Date: 08/09/2026
All rights reserved by the author
On Pentecost Island in Vanuatu, there is a tradition that has fascinated people around the world for generations.
Men climb tall wooden towers built from branches and vines.
Then, with vines attached to their ankles, they jump.
The tradition is known as Naghol, or land diving.
To an outsider, it may first look like an astonishing display of bravery. But traditions are rarely understood simply by looking at them from a distance.
For the people connected with this practice, it belongs to a much deeper cultural world of community, ritual and tradition.
What strikes me most is how differently courage can be understood in different parts of the world.
For one person, courage may mean climbing a tower.
For another, it may mean leaving home.
For someone else, courage may simply mean beginning again after life has gone badly.
Perhaps that is why stories from distant countries matter.
They remind us that human beings may live differently, speak different languages and follow different customs—
but courage itself is familiar everywhere.
It simply wears different clothes.
And sometimes, it stands at the edge of a wooden platform, takes a breath, and jumps.
Rajat Chandra Sarmah
Guwahati, Assam, India
Email: rajatchandrasarmah@gmail.com
YouTube: Converse With A Smile
#Vanuatu #HumanStories #Culture #AroundTheWorld
