

Puff out the chest,

Bend the knees,

Let the hip follow,

Stamp the feet as hard as you can.

Chant

Māori English
Ka mate Ka mate!

Ka ora Ka ora!

Ka mate Ka mate!

Ka ora Ka ora!

Tenei Te Tangata Puhuruhuru

Nana i tiki mai whakawhiti te ra!

Upane Upane

Upane Kaupane

Whiti te ra!

Hī!

 It is death It is death

It is life It is life

It is death It is death

It is life It is life

This is the hairy man

Who caused the sun to shine again for me

Up the ladder Up the ladder

Up to the top

The sun shines!

Shine!

images/tik-hak3.jpg

 

Back Home Up Next

[ Back ] [ Home ] [ Up ] [ Next ] [ Maps ] [ Trips ] [ Maori ] [ Author ] [ Sources ] [ Contents ]

 

Need help with a Māori word?
Click here to have open a list of common Māori terms; or
Click here to open the English-Māori Translator at Otago University.

 

This page last updated 06/07/2003 02:11:44 AM

 

All materials on this site © J.M.Wilson 2001-3, unless otherwise stated.

Any comments? Send me an e-mail.