Land diving (, ) is a ritual performed by the men of the southern part of Pentecost Island, Vanuatu.
Etymology
The
Bislama word nanggol comes from the
Saa language term gol (also spelled ghol), with the prefixed article
na- typical of the indigenous languages of
Vanuatu.
Background
The origin of land diving is described in a legend of a woman who was dissatisfied with her husband, Tamalie (or some variation of the name).
It is sometimes claimed that the woman was upset that her husband was too vigorous regarding his sexual wants, so she ran away into the forest.
Her husband followed her, so she climbed a
banyan tree.
Tamalie climbed after her, and so she tied
to her ankles and jumped and survived.
Her husband jumped after her, but did not tie lianas to himself, which caused him to plummet and die.
Originally, women did it in respect to the original woman who did it, but husbands were not comfortable with seeing their wives in such positions, so they took the sport for themselves, and it gradually changed from trees to specifically designed wooden towers. The men performed the original land diving so that they would not be tricked again.
The land diving ritual is associated with the annual yam harvest.
The villagers believe land diving can enhance the health and strength of the divers. A successful dive can remove the illnesses and physical problems associated with the wet season.
In the Saa language language, gol refers to both the tower and the land dive.
Preparation
The time of yam harvest is significant because tower construction is best done during the
dry season.
Also, the lianas have the best elasticity during this time.
During the period of preparation for nanggol, the men seclude themselves from the women and refrain from sex.
Furthermore, women are not allowed to go near the tower or else Tamalie, who lives in the tower, may seek vengeance, leading to the death of a diver.
Additionally, the men must not wear any lucky charms during the dive.
The construction of the tower typically takes between two and five weeks.
The vines are selected by a village elder and matched with each jumper's weight without any mechanical calculations.
Before these men dive, they often bring closure to unsettled business and disputes in case they die.
Ritual
Though the majority of the islanders are Christian, they also adhere to the 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.
Men wear traditional
nambas and
Wild boar around their necks, while women wear traditional
and go
Toplessness.
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 diver crosses his arms over his chest to help prevent injury to the arms.
For boys, land diving is a rite of passage.
Modern history
In the mid-nineteenth century,
Missionary came to the area and persuaded the natives to stop land diving.
In the 1970s,
Anti-imperialism caused land diving to be seen in a new light as way to demonstrate their cultural identity.
After the independence from colonial powers in 1980, the ritual was revived by Christian locals from neighbouring areas.
In 1995, the people of Pentecost Island, with the support of Vanuatu's
Attorney general, declared that they would endeavor to get royalties from bungee jumping enterprises because they viewed the tradition as stolen.
Notable dives
Dive for French resident commissioner
In 1952, a land dive was performed for a French resident commissioner.
British and French troops attacked some villages based on the rumor of a developing
cargo cult.
Several older men were arrested, though their sons offered to take their place.
The men were let go in return for a land dive performance for the French resident commissioner.
During the demonstration, the villagers sang a chant in Sa, incomprehensible to the resident commissioner, which noted the irony that the white resident commissioner thought he was strong, whereas it was the native men who were jumping from the towers.
Queen Elizabeth II incident
In 1974,
Elizabeth II of Great Britain visited Vanuatu and observed the spectacle.
The British colonial administration wanted the Queen to have an interesting tour, and convinced the
Anglicanism villagers of the Melanesian Mission at Point Cross to perform a jump.
However, the vines were not elastic enough because it was the wrong season, the middle of the wet season.
One diver had both lianas broken, broke his back from falling, and later died in a hospital.
Kal Müller
Kal Müller, a journalist, is the first white man to land dive.
Müller waited two years for the villagers of
Bunlap to invite him to jump.
Before the jump, he spent seven months with the villagers.
His experiences were recounted in the December 1970 edition of
National Geographic Magazine,
Land Diving With the Pentecost Islanders.
Karl Pilkington
Karl Pilkington was supposed to jump from the highest bar for his television program,
An Idiot Abroad, as he had refused to
bungee jump in
New Zealand. However, he jumped only from the lowest bar after the natives agreed that it was a legitimate land dive.
Tourism
Land diving has become a tourist attraction for the villagers.
The tourism aspect of land diving has come with some debate, such as maintaining the custom's integrity while gaining attention.
To prevent commercialization of land diving, a tourism council that handles the tourists and presentation was formed by the chiefs.
The tourism office works with tour companies and provides revenue by bringing in foreigners.
The local control and government support maintain the ritual's
Authentication, while encouraging promotion.
In 1982, tourists paid 35 pounds per person to watch the event.
Tourists watching the land-diving today typically pay 10,000–12,000 vatu per person (around $100–120). Though it was an annual event, land diving now occurs weekly from April to June because of its profitability.
Some tourists want to try land diving themselves, but are often denied for fear of safety.
In 2006,
Film industry of the ritual was banned by the Vanuatu Cultural Centre to protect the culture.
See also
Works cited
Further reading
External links
