Strange story

of a death dive and a tabu

Did a tabu play a part in a land dive death on Pentecost during the recent royal tour of the New Heb rides or was it an accident? Land diving is known as Gol. John Mark Tabi, about 38, died from in juries received in a land dive on South Pentecost on February 16. He was one of several divers in a Gol exhibition for the Queen. One landed softly in the mud, his fall broken by the vines round his ankles, Tabi broke his spine as the vines snapped and he plunged to the ground. He died two days later.

Inhabitants of South Pentecost, during an investigation into Tabi’s death by Mr Darval Wilkins, a British District Agent, advanced theories which suggested there was something supernatural about the death. Mr Wilkins came to the con clusion there was nothing mysterious —just plain human failing.

South Pentecostians gave Mr Wil kins several explanations, reported the New Hebrides newspaper Nakamal. These included: • Tabi had broken a tabu in in sisting that he jump from a platform (Wagol) constructed by another person (Obid of Ranwash); • The vines selected by Obid, who was small and light, were not suitable for Tabi, a comparatively stocky man; © The Gol site was tabu ground; • There were too many super visors and confusion arose and as a result the vines, which were to be attached to the jumper’s ankles, were not well measured; • Tabi jumped with Massing (love potion). (This was the explan ation given for the death of Barakon of Londible village who died in a similar accident many years ago.) The local inhabitants did not tell Mr Wilkins of the widespread belief that Gol was out of season, when the vines have a greater moisture content and a greater tendency to break. Tabi broke a tabu in using another man’s platform. Obid with drew because he had hurt a knee, but failed to cut down his platform, as he should have done.

Tabi, with two previous jumps behind him, was anxious to take part, and when he heard Obid’s plat form was vacant he disregarded custom and insisted on using the platforms and vines. Tabi’s sister

and other relatives were so con cerned, and so convinced of tragic consequences that they wept loudly as Tabi climbed to the platform.

When the Gol site was chosen it was not mentioned that the ground was tabu. Kilman, the senior Gol supervisor, pointed this out later, but the site had already been cleared and it was too late to look for an other one. The tabu arose because a man died there suddenly and un expectedly many years ago.

A Gol is normally arranged by one region with one supervisor. The Gol for the Queen was complicated because several Church of Christ villages wished to take part as the site was on Church of Christ Miss ion ground. Adherents of the church were anxious to renew active parti cipation in Gol and in custom generally. Mission leaders, since the turn of the century, vigorously banned adherents from taking part in any traditional ceremonies.

The outcome was that there were three senior supervisors—two from the Church of Christ and Kilman.

Kilman was ostensibly in charge, but was often overruled. He took the view there were too many “cooks” and the length of Obid’s ropes was poorly estimated.

There were widespread rumours that Tabi jumped with Massing tucked inside his briefs. It is gener ally accepted that Massing can back fire against the person using it and can destroy him if it is used in the wrong way. Some people said they noticed the Massing but it was not confirmed that Tabi had any.

Mr Wilkins concluded that the accident was caused by a combin ation of factors: • Primarily a misjudgment by the

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This picture from Nakamal was taken as one of the land divers launched himself from the platform in the Queen's presence.

supervisors (in turn because there were too many of them) of technical details; © The length of the vines and the positioning of the stays supporting the platform, which break when ten sion is applied; O Misjudgment on Tabi’s part in jumping either too far out or too short. (The supervisor indicates to the jumper where he should try to land).

It is traditional on South Pente cost that on the death of a man, gifts are made to the maternal uncle. In this case it was Kilman who had protested against Tabi using Obid’s vacant platform. The other two supervisors paid $2O each to Kilman on tabu ground. Obid was fined for failing to cut down the platform which he had constructed for him self.

The British Administration will offer between $2OO and $250 to Tabi’s family to help in bringing up his children. The money will be used primarily for school fees.