"The Haka is a composition played by many instruments. Hands, feet, legs, body, voice, tongue, and eyes all play their part in blending together to convey in their fullness the challenge, welcome, exultation, defiance or contempt."

Armstrong 1964

The haka is a communal posture dance with shouted accompaniment. All performers move as one, with quivering hands, protruding tongues and rolling eyes, while maintaining a very regular beat by foot stamping and hand slaps on the body.

Young people got together on warm evenings to perform haka just as young people in Europe gathered for social dances.

"Singing, or the haka, was the amusement of village maidens and young lads on fine evenings. For this purpose they assembled with flowers and feathers in their hair... Most songs were accompanied with action....

All joined in the chorus, which consisted of a peculiar noise caused by repeated expirations and inspirations, slapping one hand on the breast, holding the other aloft and making it vibrate with great rapidity, and moving the body in indelicate attitudes."

Thompson, 1859

"Ere you go forth to fight, display your legs to your women, young folk, and old men in what is termed a war-dance. Your women will never fail to observe the omens of the dance - the correctness of attitudes or mistakes committed.

When your women are seen by you advancing with distorted faces, ...the rising of Tu-te-ihiihi, of Tu-te-wanawana (the war god), you then know that your legs will assail the stars in the heavens and the earth mother below.

But should you commit errors and not deport yourself correctly, then assuredly you will not see your women dancing and grimacing, because apprehension has seized them, for from them comes the blood of the performing men that is to be borne into the fray and poured forth upon the land. So then you are aware that an error has been made in your dancing, therefore be cautious."

Nihoniho, 1913