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This is one of my favourite posts from 360. I was writing the story of my colonist family, the first thread of whom who arrived here in Aotearoa/New Zealand in 1840. Parts of my stories encompassed the NZ/Maori Land Wars of the period and Te Rauparaha's name, (among others), surfaced frequently. So we took a break from the story (which I thought was getting a bit long winded), and instead showed this story about Te Rauparaha and how he is reputed to have written this famous Haka which our national rugby team, the All Blacks perform before all their international matches. (the words of the chant and the video are shown at the end of thepost). The Story of the Haka Ka Mate! Ka Mate!
At the time the haka was written, (1820), Te Rauparaha was chief of the Ngati Toarangatira (Ngati-Toa), a branch of the Tainui tribe, and lived at Kawhia which is north of the Waikato. For some years before he was born as the son of chief Werawera, there had been inter-tribal war between the Ngati-Toa and the neighbouring Waikato tribe, a bitter story of constant skirmish, reprisal and territorial dispute. Growing up in this environment, with his father captured, killed and eaten while he was still a young boy, Te Rauparaha became one of the most feared and respected warrior chiefs in Maori history. Later on he led his tribe southwards, and by 1828 was master of the whole coast stretching from Wanganui to Wellington, including Kapiti island, but at the time of composition he was in the thick of the fighting action somewhere in the region of Taupo.
At this point, he was forced to flee for his life from his pursuing enemies, the Ngati Maniapoto and Waikato tribes, and he came to the village of a horrified Te Wharerangi and asked for his protection. The visibly reluctant Te Wharerangi eventually agreed to hide Te Rauparaha in a kumara pit.
Then Te Wharerangi's wife, Te Rangikoaea, sat over the entrance to the pit. There are two stories put forward as to why Te Rangikoaea sat over the entrance thus.
The first version has it that no male of consequence would ever put himself in a position where he would be beneath the genital organs of a woman. Thus the hiding place would be discounted by the pursuers.
Of course, pragmatic Te Rauparaha was naturally willing to forego this custom in order to survive.
The second version tells that she sat there in order to have a neutralising effect on the incantations recited by the pursuing Chiefs; the female organs were believed to have a shielding effect.
Anyhow, as the pursuers arrived, Te Rauparaha is said to have muttered "Ka mate! ka mate!" under his breath (I die! I die)!, but when the Rotoaira chief indicated the man they sought had gone to Rangipo he murmured "Ka ora! ka ora!" (I live! I live!). However when Tauteka, (a pursuing chief), doubted the words of Te Wharerangi he gloomily muttered "Ka mate! ka mate!" once again. Then, when his pursuers were finally convinced he was not in Te Wharerangi's pa, but had made off for Taranaki, he exclaimed "Ka ora, ka ora! Tenei te tangata puhuruhuru nana nei i tiki mai whakawhiti te ra!" (I live! I live! For this is the hairy man who has fetched the sun and caused it to shine again!).
The "hairy man" in the haka is supposed to refer to the chief Te Wharerangi who gave Te Raparaha protection despite his wish not to be involved. Te Wharerangi was a man of very noticeable hairy habit.
"Upane", literally means "terrace", and probably refers to the steps which were cut into the side of the pit for access. Each "upane" in the haka represents the tentative steps Te Raparaha made as he nervously emerged from the pit to see if the coast was clear.
Imagine his rejoicing at not only eluding certain death by the merest whisker, but also coming out of the dark kumara pit into the light of the day - "Whiti te ra! Hi!" Going on from the kumara pit to the court yard of Te Wharerangi, before Te Rangikoaea and the assembled people, Te Rauparaha then performed his famous haka, which he had composed whilst in hiding.
This version is the version usually performed by the All Blacks ahead of international rugby matches. I like the way that the Haka is shown here because it suggests the presence of the spirits of the ancestors.
Ka Mate! Ka Mate!
Ka Mate! Ka Mate! Ka Ora! Ka Ora! Ka Mate! Ka Mate! Ka Ora! Ka Ora! Tenei te tangata puhuru huru Nana nei i tiki mai Whakawhiti te ra A upane! Ka upane! A upane Kaupane whiti te ra! Hi!
(in English)
I die! I die! I live! I live! I die! I die! I live! I live! This is the hairy man Who fetched the sun And caused it to shine again. One upward step! Another upward step! An upward step... Another! the sun shines! Hi!
