Turning Back the Clock

Facing each other in a tight circle, fingers spread and palms making a sharp crack as they clap, the men of the village of Ianapus tattoo the dark ground with their rhythmic stomping. In contrast to the chaotic rainforest that covers most of their island of Tanna, the surface of the men's dancing ground is bare earth, compacted and smooth from countless years of ritual. Today their strong voices sing here for the success of the yam harvest and the bounty of gardens to come. Young boys, clad like their fathers and uncles only in the nambas, or penis covering, join...