THE DIVING CEREMONY

on the Vanuatu island of Pentecost is said to have its origins in a wife fleeing a marital fight. The wife, being chased by her husband, climbed a tree and when he followed, she tied a vine to herself and jumped safely to the ground. Her husband’s attempt to follow was his final farewell. As a modern sport, only men do the jumping and the trees have become towers of fresh, flexible wood.