Wedding Haka Moves New Zealand Maori Bride To Tears

[Flashermac]

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-35378875

 

 

 

So what do they do for Valentine's Day?

[Coss]

[Coss]

The Haka in NZ has evolved, in the past you wouldn't get women doing it, but in it's evolution, it's a part of modern Maori and NZ culture.

 

The Maori culture was nearly subsumed by predominantly English culture, and it wasn't until my childhood that efforts to rescue and maintain the culture started to have an effect.

 

Even though it's Maori culture, Vikings such as me and others who are non Maori, but born in NZ, identify quite strongly with it. The Hongi (rubbing noses at the end of the vid) is quite common place these days for example.

[Coss]

"So what do they do for Valentine's Day?"

 

Tricky, despite the beautiful looking girls in the vid, you have to get through the assorted boyfriends and brothers first.

 

​I have a clear memory, of going to pick up a Maori girl, for a first date, when I was 17. Assorted brothers and other males, poured out of the house when I arrived and aggressively questioned me as to my presence there. I was getting very close to running away, when a Kuia (ancient Grandmother) leant out of the window and got them all to pull their heads in, with a few quick words, much to my relief, the date then went quite well.

[Flashermac]

The bride has a pretty face, even if she is shaped like a beer keg.

 

The Maori make up a sizable percent of NZ's population. Native Americans in the USA are barely 1% and divided into many linguistic groups. It's only in the Southwest, where there are larger tribes, that you'll find any Native American influence to speak uf.

[bust]

Being a traditional war cry, dance, or challenge I guess it is extremely appropriate for a marriage I have some really good friends who are Samoan or Tongan. Problem I found with the polynesian men was on their own they are the gentlest and warmest people but in numbers can be very intimidating and unpredictable. Don't fully understand the identification concept with pacific islanders. I have heard maoris don't identify as either polynesian of pacific islanders. But only maoris or kiwis

 

Coss?

[scoobydoo]

tbh just plain weird at a wedding, absolutely great at a big rugby clash but daft and silly looking at a wedding especially women taking part

[unit731]

According to Josh Starks:

 

"This Haka is called Tika Tonu. It is a Maori haka and was written in the Hawkes Bay, New Zealand in 1914 by a chief named Waimarama Puhara. He wrote it for his son and it is about the transition from boy to man."

[Coss]

Don't fully understand the identification concept with pacific islanders. I have heard maoris don't identify as either polynesian of pacific islanders. But only maoris or kiwis

 

Coss?

 

Yes

 

We're all Kiwis. But back in the day, prior to about 800 years ago, before the Maori arrived in NZ, the Pacific Island nations used to send war parties to each others Islands and kill and take women etc.

 

So whilst it's all peaceable now, I guess it's still a bit residual, like the English and the French...

 

tbh just plain weird at a wedding, absolutely great at a big rugby clash but daft and silly looking at a wedding especially women taking part

 

Not weird, whilst it's usually viewed as a challenge or a war dance, it's used elsewhere, often with connotations of honour and respect. See below.

 

According to Josh Starks:

 

"This Haka is called Tika Tonu. It is a Maori haka and was written in the Hawkes Bay, New Zealand in 1914 by a chief named Waimarama Puhara. He wrote it for his son and it is about the transition from boy to man."

[khunsanuk]

Hi,

 

I'm with scoobydoo on this one. Those people look like total morons to me. I'm sure it is a respected part of their culture, but I still think it looks utterly lame.

 

Sanuk!