Haka is a traditional dance of the Maori people, the militant native population of New Zealand. Technically, it's not quite a dance. The haka combines both movement and accompaniment in the form of songs, shouts, battle cries and sounds of clattering and slapping on the hips and chest. Haka exists in many varieties, performed on different occasions and by different groups. There can be women's, children's, men's haka, as well as haka for joint performance.
A special place is occupied by the haka performed by Maori warriors preparing for combat operations or conducting them. The military haka could be held before a battle, between combats or after they are finished. A composer of the most famous military haka – Ka-mate – was one of the Maori leaders Te Rauparaha, a participant of the struggle against the British colonialists. Ka-mate was performed by the Maori Pioneer Battalion during the Gallipoli campaign in the First World War. In the twenty-first century, the haka takes regularly place in the New Zealand armed forces, and not only by the Maori. In recent years the military of other states have also performed it.
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The First World War. France, June 1918. Soldiers of the Maori Pioneer Battalion, which participated in the Battle of Gallipoli, perform the haka in front of New Zealand Prime Minister William Massey and Deputy Prime Minister Joseph Ward hemaoriahau.tumblr.com
The Second World War. Egypt, 1941. The 28th (Maori) Battalion of the New Zealand Army performs the haka before battle during the North African Campaign
The Second World War. Egypt, June 1941. Maori soldiers perform the haka before the exiled King of Greece
The Second World War. Sergeant of the Royal New Zealand Air Force Maori Pine Tenga Takarangi performs the haka in front of his colleagues on board the ship. Takarangi was enlisted in the New Zealand Air Force in September 1939, serving as a shooter-radio operator on the Armstrong Whitworth Whitley bomber. He died on September 6, 1941
The haka is performed by the New Zealand military during a ceremony dedicated to the memory of those deceased in the Battle of Gallipoli. Among others, 2701 New Zealand soldiers died there between 1915 and 1916. Çanakkale, Turkey, April 24, 2004 photo.net
New Zealand soldiers from the International Security Assistance Force perform the haka. Afghanistan, 2005
Haka performance during the ceremony of the regular replacement of the New Zealand contingent in the Multinational Force in East Timor. December 2006 aquiscian.deviantart.com
England, September 2011. The New Zealand Army Military Orchestra performs the haka during the Rugby World Cup in September 2011. https://www.gettyimages.com/
March 2009. The haka is performed by the staff of the New Zealand Army and Police Integrated Unit within the Regional Mission in the Solomon Islands
New Zealand Air Force soldiers perform the haka during a farewell ceremony in honor of three military helicopter pilots who crashed 40 kilometers northeast of Wellington. April 2010
New Zealand soldiers perform the haka before sending home the body of Lance Corporal Leon Christopher Smith, who was killed in action in Afghanistan on September 28, 2011 ar15.com
US Marines perform the haka during the ceremony of welcoming the New Zealand military. New Zealand, 10 June 2012 dvidshub.net
Christchurch, New Zealand, 11 August 2012. New Zealand soldiers perform the haka during a farewell ceremony in honor of two colleagues who deceased in Afghanistan photo.sf.co.ua
Camp Lazernek, Helmand Province, Afghanistan. April 28, 2014. The Haka is performed by the Marines of the Kingdom of Tonga before being sent to their homeland theatlantic.com
Britain's Prince Harry performs the haka with soldiers of the 1st New Zealand Brigade during his visit to New Zealand in May 2015 japantimes.co.jp
Haka is a traditional dance of the Maori people, the militant native population of New Zealand. Technically, it's not quite a dance. The haka combines both movement and accompaniment in the form of songs, shouts, battle cries and sounds of clattering and slapping on the hips and chest. Haka exists in many varieties, performed on different occasions and by different groups. There can be women's, children's, men's haka, as well as haka for joint performance.
A special place is occupied by the haka performed by Maori warriors preparing for combat operations or conducting them. The military haka could be held before a battle, between combats or after they are finished. A composer of the most famous military haka – Ka-mate – was one of the Maori leaders Te Rauparaha, a participant of the struggle against the British colonialists. Ka-mate was performed by the Maori Pioneer Battalion during the Gallipoli campaign in the First World War. In the twenty-first century, the haka takes regularly place in the New Zealand armed forces, and not only by the Maori. In recent years the military of other states have also performed it.
If the background of the photos interferes with reading the supplemental information for the photos, you can hover the mouse cursor over the text and it will darken the text background.
The First World War. France, June 1918. Soldiers of the Maori Pioneer Battalion, which participated in the Battle of Gallipoli, perform the haka in front of New Zealand Prime Minister William Massey and Deputy Prime Minister Joseph Ward hemaoriahau.tumblr.com
The Second World War. Egypt, 1941. The 28th (Maori) Battalion of the New Zealand Army performs the haka before battle during the North African Campaign
The Second World War. Egypt, June 1941. Maori soldiers perform the haka before the exiled King of Greece
The Second World War. Sergeant of the Royal New Zealand Air Force Maori Pine Tenga Takarangi performs the haka in front of his colleagues on board the ship. Takarangi was enlisted in the New Zealand Air Force in September 1939, serving as a shooter-radio operator on the Armstrong Whitworth Whitley bomber. He died on September 6, 1941
The haka is performed by the New Zealand military during a ceremony dedicated to the memory of those deceased in the Battle of Gallipoli. Among others, 2701 New Zealand soldiers died there between 1915 and 1916. Çanakkale, Turkey, April 24, 2004 photo.net
New Zealand soldiers from the International Security Assistance Force perform the haka. Afghanistan, 2005
Haka performance during the ceremony of the regular replacement of the New Zealand contingent in the Multinational Force in East Timor. December 2006 aquiscian.deviantart.com
England, September 2011. The New Zealand Army Military Orchestra performs the haka during the Rugby World Cup in September 2011. https://www.gettyimages.com/
March 2009. The haka is performed by the staff of the New Zealand Army and Police Integrated Unit within the Regional Mission in the Solomon Islands
New Zealand Air Force soldiers perform the haka during a farewell ceremony in honor of three military helicopter pilots who crashed 40 kilometers northeast of Wellington. April 2010
New Zealand soldiers perform the haka before sending home the body of Lance Corporal Leon Christopher Smith, who was killed in action in Afghanistan on September 28, 2011 ar15.com
US Marines perform the haka during the ceremony of welcoming the New Zealand military. New Zealand, 10 June 2012 dvidshub.net
Christchurch, New Zealand, 11 August 2012. New Zealand soldiers perform the haka during a farewell ceremony in honor of two colleagues who deceased in Afghanistan photo.sf.co.ua
Camp Lazernek, Helmand Province, Afghanistan. April 28, 2014. The Haka is performed by the Marines of the Kingdom of Tonga before being sent to their homeland theatlantic.com
Britain's Prince Harry performs the haka with soldiers of the 1st New Zealand Brigade during his visit to New Zealand in May 2015 japantimes.co.jp
