the tiny South Pacific island of
Pentecost is home to what may be the
most dangerous test of faith in the
world every year village elders
organized a ritual designed to secure
the God’s favor in a spectacular and
pikemen display called land of young men
and boys some just 5 years old
literally risk their necks only to
fragile vines save them from crashing an
aviary it’s the ancient precursor of
bungee jump but here it’s considered a
sacrifice for the survival of the
community chief Willie Orion bebut
presides over his villages ceremony
Wendy climb on a tower they have no peer
because it’s definitely the man stay
healthy to put appear out and then he
must jump he must take election to the
job
by some estimates land diving dates back
15 centuries its exact origin is obscure
but it is tied to the local religion of
animism people here believe in a world
of spirits that demands offerings
originally divers would perform just
after the yam harvest to thank the gods
and to assure another fruitful crop the
village of wali is one of several on the
island that holds land diving rituals
every April or May Willie Warren
supervises the towers construction I
build a tower when my father is still
alive when my father died and I took his
place by jump day nine men have
volunteered to down a vine brace but
this diver is not in the past a snap
vine resulted in a fractured hip others
have broken collarbones
traditionally Islanders believe that the
higher the jump the greater the blessing
men brave enough to die from the top
secured a good yam crop and the
prosperity of the community Willie
Warren is one of their best land doctors
he gets a raucous welcome Willie must
jump out as far as he can to avoid
impaling himself on the towers rough
laws he urges on the singers summoning
support
Willie proves why he is a land dive
champion he’s strong enough to spring
back on his feet an accomplishment few
can match it’s a performance worthy of
the gods and a personal test of strength
bravery and faith
Pentecost is home to what may be the
most dangerous test of faith in the
world every year village elders
organized a ritual designed to secure
the God’s favor in a spectacular and
pikemen display called land of young men
and boys some just 5 years old
literally risk their necks only to
fragile vines save them from crashing an
aviary it’s the ancient precursor of
bungee jump but here it’s considered a
sacrifice for the survival of the
community chief Willie Orion bebut
presides over his villages ceremony
Wendy climb on a tower they have no peer
because it’s definitely the man stay
healthy to put appear out and then he
must jump he must take election to the
job
by some estimates land diving dates back
15 centuries its exact origin is obscure
but it is tied to the local religion of
animism people here believe in a world
of spirits that demands offerings
originally divers would perform just
after the yam harvest to thank the gods
and to assure another fruitful crop the
village of wali is one of several on the
island that holds land diving rituals
every April or May Willie Warren
supervises the towers construction I
build a tower when my father is still
alive when my father died and I took his
place by jump day nine men have
volunteered to down a vine brace but
this diver is not in the past a snap
vine resulted in a fractured hip others
have broken collarbones
traditionally Islanders believe that the
higher the jump the greater the blessing
men brave enough to die from the top
secured a good yam crop and the
prosperity of the community Willie
Warren is one of their best land doctors
he gets a raucous welcome Willie must
jump out as far as he can to avoid
impaling himself on the towers rough
laws he urges on the singers summoning
support
Willie proves why he is a land dive
champion he’s strong enough to spring
back on his feet an accomplishment few
can match it’s a performance worthy of
the gods and a personal test of strength
bravery and faith
Please follow and like us: