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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?

Fanla Festival: A Mystical Culture

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The ROM or “masked” dance is known for its detailed and complex masks, elaborate costumes, and rhythmic drumming.  It is performed by the chiefs, elders, and sorcerers during special ceremonies, grade-taking, and occasionally for performances.

In this post I will share with you the history and magic of the cone shaped masks.  In our next blog, you will encounter the extraordinary ROM dance.

Legend of the Mask

The two-sided ROM mask represents good and evil.  The legend says that a beautiful young woman from Olal (a village on the North tip of Ambrym) created the first ROM costume to gain the love of a young man. She donned the ROM outfit and enticed him into the forest where she revealed herself to him and fatefully told him how she made the costume.

The man did not love the woman, but he did love the mask.  So, he killed the woman, took the mask, and sold the rights to make the copies of the costume to fellow tribesmen.  He traded the rights for pigs which he used to gain the next grade and improve his status.

The belief that stands for the “good” stems from a young mother who had a baby who could not be soothed.  It cried uncontrollably so she created a mask to bring it joy.

How is the ROM Costume Made?

The ancient ritual is shrouded in secrecy. Costumes are kept in strict hiding until the ceremony begins.  If a male takes a “peek”, they must pay the fine of one pig and endure a whipping with a stinging plant.

If a woman watched any process in the making of the costume then she would be killed.

The ROM mask consists of a tall, conical, brightly painted, banana fiber mask, with a face that resembles a baboon.  Each side is unique and clearly shows the fight between good and evil.  The top part is adorned with feathers, leaves, and flowers.

The dancer’s bodies are adorned in a thick, somewhat intimidating cloak of dried bananas leaves.  In their hand they carry hand woven, cone shaped weapons to ward off evil spirits.

Each costume, especially the mask is made with great sorcery and embedded with magic.

High ranking chiefs and warriors who dance alongside the Rom dancers wearing nambas.  They will often wear red flowers in their hair to symbolize pride, majesty, knowledge and strength, as well as a boar tooth necklace to indicate power and wealth.

Some chiefs will wear a namale leaf on their back to convey peace, while others wear white bird feathers to suggest both peace and safety.

The Rights to the Mask

Only men who are of a certain grade can buy the rights to make a mask.  When a man wishes to ascend the village hierarchy, he must purchase (with pigs and money) the rights to learn how to make the mask and embed it with spirits and power.  They will create a pattern and spend an extensive amount of time learning the rules that determine specific colors and shapes of the mask as well as the type of magic it will possess.

The first mask design will be very simple and will only cost a few pigs and money.  As the man ascends in grades, his mask will become more complicated and will cost a lot more. As the man ascends, he must pay with more pigs and money to learn the teachings of a more complicated designs.  The right to make or wear a sacred mask carries high costs in the Ambrym society.

Once they buy the rights to a design they own it for life.  They will be the only one that can replicate the design, carve the design, and draw the design for eternity.  

Each design has powerful magic embedded into it which is why it is destroyed after the ceremony.  Part of the teaching is not only how to create the mask, but how to embed it with the spirits.  ROM masks usually invoke the spirits of the ancestors and are important agents of social control.

Mass Destruction

Immediately following the ceremony, the creator of the costume will destroy the mask and burn the banana leaves.  They believe that the spirit within lives on and will haunt and plague the wearer if it is not destroyed.

Although, I think that is an ancient belief and practice.  Why do you ask?  Well we were told to tell other cruisers to come anytime to see the ROM dance.  But if it takes 2 weeks to make the costumes and they are destroyed after each ceremony, then how can someone come to see it anytime??

After the ceremony we were allowed to take photos of the costumes.  However, nobody was allowed to get closer than 3 meters.

This website has interesting insight into the ROM mask.

Coming up next is the very exciting ROM dance which was a profound and riveting privilege to witness.

Our blog posts run 10-12 weeks behind actual live events.  The ROM dance at the Fanla Festival took place on 11 July 2024.  Did you read about Fanla, the authentic kastom village where the ROM dance takes place?

Tam Tams and the Beautiful Art of Carving

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After our lovely tour of the Fanla village we are finally taken to the nasara, their sacred site.  The nasara is a 400-year old concept which brings together the surrounding villagers for special ceremonies.

It is a short walk through the forest to the nasara which is a wide-open clearing.  This particular nasara is the only one used for grade taking ceremonies and the ROM dance.  It’s unique and privileged status is highlighted with the mass amounts of tam tams surrounding it.

Tam Tams

What is a tam tam and why is it so valuable?  A tam tam is a hollowed out slit drum that is placed in sacred grounds.  They range from 1-4 meters in height and usually have the bottom portion buried in the ground.

They are a symbol of wealth, prestige, and are markers of one’s level of initiation (grade level).

The tam tams are made from large trees within the breadfruit family.  This type of tree already holds significance to the villagers as a sacred, magical tree.

The Tam Tam Carver (Creator)

The process of making the slit drum is a very important ritual. There are many types of carvers in Vanuatu, but the ones that have the legal right to carve tam tams only reside in Ambrym.  Carvers have to pay for the right to carve the design (or face).  The fee of pigs and yams is very expensive.

The carver of a tam tam is also a sorcerer.  He is responsible for imbuing the tam tam with spiritual power.  Special measures are taken throughout the carving process to ensure that it is kept secret.

The tam tams are carved to honor their ancestors and designs/faces are unique to each carver.  This carver pays for the “rights” to this design and is the only one who can replicate it.

Some tam tams are carved with more than one face.  However, you have to be a high grade level to be able to carve a multi faced tam tam and it will cost you several valuable pigs.  No tam tam is allowed to have more than 5 faces.  Such drums are quite rare as the carver must pay extra in order to create each additional face. 

We found 2 two-faced tam tams while we were at Atchin island (which is near the North tip of Malekula).  It is such a rare find to come across a multiple face tam tam in its original environment.  We are so darn lucky!

Here is a post by someone else where they have more multiple faced tam tams.

What is their Purpose?

When the carving is complete, a hole is dug about 1.5 meters and the slit drum is sunk vertically or at a slight angle.  This will allow the drummer easier access to the drum during performances.

Tam tams are used during sacred ceremonies and they are used to send messages of birth, death, impending war, circumcision, meetings, and dance.

The rhythmic beating of the slit drums will shake the ground under your feet and can be heard for many miles.  Matt did not attend the 2nd day of the Fanla Festival and was out on his SUP.  He heard the drumming from the sea which is at least 5 miles away from the village in the mountains.

Stone or Lava Carvings

Stones have long been a source of magic in Ambrym.  So, if you are lucky enough to find a stone carving it has extra special meanings.  Stone carvings will usually cost more and are harder to find.

Often you will find special stones or rocks near the tam tams which represent the chief’s or elders ranking.

Stone or lava tikis are usually located near banyon trees to protect the spirit of the tree.  Male banyan trees are sacred and tabu for women to go near. The banyan tree near the nasara had two lava tikis. 

The festival had lots of carvings for sale and I was lucky enough to purchase the smaller, stone tiki below.

Wooden Carvings

Ambrym is known for its carvers and many of them live near Fanla.  So, we had a wide variety of carvings to shop from.  They had tiki statues, masks, necklaces, pig killing hammers, carving tools, and flutes.

Some of the work is really intricate while others are simplistic.  The prices reflected the detail of the work but usually ranged from 2,000vt to 80,000vt ($20-$800 USD).  

Here are several more stone, lava and wood carvings that were located around the nasara in Fanla.

Carving Demonstration

We were able to participate in a carving demonstration while we were anchored in Ranon. Starting from a round piece of wood, already shaved of its husk.  He used modern tools like a hammer and chisel.  He started on the face, then the ROM hat, then the top using a machete and a saw to add detail.

Our blog posts run 10-12 weeks behind actual live events.  The Fanla Festival occurred in mid-July 2024.  Fanla, an authentic kastom village tour occurred in our last blog post..