![Landdiving1](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6e/Landdiving1.jpg)
Land diving (known in the local
Sa language as and in
Bislama
Bislama (; ; also known by its earlier French name, ) is an English-based creole language and one of the official languages of Vanuatu. It is the first language of many of the "Urban ni-Vanuatu" (citizens who live in Port Vila and Luganville) ...
as ) is a ritual performed by the men of the southern part of
Pentecost Island
Pentecost Island is one of the 83 islands that make up the South Pacific nation of Vanuatu.
It lies due north of capital Port Vila. Pentecost Island is known as in French and in Bislama. The island was known in its native languages by ...
,
Vanuatu
Vanuatu ( or ; ), officially the Republic of Vanuatu (french: link=no, République de Vanuatu; bi, Ripablik blong Vanuatu), is an island country located in the South Pacific Ocean. The archipelago, which is of volcanic origin, is east of no ...
.
Men jump off wooden
tower
A tower is a tall Nonbuilding structure, structure, taller than it is wide, often by a significant factor. Towers are distinguished from guyed mast, masts by their lack of guy-wires and are therefore, along with tall buildings, self-supporting ...
s around high, with two tree
vine
A vine (Latin ''vīnea'' "grapevine", "vineyard", from ''vīnum'' "wine") is any plant with a growth habit of trailing or scandent (that is, climbing) stems, lianas or runners. The word ''vine'' can also refer to such stems or runners themselv ...
s wrapped around the ankles.
Land diving is done by tying vines to each ankle.
The tradition has developed into a tourist attraction.
According to the ''
Guinness World Records
''Guinness World Records'', known from its inception in 1955 until 1999 as ''The Guinness Book of Records'' and in previous United States editions as ''The Guinness Book of World Records'', is a reference book published annually, listing world ...
'', the
g-force
The gravitational force equivalent, or, more commonly, g-force, is a measurement of the type of force per unit mass – typically acceleration – that causes a perception of weight, with a g-force of 1 g (not gram in mass measure ...
experienced by those at their lowest point in the dive is the greatest experienced in the non-
industrialized
Industrialisation ( alternatively spelled industrialization) is the period of social and economic change that transforms a human group from an agrarian society into an industrial society. This involves an extensive re-organisation of an econo ...
world by humans.
Background
![Landdiving7](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/ed/Landdiving7.jpg)
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
A forest is an area of land dominated by trees. Hundreds of definitions of forest are used throughout the world, incorporating factors such as tree density, tree height, land use, legal standing, and ecological function. The United Nations' ...
.
Her husband followed her, so she climbed a
banyan
A banyan, also spelled "banian", is a fig that develops accessory trunks from adventitious prop roots, allowing the tree to spread outwards indefinitely. This distinguishes banyans from other trees with a strangler habit that begin life as a ...
tree.
Tamalie climbed after her, and so she tied
liana
A liana is a long- stemmed, woody vine that is rooted in the soil at ground level and uses trees, as well as other means of vertical support, to climb up to the canopy in search of direct sunlight. The word ''liana'' does not refer to a ta ...
s 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
Harvesting is the process of gathering a ripe crop from the fields. Reaping is the cutting of grain or pulse for harvest, typically using a scythe, sickle, or reaper. On smaller farms with minimal mechanization, harvesting is the most labor-i ...
.
It is performed annually in the months of April, May, or June.
A good dive helps ensure a bountiful yam harvest.
The villagers believe land diving can enhance the
health
Health, according to the World Health Organization, is "a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease and infirmity".World Health Organization. (2006)''Constitution of the World Health Organiza ...
and strength of the divers. A successful dive can remove the illnesses and physical problems associated with the
wet season
The wet season (sometimes called the Rainy season) is the time of year when most of a region's average annual rainfall occurs. It is the time of year where the majority of a country's or region's annual precipitation occurs. Generally, the sea ...
.
Furthermore, land diving is considered as an expression of
masculinity
Masculinity (also called manhood or manliness) is a set of attributes, behaviors, and roles associated with men and boys. Masculinity can be theoretically understood as socially constructed, and there is also evidence that some behaviors con ...
, as it demonstrates boldness that was associated with the ''bwahri'' or warrior.
Nevertheless, the men who do not choose to dive or back out of diving are not humiliated as cowards.
In the
Sa language, refers to both the tower and the land dive.
The tower symbolically represents a body, with a head, shoulders, breasts, belly, genitals, and knees. The diving platforms represent the penises and the struts beneath represent the vaginas.
Preparation
![Landdiving5](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b4/Landdiving5.jpg)
The time of yam harvest is significant because tower construction is best done during the
dry season
The dry season is a yearly period of low rainfall, especially in the tropics. The weather in the tropics is dominated by the tropical rain belt, which moves from the northern to the southern tropics and back over the course of the year. The te ...
.
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.
Around twenty to thirty men help construct it.
The men cut trees to construct the body, clear a site for the tower, and remove rocks from the soil.
The soil is
tilled
Tillage is the agricultural preparation of soil by mechanical agitation of various types, such as digging, stirring, and overturning. Examples of human-powered tilling methods using hand tools include shoveling, picking, mattock work, hoein ...
to soften the ground.
The wood is freshly cut, so that it can remain strong.
The core of the tower is made from a lopped tree, and a pole
scaffolding
Scaffolding, also called scaffold or staging, is a temporary structure used to support a work crew and materials to aid in the construction, maintenance and repair of buildings, bridges and all other man-made structures. Scaffolds are widely use ...
tied together with vines stabilizing it.
Several platforms come out about two meters from the front of the tower, supported by several
strut
A strut is a structural component commonly found in engineering, aeronautics, architecture and anatomy. Struts generally work by resisting longitudinal compression, but they may also serve in tension.
Human anatomy
Part of the functionality o ...
s.
The lowest platform is around 10 meters, and the highest platform is near the top.
During the jump, the platform supports snap, causing the platform to hinge downward and absorb some of the force from falling.
The vines are selected by a village elder and matched with each jumper's weight without any mechanical calculations.
The vines need to be supple, elastic, and full of
sap
Sap is a fluid transported in xylem cells (vessel elements or tracheids) or phloem sieve tube elements of a plant. These cells transport water and nutrients throughout the plant.
Sap is distinct from latex, resin, or cell sap; it is a separ ...
in order to be safe.
The ends of the vines are shredded to allow the fibres to be looped around the ankles of the jumpers.
If the vine is too long, the diver can hit the ground hard, but if the vine is too short, then the diver can collide with the tower.
Before diving, the men often bring closure to unsettled business and disputes in case they die.
The night before the jump, divers sleep beneath the tower to ward off
evil spirits
A demon is a malevolent supernatural entity. Historically, belief in demons, or stories about demons, occurs in religion, occultism, literature, fiction, mythology, and folklore; as well as in media such as comics, video games, movies, anime, ...
.
Ritual
![Landdiving4](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/51/Landdiving4.jpg)
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
frameless , right , alt = A cracked coconut and a bottle of coconut oil
Coconut oil (or coconut butter) is an edible oil derived from the wick, meat, and milk of the coconut palm fruit. Coconut oil is a white solid fat; in warmer climates duri ...
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.
![Landdiving3](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b5/Landdiving3.jpg)
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
pantomime
Pantomime (; informally panto) is a type of musical comedy stage production designed for family entertainment. It was developed in England and is performed throughout the United Kingdom, Ireland and (to a lesser extent) in other English-speaking ...
s.
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
A cervical fracture, commonly called a broken neck, is a fracture of any of the seven cervical vertebrae in the neck. Examples of common causes in humans are traffic collisions and diving into shallow water. Abnormal movement of neck bones or pie ...
or a
concussion
A concussion, also known as a mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI), is a head injury that temporarily affects brain functioning. Symptoms may include loss of consciousness (LOC); memory loss; headaches; difficulty with thinking, concentration, ...
.
During the dive, the jumper can reach speeds of around .
Right after a dive, other villagers rush in and take care of the diver.
![Landdiving6](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/60/Landdiving6.jpg)
For boys, land diving is a
rite of passage
A rite of passage is a ceremony or ritual of the passage which occurs when an individual leaves one group to enter another. It involves a significant change of status in society. In cultural anthropology the term is the Anglicisation of ''rite ...
.
After the boys are
circumcised
Circumcision is a procedure that removes the foreskin from the human penis. In the most common form of the operation, the foreskin is extended with forceps, then a circumcision device may be placed, after which the foreskin is excised. Topic ...
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 land dives in the presence of his elders.
His mother holds a favourite 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.
Modern history
In the mid-nineteenth century,
missionaries
A missionary is a member of a religious group which is sent into an area in order to promote its faith or provide services to people, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care, and economic development.Thomas Hale 'On Being a Mi ...
came to the area and persuaded the natives to stop land diving.
In the 1970s,
anti-colonialism
Decolonization or decolonisation is the undoing of colonialism, the latter being the process whereby imperial nations establish and dominate foreign territories, often overseas. Some scholars of decolonization focus especially on separatism, in ...
caused land diving to be seen in a new light as way to demonstrate their
cultural identity
Cultural identity is a part of a person's identity, or their self-conception and self-perception, and is related to nationality, ethnicity, religion, social class, generation, locality or any kind of social group that has its own distinct cultur ...
.
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
In most common law jurisdictions, the attorney general or attorney-general (sometimes abbreviated AG or Atty.-Gen) is the main legal advisor to the government. The plural is attorneys general.
In some jurisdictions, attorneys general also have exec ...
, 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
Resident commissioner was or is an official title of several different types of commissioners, who were or are representatives of any level of government. Historically, they were appointed by the British Crown in overseas protectorates (such ...
.
British and French troops attacked some villages based on the rumor of a developing
cargo cult
A cargo cult is an indigenist millenarian belief system, in which adherents perform rituals which they believe will cause a more technologically advanced society to deliver goods.
Causes, beliefs, and practices
Cargo cults are marked by a ...
.
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,
Queen Elizabeth II
Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 1926 – 8 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II, her death in 2022. She was queen ...
of Great Britain visited Vanuatu and observed the spectacle.
The British colonial administration wanted The Queen to have an interesting tour, and convinced the
Anglican
Anglicanism is a Western Christian tradition that has developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the context of the Protestant Reformation in Europe. It is one of th ...
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
''National Geographic'' (formerly the ''National Geographic Magazine'', sometimes branded as NAT GEO) is a popular American monthly magazine published by National Geographic Partners. Known for its photojournalism, it is one of the most widely ...
'', ''Land Diving With the Pentecost Islanders''.
Karl Pilkington
Karl Pilkington
Karl Pilkington (born 23 September 1972) is an English presenter, comedian, actor, voice-artist, producer and author.
After working with Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant as producer on their XFM radio show, Pilkington became a co-host of '' ...
was supposed to jump from the highest bar for his television program, ''
An Idiot Abroad
''An Idiot Abroad'' is a British travel documentary comedy television series broadcast on Sky One, as well as a series of companion books published by Canongate Books, created by Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant and starring Karl Pilkington. T ...
'', as he had refused to
bungee jump
Bungee jumping (), also spelled bungy jumping, is an activity that involves a person jumping from a great height while connected to a large elastic cord. The launching pad is usually erected on a tall structure such as a building or crane, a ...
in
New Zealand
New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...
. However, he jumped only from the lowest bar after the natives agreed that it was a legitimate land dive.
Tourism
![Landdiving2](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/39/Landdiving2.jpg)
Land diving has become a
tourist attraction
A tourist attraction is a place of interest that tourists visit, typically for its inherent or an exhibited natural or cultural value, historical significance, natural or built beauty, offering leisure and amusement.
Types
Places of natural b ...
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
Commercialization or commercialisation is the process of introducing a new product or production method into commerce—making it available on the market. The term often connotes especially entry into the mass market (as opposed to entry into ear ...
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
authenticity
Authenticity or authentic may refer to:
* Authentication, the act of confirming the truth of an attribute
Arts and entertainment
* Authenticity in art, ways in which a work of art or an artistic performance may be considered authentic
Music
* A ...
, 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
In economics, profit is the difference between the revenue that an economic entity has received from its outputs and the total cost of its inputs. It is equal to total revenue minus total cost, including both explicit and implicit costs.
It i ...
.
Some tourists want to try land diving themselves, but are often denied for fear of safety.
In 2006,
commercial filming of the ritual was banned by the
Vanuatu Cultural Centre
The Vanuatu Cultural Centre (in Bislama ''Vanuatu Kaljoral Senta'' or "VKS"; in French ''Centre Culturel du Vanuatu''), founded in 1955, is the national cultural institution of Vanuatu. It is located in the capital Port Vila.
From 1995 to 2006, ...
to protect the culture.
See also
*
Bungee jumping
Bungee jumping (), also spelled bungy jumping, is an activity that involves a person jumping from a great height while connected to a large elastic cord. The launching pad is usually erected on a tall structure such as a building or crane, a ...
References
Further reading
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
External links
Land Diving on Pentecost Island, VanuatuAward winning photo documentary by Michael Craig*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Land Diving
Vanuatuan culture
Rites of passage
Bungee jumping