Tag Archives: nambas

Fanla Festival: ROM Dance

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We are so privileged to be able to witness The ROM or “masked” dance in person.  I hope I am able to convey to you the true spectrum of culture, magic, story-telling, and ritual beliefs that this hypnotic dance conveys.

We shared the history, black magic, and spiritual nature behind the masks and costumes in our last blog.  This blog will detail the actual ROM ceremony, they rhythm music, and will explain the ritual behind the ceremony.

The ROM Dance is an authentic expression of Vanuatu’s culture.  It is a genuine heritage and belief wrapped in the supernatural and rich in symbolism.  The ceremony is believed to influence the harvests.  However, its primary purpose is to provide the men an opportunity to move up the ranks in their community through the grade taking process.

The entire ceremony is shrouded in mystical black magic to evoke the spirits.  Each dance performed by the ROM dancers tells a story that reveals the diverse cultural differences.

This ritual is imbued with secret knowledge that the elder chiefs keep hidden from the community.  Only a few men are chosen and given the honor to pay huge sums to make the ROM costume and perform in the ROM dance.

The ROM Dance

There are two sets of performers during the ROM dance.  The ROM costumed dancers with the elaborate and complex masks and costumes made of banana leaves are the focal point.  Each ROM dancer holds a wooden carving that represents a weapon.  This is in case they need to fight the evil spirit within the mask/costume.

The “nambas” are the warriors (chiefs and elders) that chant, sing, provide protection for the ROM dancers and ensure they are performing the dance correctly.  The chiefs and higher ranking nambas are identified by the number of pig tusks they wear and the red flower.  The more pig tusks the higher ranked the man is in the community.

As the dance begins, story, myth, heritage, and belief entwine with the supernatural in an unfolding rich in symbolism.  I am on the edge of my seat with eyes wide open and they have my full attention.  I don’t know whether to record this with my eyes, iPhone or GoPro so I do it all!

See either sv Sugar Shack or my Instagram for videos.

The Music

Two nambas play a powerful and rhythmic beat on the tam tams. These  are the beautifully carved, 4 meter tall slit drums.  Along with these  is the haunting sound from a bamboo flute.  This music in conjunction with the nambas who stomp their feet make the ground shake and give you goosebumps.

The nambas also carry bamboo sticks which they hit the ground with while stomping their feet. In the top left photo you can see the bamboo flute  and the bamboo sticks in the nambas hands.  The top right are the nambas playing the tam tams.

The Ceremony

During the ceremony they performed 5 distinct dances and songs.  However, it was hard for me to discern the differences between them.  Each performance had a special and unique meaning that evoked the spirits through black magic.

Sometimes the ROM dancers surround the nambas and sometimes it is the other way around.  But the movements are slow as they continue to stomp their feet keeping to the music.

We are lucky enough to have 10 ROM dancers, each with their own personalized and unique mask.  The two at the front were the most intricate and frankly were the most interesting to watch.  They were very energetic, jumping, and stomping  around leading the group.

With their intricate masks and flowing costumes that drape the bodies it was riveting. The entire group together was mesmerizing and breath taking.  I can’t imagine it is easy to see or breath out of these masks and they danced for well over an hour.  

It was raining and very cloud and difficult to get good shots.  Even with a little photo tweaking the photos just don’t do it justice. 

This was a profound and riveting privilege to witness.  I hope I did it justice and peaked your interest to learn more.  Be sure to check out our sv Sugar Shack Instagram account for the videos and photos of the dance and ceremony.

Our blog posts run 10-12 weeks behind actual live events.  The ROM Dance took place in Fanla, Ambrym on 12 July 2024.  Did you catch the post on the mystery of the ROM Mask?

Naghol the Birth of Bungee Jumping: Part I

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What is Naghol?  It is what we foreigners call Land Diving and it is said to be the birth of bungee jumping.  Men will jump from a 30 meter tower with vines tied to their ankles, headfirst as they plummet to the ground, reaching 45 miles per hour!

Please be aware there is some nudity in the photos below.

There is a very informative National Geographic documentary on land diving in the 1980s.  I think you can find it here (or google it)

The History of Naghol

Legend has it that the first Vanuatuan jumper was a woman.  She was trying to escape her abusive husband, climbed a Nabanga tree and jumped.  He followed her, leapt, and died, unaware that his wife had secured liana vines to her ankles.  For some time, only women participated in the dive until the male elders decided that they should dive to prove their courage.  And it is said that it was against their customs to see the ladies with their skirts over their heads.

It is believed that the spirits of the many women who jumped in earlier times are around to protect the tower.  Because of this, women are not allowed near the tower until the ceremony day.  And more importantly, women are not allowed to touch the tower at all.  If a woman touches the tower, the tower will be torn down and all jumping will cease for the season.

It is also said that the men are afraid the women will curse the tower and put the jumper at risk of injury so they ban them from everything except the actual ceremony.

The Belief

The naghol ceremony is performed for a number of reasons.   Naghol marks the start of the yam harvest season, April – June.  It is believed that a good dive helps ensure a bountiful yam harvest.   

Land diving is also considered an expression of masculinity as it demonstrates the boldness of a warrior.  This traditional event is not merely a test of courage; it is a significant cultural milestone marking the transition from boyhood to manhood. 

Villagers believe that land diving can enhance the health and strength of the divers. A successful dive can remove the illness and physical problems associated with the wet season. 

In addition, it is a spiritual act to appease the gods and bring prosperity to the community.

Land Diving Today

Naghol is only performed in southern Pentecost by men.  There are 3 villages that perform this extraordinary ceremony:  Ratap village (a true Kastom village), Londot village (the one we saw) and a small village by the airport.

The yams are ready to harvest at the precise time that the vines are at their best elasticity in April, May, and June of each year.  It is said that climate change has impacted their vines and has prevented them from growing as fast and as tall as they used to be.  This in turns forces the jumpers to build shorter towers and/or jump from lower platforms.

There are many, many rules that must be followed when participating in a Naghol ceremony.  For example, women are not allowed near the tower until the ceremony day.  Men are allowed to watch the build and the preparations, but women are not.  Men are allowed to climb the tower, but women are not allowed to even touch it.  They don’t even want women to walk across the dirt landing field.

The Constructor & Builders

Each tower is designed by a “constructor” and there are very few constructors in Pentecost.  It is not uncommon for the village chief to be a constructor.  It takes 20-30 men about 5-6 weeks to construct the tower.  During this time they are secluded from women.

At first glance, the tower looks like a crude and flimsy construction with branches lashed together.  But upon further inspection, you discover that it is quite an amazing piece of engineering. 

After the show we walked the beach and came across some potential future constructors.  An elder was showing the young boys how to construct the tower and platforms.  It was with great joy that the boys showed us their tower.

The Tower

The tower is constructed with branches and lianas vines found in the forest near the village.  The core of the tower is constructed near a large, solid, dead trunk of a tree, and a pole scaffolding tied together with vines stabilizing it.  The tower is made to look like a human body (use your imagination on this one). 

The men freshly cut trees, so that the tower can remain strong, to construct the body.  Then they clear a site for the tower, and remove rocks from the soil.  The soil is tilled to soften the ground. 

Every branch is placed in specific order to provide the divers with every opportunity to survive the massive leap. 

The Lianas / Vines

The lianas vines are carefully selected for their strength and elasticity. They need to be supple, elastic, and full of sap in order to be safe.  The lashings look willy nilly, but there is an art form to securing the branches together that they have mastered over the years.

The expert ways they are able to wind the lianas around each pole, stick and branch to allow for the weight of several men weighing well over 90-100 kilos is fascinating.

The tower has several lianas supporting it and tied to other strong trees.  

The Platforms

Several platforms come out about two meters from the front of the tower, supported by several struts. The lowest platform is around 10 meters, and the highest platform is near the top. They build one platform for each diver based on his level, weight, and size. 

During the jump, the platform supports snap, causing the platform to hinge downward and absorb some of the force from falling.  The far left photo shows 1 platform (at the top) ready to use and two collapsed platforms below it.   The top right photo shows a collapsed platform and the bottom right shows an unused platform.

Matt went up to see the tower the day before the ceremony (I was not allowed to go with him).  He captured these young boys learning how to become future builders and or maybe even constructors.  They certainly are fearless.

The Jumpers

During each ceremony they will have anywhere from 5-10 divers.  They “perform” based on varying levels depending on their personal ranking in the village hierarchy, the newest and youngest at the bottom.  The ceremony is performed every Tuesday and Saturday so the jumpers leap off a 30 meter tower twice per week for 3 months.

According to the Guinness World Records, the g-force experienced by those at their lowest point in the dive is the greatest experienced in the non-industrialized world by humans.

The men bravely climb the tower to their platform wearing only their nambas with a determined heart, and courageous soul. The men are not allowed to wear any lucky charms during the dive.

The performers chant, sing and dance to accompany their jumper on his journey to their platform.  The singing will crescendo as the jumper prepares to leap and then subsequently plummets to the ground.

With a final prayer on his lips, arms outstretched toward the sky, they prepare to jump.  They plunge up to 30meters (120′), head first.  See our svSugarShack Instagram account for amazing videos and stay tuned for our next blog post on the actual Naghol ceremony.

The Life Saving Vines around their Ankles

The vines are selected by a village elder and matched with each jumper’s weight without any mechanical calculations.  The lianas are chosen for their elasticity and strength and are tested and measured to ensure they are the right length for the jumper and platform. If the vine is too long, the diver can hit the ground hard, but if the vine is too short, then the diver can collide with the tower.

The ends of the vines are wrapped to keep them fresh and strong.  When the jumper has climbed to his platform, the shredded vines are unwrapped to allow the fibers to be looped around the ankles of the jumpers.  

After the show, we walked further down the road and came across Londot’s “training tower.”  It was much shorter than the actual tower, but I am sure still frightening for the first time jumpers.

It is a lot to take in, observe, and understand.  This spiritual ritual is so very rarely experienced and only found Southern Pentecost.  It was a huge honor to learn about their culture and this ritual.

Stay tuned as our next blog is all about the Naghol and actual land diving.  Our blog posts run 10-12 weeks behind actual live events.  This blog post occurred toward the end of June.  In our last blog post we adventure around the island of Efate.