The Haka of the 1924 Tour
The
1924-25 All Blacks were led by George Nepia. They became known as
"The Invincibles" because they played 32 matches in 6 countries
and won all games by huge margins.
They had their own haka, written during the voyage to England by Wiremu
Rangi of Gisborne, and polished up by Judge Acheson, of the Native
Land Court. There were two parts, but usually only the first part
was used.
The "weird chant" becomes "their famous
war dance."
The fifth
game at Swansea began with 40,000 waiting Welshmen singing Cwm Rhondda,
Sospan Fach, Land of My Fathers, and then God save the Queen, which the
All Blacks responded to with a "weird chant
led by Nepia," by which time the crowd had swelled to almost
50,000. They saw their home team defeated 39 - 3 in a gruelling game.
Before
the13th game at Carlisle, "they lined up
in front of the stand and led by a young Maori, G. Nepia, gave their
song and dance, which was received with loud cheers and laughter."
They then beat Cumberland 41-nil.
Back in
Wales at Llanelli for game 22, "On the appearance
of the men in red, "Sosban Fach" was sung with great enthusiasm.
Nepia led the All Blacks in their famous war dance, which was very impressive.
One could almost hear a pin drop while it was rendered. The crowd again
sang 'Sosban Fach' in reply." New Zealand was lucky to beat
the Sospans 8 - 3.
Ruaumoko
The first
section of Ko Niu Tireni uses traditional imagery from Ruaumoko.
This compares the unrestrained creative force of an erupting volcano
with the similar unrestrained force of human sexuality to create new
life. And in All Black rugby a similar eruptive force is unleashed.
Finnegan's Wake
The Irish novelist James Joyce heard Ko Niu Tireni performed
when he watched the All Black game in Paris in 1925.
He wrote to his sister Poppie, who was teaching in New Zealand, to ask
for the words of the haka.
She sent him a newspaper clipping of the words and translation, and
this modified version of the haka appeared in his famous 1938 word-play
novel Finnegan's Wake.
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Let
us propel us for the frey of the fray! Us, us, beraddy!
Ko Niutirenis hauru leish! A lala!
Ko Niutirenis haururu laleish! Ala lala!
The Wullingthund sturm is breaking.
The sound of maormaoring
The Wellingthund sturm waxes fuer-cilier.
The
whackawhacks of the sturm.
Katu te ihis ihis! Katu te wana wana!
The strength of the rawshorn generand is known throughout the world.
Let us say if we may what a weeny wukeleen can do.
Au! Au! Aue! Ha! Heish! A lala! |
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