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Hurtling to Life: The Land Divers of Pentecost Island |
| Section: CULTURE / PEOPLES |
| Author: Written and photographed by Anders Ryman |
| Publication:
The World & I Online |
| Issue Date: 4/1/2003 |
| Size: 2,134 Words, 12,551 Characters |
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Raising his arms above his head, the boy claps his hands three times. All eyes turn upward. With clenched fists and arms outstretched, he arches his back, tipping his head backward. For a breathless moment he stands as if frozen in position. Then he draws his fists to his breast and pushes himself lightly off the platform. He falls forward, hurtling headlong toward the ground.
The liana vines tied around his ankles trail after him in the air. Then they snap tight, breaking his fall just inches above the earth. He bounces in the air, then tumbles to the ground, flopping to a halt in the softened soil. Others rush to help him up, and, unscathed, he joins the dancers. He has behaved honorably and started this year's land dive. Soon, one after the other, more divers come hurtling down from the tower toward the sloping ground. All the while the crowd dances behind the tower, back and forth, back and forth.
Finally, it is time for the last diver to step out onto the highest platform. He is a young, powerfully built man. For a long time he balances on the outer edge of his platform, almost seventy feet above the ground. At last he lifts his arms above his head and claps his hands--an invocation of the ancestors and a sign to the onlooke...
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... on a half-naked young man, or a woman in a bright red brassiere and the traditional grass skirt. Village elders complain about such things and work against their ever-encroaching presence. So far, they have managed to keep most of the surrounding world at bay. Like the legendary virgin trying to escape her unwelcome suitor, they seek refuge in an isolated spot, hoping to avoid unwanted attention.
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Publication Details
(The World & I Online) |
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The World & I Online is a
comprehensive academic resource that encompasses a broad range of
articles by scholars and experts in the areas of Global Studies,
Liberal Arts, Fine & Applied Arts, General Science, and Spanish.
Originally published monthly in print as The World & I, our site
includes the complete contents since 1986 and continues to publish
a new issue online each month. |
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