Motivation for Diving
In Margaret Jolly's study, I found an example of one version of the story often told about the origins of the Naghol. Once there was a woman whose husband was too sexual as well as violently abusive, so she sought to leave him and ran to a banyan tree to escape. Her husband chased her up the tree and as he was climbing up behind her she tied lianas, or vines, around her feet and jumped. Her husband jumped as well, resulting in his death and her living because the lianas saved her. Villagers in one village say, ‘Since then things have been the right way up, men jump from the tower and women dance in adoration underneath.’ (Jolly 2016, p.17)
This story touches on the male and female relationship dynamics and presence of sexuality and demonstrating virility in the ritual. Many men jump to show off, especially for women, and they are not allowed to engage in sexual relations with women the night before the jump for fear of bad luck. (Jolly 2016, p.20) Fertility plays a big role in this ritual, and not just demonstrating the fertility of the divers. Historically the ritual was performed around April or may and was intended to give thanks for a successful yam harvest and to ensure a fertile harvest for the following year.
Village elder holding a yam, indicating one purpose of this ritual. His son is to his right.
Individually the divers have many personal reasons for diving. Some of them enjoy the rush and risk of the dive, others are trying to demonstrate respect for the tradition and the villages past. (Istvan 2002) Many men jump with the intent of impressing particular women they are trying to win over. These men will often whisper love spells or magic phrases, and drop croton leaves for their intended to catch. (Jolly 2016, p.22)
Attenbourough theorized that this ritual also has roots as a rite of passage ritual. (Attenborough 1966, p.2) Indeed it is evidenced that the first dive of a boys life has added meaning and in most villages signifies that he is courageous enough to be a man. As a mother of two boys, one detail of the ritual noted by Istvan really struck a cord with me. He wrote that the mothers of the boys in the audience below will hold a favorite item from his childhood, and after his jump she throws that item away to signify he is not a child anymore. (Istvan, 2002)
Photo is a still from National Geographics Video on Land Diving