Rom Dancers T he barefoot dancers stomp and chant.


Bamboo poles pound the ground, rattles shake, and gongs boom, tapping out a steady beat. Clop, shhhh, boom. With every move, dust clouds swirl. Cloaks of dried banana leaves rustle as


the dancers whirl. Wooden masks tower high above each dancer’s head. Some masks look cheerful. Others look naughty, or even angry. Each costume hides the man beneath. Welcome to one of the most mysterious


cultural celebrations. It takes place on a tiny island in the South Pacific Ocean. Here, the people have no written language. Instead, they tell traditional stories and share myths. T ey hold ceremonies. T rough these rituals and the stories, or oral histories, they pass their beliefs from one generation to the next.


T e Rom Dance is one such ritual. Yet little


is known about it. In this culture, it’s forbidden to share too much information with outsiders. It is believed that the Roms are powerful


spirits. T ese spirits become more active as the yam harvest approaches. T at’s because this vegetable is a very important food here. It’s linked to people’s health. T e dancers represent the Roms. To start the


dance, a single Rom dancer may race through the village. T e villagers scatter to escape him. T is ritual reminds people of the power and importance of these spirits. T en the dancing begins. Clop, shhhh, boom. Once the dancing ends, the men perform


one more ritual. T ey take off their costumes and burn them. T ey believe that will keep the spirits from haunting them.


✶


Vanuatu


20 NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC EXTREME EXPLORER


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