BUNGEE JUMPING

This is crazy. Is it a reality or just a dream? 

Yes, it is the reality and Naghol is one of the cultures for Vanuatu.

The people on the island of Pentecost Island, Vanuatu have a 1500 year old tradition called Naghol which is basically the ancient bungee jumping. 

Bungee jumping may seem a modern adventure sport, but it originated on Pentecost, where it has been practised for many centuries. The story of Naghol, or primitive land diving, had its origins in a love story gone wrong.

The story tells of a young woman, who was unhappy in her marriage, and tried to escape from her husband, Tamale. He found her hiding in a tall tree. When she refused to come down, he went up to fetch her. As he approached her, she leapt from the tree. Tamale jumped after her, not knowing she’d tied a vine to her ankles. He died and she lived.

The ritual evolved over the years, to stripping a tall tree of its surrounding branches and building a tower of sticks to support the trunk. The platform is made of wood and covered with leaves purposely to protect the platform from the sun drying it out before the ceremony. The leaves are removed by the jumpers before the jump. The liana vines which are tied to the ankle and slightly elastic following the wet season, are shredded and the other end tied to the tower. 

In April each year, when the yam crop is nearing harvest, the men in the south build towers about 20 to 30m in height. Each man is responsible for choosing his own vine. The length and suppleness of these is important, as if it is too long, death is likely.

In April and May, the jumping takes place. Each man makes many jumps during that time. With the vine tied around their ankles, men throw themselves off the tower. As they near the ground, they curl their heads in and hit the ground with their shoulders. This supposedly is to make the ground fertile for the following year. Boys of seven and eight start jumping from a low tower once they have been circumcised.

Death ?

In all the years this primitive fertilisation rite has been performed, there has only ever been one death. In 1974 Queen Elizabeth visited the island. As a demonstration for the Queen, the jump was performed in the dry season when the vines were less elastic. A vine snapped and a man plunged to his death.

While examining the history of bungee jumping, it is intriguing to see how these ancient people practice this religious ceremony. Prior to the jump day, a wooden tower is built that is some seventy feet in height. Latched together with vines and no modern construction methods, it appears to be far from stable. 

There is no safety equipment provided but for them, men and boys, some as young as seven years, climb the tower and leap from the platforms in a show of strength, and a statement to women that they can never be tricked again like the old story.