The video of a moving, passionate haka, a Maori war cry, performed by the comrades of three fallen New Zealand soldiers, has connected with people across the globe.

The New Zealand Herald's Paul Harper wrote about the incredible tribute carried out by the 2nd and 1st Battalion Royal New Zealand Infantry Regiment for Corporal Luke Tamatea, 31, Lance Corporal Jacinda Baker, 26, and Private Richard Harris, 21, at their funeral service at the Burnham Military Camp in Christchurch on Saturday, August 25.

The video speaks for itself:

The video was put on YouTube by the New Zealand Defence Force, and has now attracted 1,458,635  views (as of this post). Harper writes that the tribute was also tweeted by CNN host Piers Morgan to his 2.6 million followers.

Army spokesman Major John Gordon told the Herald that the haka represented their "outpouring of emotion."

"Our military is a small organization," Gordon told the Herald, "and people tend to all know each other."