Land diving (Naghol) of Pentecost Island
Salto del Gol (Naghol) de Pentecostés
- Date
- tradición anterior al century XX · confidence low
- Place
- Pentecost Island, Vanuatu
- Credited to
- People of Pentecost Island (Sa speakers)
- Field
- Tools
⚠️ Disputed: the sources disagree.
What it is
A yam-harvest ritual in which young men leap from wooden towers up to 30 m high with vines tied to their ankles, which stop the fall a few centimetres from the ground. The limits of the vine are judged with empirical precision.
Its origin is mythical and has no date. It is cited as an inspiration for bungee, whose modern jump emerged in 1979 with the Oxford Dangerous Sports Club after seeing film of the ritual; it is not evidence of independent invention.
What it led to
- an inspiration for modern bungee jumping
- an identity ritual of Vanuatu and a tourist attraction
- debate on indigenous culture and tourism