Compared to this ceremony, rope jumping is just child’s play.
One of the most impressive cultural rituals imaginable takes place every year from April to June on Pentecost Island, belonging to the Pacific nation of Vanuatu.
In the local language, this ritual is known as “Nagol.” Men climb fragile wooden towers, which can be as high as 30 meters.
Then vines are tied to their ankles and the men dive down, straight to the ground. Their fall is stopped only by these vines. There are no other safety measures.
The vines must be of the right length and elastic enough so that the falling man hits the ground gently.
If the vine is too short – the man risks hanging in the air and injuring himself by hitting the tower. If the vine is too long or breaks… You can probably imagine the rest.
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Only legends remember the beginning
No one knows exactly when the “Nagol” tradition began. In the early 20th century, European missionaries had banned it in Vanuatu, but on the remote Pentecost Island, which Europeans generally never reached, the tradition passed down from generation to generation never stopped.
According to local legends, the jumps to the ground were inspired by an unsuccessful marriage. A woman, according to the legend, decided to escape from a man she did not get along with, or perhaps was unfaithful to him (different versions vary slightly).
The man chased her. Then the woman climbed a tall tree, tied vines to her ankles, and jumped down. And landed safely.
