Tag Archives: Samoa

The Ha’a

 

 

Title: The Ha’a

General Information about Item:

  • Genre/Sub-genre: Customary and Verbal folklore: Tradition
  • Language: Hawaiian/English
  • Country: USA

Informant Data:

  • Bun Straton
    • From Honolulu, Hawaii
    • Age 20
  • Kamana Hobbs
    • From Honolulu, Hawaii
    • Age 20

Contextual Data:

  • Cultural Context: Polynesian culture is rich in art and various types of expression, especially through body movements and dance.
  • Social Context: While not used in war anymore, the Ha’a is most often preformed before football games by the University of Hawai’i football team with the same aim of intimidating their opponents.

Item:

A branch of an ancient dancing tradition that stems from the collective Polynesian islands and cultures. It is performed primarily before battle to intimidate opponents, and can also be done before weddings and funerals. It is seen as a farewell and greeting dance at times. The Ha’a is a  dance that varies across cultures but has the same basic elements of War or Death, Sun or Warmth, and Life or Living. Components  of the dance are identifiable by bent knees, heavy use of facial expressions and strong, aggressive movements. In New Zealand it goes by the Haka to the Maori people, in Samoa it is referred to as the Manu Siva Tau and in Hawaii it is called the Ha’a

Collector: Nigel Alexander 20′

Tags/Keywords: dance, war,Haka, Ha’a, tradition, Hawaii, Maori, Samoa