Ritual with deep meaning: The dance of the Maori: New Zealand brings home the Haka world record

The Haka is probably the most famous Maori ritual. After years of ignominy, New Zealand has now secured a long-awaited world record. But what is the spectacular dance actually about?

Stick out your tongue, open your eyes and rhythmically beat your thighs with your hands while singing loudly: This is the Haka, the impressive dance ritual of the New Zealand Maori. It is almost always celebrated in groups – but never in such large numbers as at the weekend in Eden Park in New Zealand’s largest city, Auckland. 6,531 people gathered for the collective haka and set a world record, as confirmed by Guinness judge Brian Sobel. There is a huge sigh of relief in the Pacific state because this is the end of years of disgrace.

Reason: Since 2014, France has been listed as the record holder in the Guinness Book – “inexplicably,” as New Zealand media stated. At that time, 4,028 men and women actually gathered near Toulouse for the common haka. “Let us stand together as a nation and bring home the haka,” was the motto on the website set up specifically for the record attempt.

“Haka is an important part of our culture and it was crucial to bring the honor of this world record from the French back to the land of its origins and ensure that it is performed correctly and with integrity,” emphasized musician Dame Hinewehi Mohi , one of the organizers. “Au revoir!”, Radio New Zealand cheered after the successful project.

The project was launched by the non-profit organization Raukatauri Music Therapy Trust. This has been helping people with mental illnesses through music therapy since 2004. Many non-Maori as well as prominent New Zealand musicians and athletes also flocked to Eden Park.

“All Blacks” made the ritual world famous

Speaking of sport: The Haka was carried all over the world by the country’s national rugby team: the “All Blacks” perform the frightening ritual before every game. Images and videos of the players dressed all in black, rolling their eyes at the opposing team and sticking their tongues out, have been going around the world for years. The show intended to challenge the opponents is always breathtaking.

The “All Blacks” traditionally perform the “Ka Mate” haka, which was written around 1820 by Maori tribal leader Te Rauparaha. According to legend, he barely escaped persecution from a rival tribe. The most important line of text is: “Ka mate, ka mate, ka ora, ka ora”, in German something like “I will die, I will die, I will live, I will live.” The Ka Mate was also chosen for the record attempt in Auckland.

The women also have a haka

What is less known is that the women’s national rugby team, called the Black Ferns, also performs a mesmerizing haka called “Ko Uhia Mai” (Let Them All Know). It was composed by rugby legend Te Whetū Tipiwai, who died in 2015.

And there are differences: women, who are considered protectors of life, generally appear with their legs closer together than men. They also usually don’t bare their teeth, but instead stick their chin out.

The Haka is often referred to as a war dance, but this is not entirely true. It was also used before battles to prepare the warriors both mentally and physically for the battle. But it was also performed when tribes came together peacefully. Today the ritual, considered one of the deepest and most important in all of Maori culture, is performed on a variety of occasions to emphasize its importance – including weddings, funerals, graduations and welcoming ceremonies.

Hardly any other dance is so complex and requires such powerful interaction of the whole body. Alan Armstrong described the art in his 1964 book Maori Games and Haka: “The haka is a composition played by many instruments.” Hands, feet, legs, body, voice, tongue and eyes would merge together to reflect the entire emotional world of the words sung. A unique symbiosis of discipline and emotions.

What is the origin of the ritual?

The word Haka literally means dance. According to legend, the origins lie in Maori mythology, in a time when the world was still populated by gods.

The god of the sun Tama-Nui-Te-Ra and his wife Hine-Raumati, who represents summer, had a son named Tane-Rore. This was the personification of the shimmer of air that rises from the ground on hot days. The trembling hand movements of the haka recreate this shimmering heat. The Maori believe that on such summer days you can still see Tane-Rore dancing the haka for his parents.

Non-Maori are also invited to learn the ancient ritual. But it is important to Indigenous New Zealanders that he is treated with due respect. In recent years, however, there has been repeated anger because foreigners – but also New Zealanders themselves – have publicly denigrated the haka.

Global faux pas

Some players from the 2023 Spanish women’s national football team at the World Cup in New Zealand published a short video in which they screamed and mockingly reenacted a haka. Captain Ivana Andrés later publicly apologized for the gaffe.

A year earlier, a Canadian was expelled from Bali because he was seen in a video performing a haka completely naked on the holy Mount Batur. New Zealanders living abroad have also been asked to stop performing the haka during pub crawls to mark the national holiday Waitangi Day on February 6th.

dpa

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