Long before the haka became synonymous with the All Blacks, its story began in Māori mythology. Tānerore, son of the sun god Tama-nui-te-rā and the summer goddess Hine-raumati, is said to have danced for his mother, his movements reflected in the shimmering heat above the earth. That connection lives on today in the wiri, the trembling movement of the hands seen in haka.
But haka is far more than a war dance. Traditionally, it has been used to welcome, celebrate, mourn, honour and challenge. Every movement has a purpose: stamping feet, rhythmic body slaps, and powerful facial expressions transform the entire body into a storyteller.
One of the most famous haka, Ka Mate, was composed by Ngāti Toa chief Te Rauparaha after he escaped pursuers and emerged from a kūmara pit. Its famous words, “Ka mate, ka mate; ka ora, ka ora” (“I die, I die; I live, I live”), speak of survival. That spirit of survival is what makes the haka so powerful today.
Performed by the All Blacks, it brings a tradition rooted in Māori mythology, identity and ancestry onto the modern rugby field. When the All Blacks perform the haka, they aren’t simply preparing for a match. They are preserving a tradition, one shaped by mythology, identity, ancestry and survival.
