Leap

of Faith

Pictures: Terje Engo A Pentecost landdiver performs the ritual dive, supported only by vines tied to his ankles. If the spirits are pleased, he will stop falling just as his hair touches the ground, signalling a fine yam yield for the year ahead.

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HE claps his hands above his head to call his ancestors. All of a sudden he shoots out like a rocket and becames a dark shadow racing towards the ground. The vines take the strain and his black, curly hair briefly kisses the earth.

This brave ritual is performed every year on Pentecost Island by the landdivers of Vanuatu, following strict spiritual beliefs.

Tamalie’s spirit is said to lurk in the

“Naghol” tower.

“Don’t go up there until the tower is finished,” the young boy whispers, his arm pointing towards the tall structure which is barely visible behind the palm trees.

In just a few hours the village will be embraced by a velvet darkness and we will hear the men singing by the tower.

It’s a sign that their toil is over and the ceremony can begin the next morning.

The landdivers of Vanuatu perform their deadly annual ritual. Tove Randi Rasmussen reports

This deadly ritual occurs every year on a tiny island called Pentecost which is part of a larger chain of islands known collectively as Vanuatu. Its purpose is to graduate a good harvest of yams.

Brave young boys prove their valour by launching themselves out from the towers. It is 30 metres straight down, and their only lifeline is a single vine tied to one of their ankles. If it is a perfect dive their hair will only just touch the ground and they will be unharmed.

Night falls, and the males of the village begin to gather their courage.

The morning sun is creeping up from behind the hill. The village of Wali awakes, and a holy atmosphere seems to descend upon it.

The women are dressed in grass skirts, while the men wear their traditional Mambas a garment which makes a loincloth look like a bodysuit, Xhe .< Naghor le g e nd is the story of a young woman who kept trying to escape from her violent husband, Tamalie. In her last desperate attempt she hid in a young palm tree, where she tied vines to her ankles.

Tamalie searched for hours and was enraged by the time he found her He climbed the tree, but as he was about to grab his wife she jumped, and the vines er swinging safely just below the fronds. Tamalie dived after her and fell to his death.

It remains a mystery as to how this

Bound by faith: platforms made from tree trunks tied with vines by a family friend.

The lead-up: women, some carrying babies, sing, dance and wave leaves.

ceremony became connected with the yam harvest.

With anticipation we are led away from Wali, and towards the tower. The track twists and turns first through thick jungle, and then through open fields and tall coconut trees.

Heavy rain has made the track very muddy and more like a stream in places.

We struggle to keep our balance. We pass groups of bamboo huts and excited faces peer out at us, while some of the villagers wave.

Finally we arrive at our destination, sweaty and exhausted. A huge tower reaches skyward it is at least 30 metres tall.

Although the legend of “Naghol” involves a palm tree, three skydivers now use any tall tree. Unnecessary branches are cut off, a scaffold of logs and branches is built around the trunk and the structure is secured to surrounding trees

by vines.

Hammer and nails don’t exist. The labour is carried out according to ancient traditions and it is an art that only a few villages have mastered. The tower before us was built by chief Telkon and the men of Bunlap a village on the other side of the mountain.

When missionaries first arrived on Pentecost the “Naghol” ceremony was

banned. Only two villages kept the

tradition alive, but recently the men from Bunlap have passed the ritual on to other groups.

For the last two weeks before their leap, the participants must abstain from any sexual activity. They follow a strict diet and drinking kava is definitely taboo. Other special rites are observed in order to drive off evil spirits.

While the tower is being raised, the women are forbidden to come near it, or even be seen in the area. If any of the rules are violated it is bound to result in a terrible accident for one of the divers.

The tower has several platforms one for each of the 28 men who will jump.

Each man carefully selects his own vine.

It must be of exact length and incredible strength. If not, the diver will plummet into the ground head first!

Each platform is built by a trusted friend of the diver’s family.

Three young men are chosen to guard the tower through the dark hours on the eve of the “Naghol”. No evil must over

Certainty: dark clouds roll in as the last man, his muscular body gleaming with coconut oil, moves his hands confidently to the song resounding from the crowd below. He then claps his hands, lets his head fall back, throws himself from the platform and plummets like a rocket toward the ground far below.

come the platforms.

The ceremony begins when the men atop the tower begin singing and danc ing. Soon the women below join in. They are delightful to watch perfumed leaves draped over bare breasts, flowers in their hair. They wave colourful kroton leaves while their grass skirts flick around

their legs.

A seven year old climbs to his platform while the singing and dancing intensifies.

The women from the boy’s family hold their arms in a cradle position while they dance, to signify that they have raised him from an infant.

As the boy inches out onto the platform the women begin a loud, high pitched whistle. Everyone focuses their concentration on the boy.

It is his first dive. His actions are uncertain. He grips some vines which hang from above, and his toes dig into the edge of the platform. He lifts his trembling arms out from his sides, as if to feel the air.

The crowd urge him on. They are

singing the song he has chosen.

The boy grows braver and begins to wave his arms to the rhythm. He yells wildly and drops a green leaf to the ground to ward off any demons which might still be haunting the tower.

He claps his hands above his head to call his ancestors. Letting himself fall forward, he pushes off when he is almost horizontal, and his hands come up to cover his face.

He falls earthward. The vine tightens and stretches. The platform collapses!

The crowd fails silent as two men run to the boy’s aid. They cut the vines from his ankles with a machete. He is okay, and whoops with pride as he stretches his arms upward in triumph. His first dive is a success.

Every year someone is either killed or seriously injured, but more often than

Tied to ritual: all that saves a landdiver from death is the vines connecting his feet to the platform, and his faith in the goodwill o f the spirits.

Spiritual support: women below the platform wave colourful leaves while their grass skirts flick around their legs.

not they succeed. The old men with more than 20 dives behind them ensure that

everything is done correctly. They rely

on their spirits to tell them if there is any

danger.

The drama is heightened as dark clouds roll in. Tropical downpours are interspersed with patches of brilliant sunshine, but the deluge doesn’t dampen the enthusiasm of the dancers.

Taro leaves become umbrellas and the wet, shining bodies continue with their rhythmic movements. The tension rises as the jumpers go higher. By the time the last diver reaches his platform the crowd is in an ecstatic state a frenzy of song, dance and whistling.

The last man enjoys the attention. He has done this before and takes his time, moving his hands confidently to the song.

His muscular body, covered in coconut oil, gleams when the sun flickers onto it.

He claps his hands and lets his head fall back. His hands cover his face.

Concentrate now. He shoots out like a rocket and becomes a dark shadow racing towards the ground. The vine takes the strain and his black, curly hair briefly kisses the earth.

A perfect dive!

The crowd is overjoyed. There will be plenty of yams this year. And the last man has proven that he is the bravest of the brave. □

Young and brave: a boy makes his first jump from a platform which collapsed just as the vine tightened.

Encouragement: men beat the ground with sticks, sing, chant and whistle.