Black Magic, Taboo and the Rom - Ambrym, Vanuatu

Our last three islands we have visited have had their own magic... Black Magic! The beliefs are strong and the cloud of suspicion runs rampant in Asanvari since recently an important person (35 years old) just died from Black Magic. They will assure you that the most powerful sorcerers live on Ambrym. There is a sense of Mystery and credulity that happen to be lurking inside. This active volcanic island surrounded by black sand beaches was our next destination. As we anchored in Ranon we were quickly greeted by Jeffery. Jeffery and his father head up the tours here in Ambrym so we could easily find a guide to bring us up in the hills to experience a traditional Rom Dance. We planned for an early morning departure to watch the dance in the Fanla village. After hiking one hour up the mountain behind someone with very strong B.O. we reached the village. We happily accepted the fresh green coconuts to drink when we arrived. They explained the traditions for the Rom dance and local Taboo. It is Taboo to get closer than 3 meters from the Rom dancers and we are not allowed in the sacred dancing grounds until we are invited in during the ceremony. As we approached the dancing grounds, we peeked through an opening to watch the beginning rituals. The men were dancing and stomping in a circle with a banana leaf belt decorated with leaves and a wrap around only the penis attaching it to the belt, that's it. Everything else was exposed. Imagine our kids surprise when the dancers turned around. The great thing is they didn't comment until we got home. Two of the dancers came closer to us and turned around signaling our acceptance and allowing us to enter the sacred ground. Then came the Big Rom Dancers. They are big and domineering! The mask on their head is about three feet high and they are covered from the neck down in dried banana leaves. They carry a spear that resembles a outdoor torch with beads that make a tribal sound. They surrounded the other dancers and chanted. We felt like we jumped right into the pages of National Geographic.