/tags/yam.rss en-us When the month of April arrives in The Republic of Vanuatu, it brings with it a tradition people have begun to recognize the world over—albeit in a different form. New Zealander A.J. Hacket has done an amazing job popularizing what we now know as bungee jumping. However, on the island of Pentecost in Vanuatu it is still known as land diving or Naghol. As the rainy season draws to a close, villages far and wide come together for the yearly tradition of Naghol, so that they may give thanks and guarantee a bountiful harvest. Local materials of logs and vines are gathered from the bush and brought together to construct the towers that the land divers will jump from, looming an astonishing 25 meters high. Vines are intricately woven together and later tied to participants ankles to break their fall. Beneath the Naghol towers, villagers dress in traditional attire and sing and dance in choreographed patterns to encourage the land divers. The vines are spliced at the tips and tied securely to the ankles of the jumper, who climbs until standing atop the rickety tower. One-by-one, as the singing continues and the final arrangements are completed, the jumper gives his call for readiness, and with a loud whoop leaps from the platform toward the softened ground below. As the excess vine lengthens and becomes taut, slack is extinguished followed by a loud cracking of the support above. When done correctly, vines swing the Naghol jumpers so close to the ground that their hair sweeps across the soil, which is said to fertilize it. Naghol customs vary from village to village, and certain practices may be utilized in more traditional villages such as the prohibition of women touching or even looking at the towers during construction. Entire villages are known to abstain from daily ablutions to ensure the bountiful yam harvest. Throughout the world, this activity of land diving has evolved into a more modern version of what we now know today as bungee humping. However, on the island of Pentecost in The Republic of Vanuatu, the custom of Naghol is still observed in the traditional way of old. Thu, 07 Jan 2010 18:43:37 +0000 http://www.thecircumference.org/experiences/naghol http://www.thecircumference.org/experiences/naghol