According to legend...

The wiriwiri trembling hand action performed during the Haka is a physical representation of the shimmering heat referred to in 'Te haka a Tanerore'.

In Maori mythology, Te Ra is the sun that shines brightly upon us. Legend has it that Te Ra had two wives. A winter wife, Hine Takurua and a summer wife, Hine Ruamati.

Te Ra and Hine Ruamati had a son named Tanerore. It is Maori belief that on occasions when the land is so hot that the air shimmers, you can see Tanerore perform a haka for his mother.

The wiriwiri or shimmering air is reminiscent of his trembling hand actions.

No Haka is better known or widely celebrated than 'Kamate Kamate', both in New Zealand and internationally. However, many Haka have been composed to capture different situations and occasions and all are embraced by New Zealanders as part of our cultural identity.