Naghol, a kind of primitive bungee jumping, involves men and boys leaping from a great height, with only a vine tied around their ankle. Young males are encouraged to jump before they can walk and they learn by jumping from rocks into the ocean, or off small towers. Boys can only take part in the naghol after circumcision, which occurs when they are seven or eight. After their first jump, the boy's mother throws a baby blanket into the air, signalling her son's childhood is over. It'll come as no surprise Pentecost Island is where AJ Hackett got the idea to introduce bungee jumping to the world.
Each April, when the first yam crop is ready for harvest, the people in the south of the island begin building enormous towers from lianas, branches, vines and tree trunks.
After about five weeks, when the tower is 20-30 metres high, local males very carefully select a vine. Its size is of utmost importance. A vine just 10cm too long could mean death or serious injury.
In April and May, when the vines are strong and elastic, the men make many jumps. As they near the ground, the jumpers curl their heads under themselves and let their shoulders impact with the earth. Their belief is this will make the ground fertile for the following year.
http://getaway.ninemsn.com.au/fspacific/vanuatu/17320/pentecost-land-dive
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