MORE things I'm enjoying: haka

[oakenguy]

This one's by special request from qlewkr, who watched it and said "You need to post about this RIGHT NOW".

"But I'm reading--"

"NOW!"

"But...pancakes?"

"I'll make the pancakes. POST!"

So, yeah. This'll be old news to taniwhanui and chicken2003, but it was a total revelation to me: Youtube'd hakas, a.k.a. the single most testosterone-y dance in the WORLD:

Watch on YouTube

This clip is my favorite. When you're a team from, say, France, you don't really have an option besides watching the haka and trying to not get psyched out by it. But when you're from a culture with your own haka tradition, you get to give one right back.

Dang. DANG.

Comments

[chickenfeet2003.livejournal.com]

I faced one once. We were playing a touring team from Tahiti.

[callunav.livejournal.com]

So, who's taking responsibility for making sure that the college women who do Prom Dress Rugby hear about this? Any volunteers? Is that a hand raised in the back, there?

[prettydark.livejournal.com]

We had a group of Maori Warriors come to our pow wow once, and they did a haka for us. It still makes me cry.

[kissedbythegods.livejournal.com]

Holy shit, how did I not know that existed? I just got back from SOUTH AFRICA. You know the Bokke must have some sort of insane haka...

[olivetree.livejournal.com]

Your videos FAIL. They have been removed.

[lemur-catta.livejournal.com]

I love hakas. They're actually the best bit of rugby match for me so I wish every team had one and I wish they'd take turns and then maybe do them both again simultaneously.

Trobriand Island cricket has a simlar tradtion with each of the teams coming in with a whole choreographed routine about how strong, brave, skillful, and a hit with the ladies they are. Gotta love that even if it still means you have to watch sports afterwards ;)

[qlewkr.livejournal.com]

?
They still work for me...

[olivetree.livejournal.com]

nevermind. they still exist.

so full of win.

[lediva.livejournal.com]

So I think I'm a little behind on haka etiquette. In that second video, which team got served?

[lediva.livejournal.com]

...

*faraway dreamy look*

yesplz.

[corniecorn.livejournal.com]

RAD!

love.love.love

[kali921.livejournal.com]

Oh, WOW. AWESOME!

[maeveenroute.livejournal.com]

a) OMG, it's like West Side Story, but better.

b) Sooo much testosterone. I think I'm growing a beard just from watching this.

[thelorelei15.livejournal.com]

That's pretty fantastic.

[(Anonymous)]

That was a classic challenge and counter challenge, well done by both sides. The All Blacks (NZ Rugby team) were doing their tradition "Ka Mate" Haka. The Tongans replied. This clip would be a few years old, based on the players present on the NZ side (amny have since retired and now play for european clubs).

The All Balcks now have 2 Hakas, one of which has caused some contraversy due to the throat-slipping gesture towards the end.

The Haka is quite interesting culturally within New Zealand. Within the country it is really only something that Maori (or pacific island imigrants, doing their own native island versions) do, as it is considered bad form for Pakeha (european immigrants) to do it*. However, this does not apply if you are representing NZ overseas, then everyone is allowed to do it.

Most impressive film I have seen was a NZ *battalion* doing a Kaka as part of ther departure ceremony when they left Bosnia. Watching 600 people do that danceis...well..a bit overpowering!

Oh, and a happy note about some of the symbology in the haka, the protruding tounge can mean "I am salivating in anticipation of eating you." The happy dances of cannibal warrior cultures!

*This is changing a bit, with more Maori cultural education going on. Not too unusual to see mixed school groups doing Hakas for various occasions. The big national kapa-haka competiton seems to be pretty much all Maori, though.

Stephen in NZ

[palusbuteo.livejournal.com]

Awww Hellz Yeah! Haka's RULE.

I got to see a real haka done by a real maori...Who happened to play the Uruk Hai leader in The Lord of the Rings at a special Media celebration at the Museum of Science...but I digress...

Haka totally kicks ass, esspecially when you see how the whole team does it as a whole and they just get *charged* and it really is gut-thumpingly awesomely kick assly charging....Sends shivers down your spine.

I do remember [him] explaining why the tounge-thing was so important...But I can't remember. (I think there is a part that has to do with the "gonna bite yer face and eat your soul" thing going on) There is a whole lot of fierce-animal stuff going on, which of course makes perfect sense.

There is a reason for the particular postures and postions and hand-gestures as well - most of it refers to 'warrior' and 'fighting' stances ~ like the capture of the first video - Looks like he's 'holding a spear'; the leaping in air - flying ass-kicking jump

Greek Hoplites would sing warsongs going into battle, Celtic warriors would chant and make hexes and describe how they're going to wreck your ass, early Samurai would dictate their triumphs and titles and awards to each other before fighting...This haka stuff isn't much different....But I think is top-notch ass kicking.

[fightguy.livejournal.com]

I seem to recall reading once that in some of the Pacific island cultures, when raiding parties would land on a settled island, the hakas between them and the defenders could prevent any blood being shed. If either side showed any weakness, or if their dance wasn't fierce enough, the other side would attack and there'd be terrible carnage. But if both dances were sufficently impressive, the raiders would call off the raid and the defenders would invite them back to their village for a feast instead.

"So: Cake or death?"

[phobean.livejournal.com]

My first thought upon seeing that: cockfight.

[khep.livejournal.com]

Russell Crowe lead the Haka (probably at a movie set):

[oakenguy.livejournal.com]

It's probably just something about the angle, but doesn't he look like he has a TINY HEAD for his body?