Rom Dancers
B arefoot dancers stomp and chant. T ey pound the ground with bamboo
poles. Rattles shake. Gongs boom. Clop, shhh, boom. Clop, shhh, boom. We are on an island in the South
Pacific Ocean, and we are watching a Rom Dance. T is dance is a ritual, or ceremony. It is part of the islander’s oral history. Here, the people have no written language. So they must remember their history and beliefs by telling stories.
T e islanders believe the Roms
are spirits. T e Roms protect the yam harvest. T at’s because these vegetables are an important food. T e ritual begins. A dancer runs
through the town. T e people scatter. T is dancer reminds them of the Roms’ power. T en the dancing begins. Clop, shhh, boom. When the dance ends, the dancers burn their costumes. T ey believe that will send the spirits away until next year.
Vanuatu ✶
20 NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC EXPLORER
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