Land Diving

by © Paul Dodson 2008

Festival Location: Pentecost Island, Vanuatu

Festival Type(s): Bizarre Festivals , Traditional Festivals, Bizarre Sports Events

Festival Video: Land Diving

Pentecost Island in the French speaking, Pacific islands of Vanuatu is home to one of the world's most bizarre and dangerous rituals. In what can only be described as bungee jumping without the comfort and security of elasticity, local Pentecostan males plunge up to 35 metres headfirst toward the ground with only vines to retard their fall. It's called land diving and it's all part of the island's annual fertility rite. All good and well. But rather more worryingly, the goal of each jumper is for his shoulders to touch the ground and in so doing ensuring the earth's fertility for the next harvest.

The ceremonies' origins can be traced back to a plucky, local woman known only as Tamalie's wife. Tamalie's wife, unhappy with her lot when it came to hubby Tamalie, attempted to avoid his amorous approaches when it came time to consummate their marriage by climbing a nearby Banyan tree. Tamalie - with other things on his mind - set off in hot pursuit. On seeing her husband approach Tamalie's wife threw herself from said Banyan tree and was shortly after followed by her husband. Unlike his wife, Tamalie had not secured vines to the Banyan tree and to his ankles. To cut a long story short Tamalie's wife lived to tell the tale and in doing so created a local annual rite that probably has young local males wishing that Tamalie's wife had not been quite so resourceful.

So each April and May when the yams are ripe for the picking and (thankfully) the Liana vines are at their most supple the local men from Bunlap prepare a tower from timber and vines around a tree with its branches lopped off.

Each jumper prepares his own launching platform on the tower and is responsible for his own vines. The earth below is softened in what to the casual observer can only be described as way too little, way too late and the plunging begins.

Young boys take the dive from lower platforms. These young boys have been circumcised and this ritual coupled with the circumcision forms part of their entry into manhood. The older men dive from platforms from anything up to 35 metres in the air.

As far as a spectacle goes they don't come much more exciting and dramatic than this. One can only hope that those delicious yams are worth the plunge.

Land Diving - When, Where and More Info Please

When: During the yam harvest season, annually in April and May

Where: Bunlap on Pentecost Island, Vanuatu

More Info Please: For more info on the beautiful Pacific islands of Vanuatu and land diving check out Destination Vanuatu.

Land Diving Video

A dramatic mini doco looking at the fascinating ritual of land diving as practiced by the male inhabitants of Pentecost Island in the French speaking, Pacific islands of Vanuatu. Think bungy over land with vines instead of rubber and throw in an added stipulation - your head must hit the ground.