On the Pentecost Island of Vanuatu, a ritual performed by men is said to ensure a good harvest.
By jumping off tall wooden towers with nothing but vines wrapped around their ankles, they believe a good land dive can improve a man’s physical health and bring good luck during the yam harvest season.
Legend says that this jumping festival is about a woman who ran away from her abusive husband. She hid behind a tree. The husband, who chased her, begged her to say sorry and return, warning her that he might beat her more. https://youtu.be/l0Mq6rCfYtU
So the woman refused and climbed towards the top of the tree. Her husband followed and when he almost reached the top, the woman jumped. The man jumped after her but he realized that his wife tied vines around her ankles that made her survive the jump.
The man, on the other hand, was unlucky and died from the fall. From this legend, the men of Vanuatu nowadays jump from towers to show women that they can’t be tricked again.
They tie vines around their ankles and jump off the tall wooden towers that can reach up to 20-30 meters. They do naghol on Saturdays between April and June every year. On every jump, they make sure that they’ll touch the ground to ensure a good yam harvest for the following year.
Moreover, the ritual is also done to show a male’s acceptance into manhood and fertility. Though the majority of the islanders are Christian, they also adhere to ancient beliefs. Before dawn on the day of the ceremony, the men undergo a ritual wash, anoint coconut oil on themselves, and decorate their bodies.
The males wear boar tusks around their necks. The men wear traditional nambas, and the women wear traditional grass dresses and are bare-breasted. Only the men are allowed to dive, but the dancing women provide mental support.
Around 10 to 20 men in a village will jump. The ritual begins with the least experienced jumpers on the lower platforms and ends with the most experienced jumpers on the upper platforms.
The ideal jump is high with the jumper landing close to the ground. The goal is to brush the shoulders against the ground. The higher the jump, the more bountiful the harvest. Before diving, the jumper can give speeches, sing songs, and make pantomimes.
The diver crosses his arms over his chest to help prevent injury to the arms. The head is tucked in so his shoulders can contact the ground. Therefore, the divers risk a number of injuries, such as a broken neck or a concussion.
During the dive, the jumper can reach speeds of around 45 mph (72 km/h). Right after a dive, other villagers rush in and take care of the diver. For boys, land diving is a rite of passage.
After the boys are circumcised at the age of around seven to eight, the boys can participate in the ritual. When a boy is ready to become a man, he lands dives in the presence of his elders.
His mother holds a favorite childhood item, for example, a piece of cloth. After completing the dive, the item is thrown away, demonstrating that the boy has become a man.
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